håll käften (hole chef-ten)
What does håll käften (hole chef-ten) mean? håll käften (hole chef-ten) is a Swedish severe that translates to “shut the fuck up” in English.
Literal Translation
hold the jaw
Meaning & Usage
"shut the fuck up"
A highly aggressive way to tell someone to stop talking.
Examples in the Wild
Håll käften på dig! (Shut your fucking mouth!)
When to Use It
Context
- Expressing strong frustration or emphasis
- Only among very close friends who share this register
- As a spontaneous exclamation
- Direct confrontation (use with caution)
Avoid
- Professional or formal settings
- Around elders or authority figures
- Public spaces — will cause genuine offense
- Job interviews, meetings, or customer-facing situations
Cultural Context
'Käft' means an animal's jaw. Telling a human to hold their jaw equates them to a barking dog.
More in Swedish 🇸🇪
View all →shuno (shoo-no)
“dude / guy / fucker”
Ortenspråk slang for a male.
hora (hoo-ra)
“whore”
Prostitute. A very severe slur.
guzz (gooz)
“chick / ho / girl”
Modern Ortenspråk slang for a girl.
fitta (fit-ta)
“cunt”
Female genitalia. One of the absolute strongest and most taboo native Swedish swear words.
gubbe (goob-beh)
“geezer / old fart”
An older man.
rövhål (ruv-hole)
“asshole”
The anus. Used to call someone a terrible person.
järnspikar (yairn-spee-kar)
“goodness gracious / holy smokes”
An extremely old euphemism/minced oath.
jävlar (yev-lar)
“damn it / holy shit”
Plural of devil (djävul). Used as a strong exclamation or an intensifier.