Swedish Language Blog

I think most of you can agree on how important it is to be able to small talk. As a part of small talking I find some phrases are used more than others, for example phrases expressing your appreciation for something. Like saying “That’s cool” or “Wow, awesome”.

Here are some “coolness” phrases in Swedish to help your everyday conversations. Remember though that this is slang, and to adapt your language use thereafter, old ladies probably won’t understand much even though these phrases are now considered a part of the Swedish language. There will of course be regional differences as well, along with some ages thinking it just weird to use some words but in general I think these are the most common ones.

“Va coolt!” (originates from “Vad coolt det är!”) Eng: “Cool!”

“Va ballt” (originates from “Vad ballt det är!”) Eng: “Cool!”

The word “cool” can be substituted for all the following words.

Fräckt! “Cool!”

Skönt! “Sweet, chill”

Tufft! “Cool!”

Fett! “Awesome!”

Checkt! (pronounced sheck) “Sweet”

Schyst! 

Then there are words that might sound a little weird if you say “Vad toppen det är!” so better in that case to just say “Toppen!” which means “great!”.

To express to what degree people think something is cool many people ad a slight swear word which can commonly be heard in everyday language nowadays.

Sentences such as “Det var coolt som fan” or “Tack som fan!” or even “Fan vad nice!” (pronounced najs). “Fan” which means devil is now used regularly as plain slang but has is now used as an expression for “very much” instead. The regular use of this word is seen by many as loss of control of your own language use, in other words almost a little looked down upon when such slang language is used in say more formal situations. So I would not recommend you using this sort of language without fully understanding what image you are creating for yourself. However it is always helpful to know what things mean because the word does crop up in every other sentence in some conversations.

Sentences you can use these words can be:

“Vad _____ det är.” “That’s _____.”

“Vad _____ det var.” “That was (really) _____.”

Go on out there and try them out! If you don’t live in Sweden or anywhere near you can try practicing when out running or walking and you see something cool. Try saying one of the phrases expressing that.

A few months ago, we wrote about finding a job in Sweden. It wasn’t easy to find a job then and it is not easy to find a job now, but the post included several tips to try to make things just a little bit easier. Or at least guide your job search.

Recently though, something popped up in the Swedish language news that I just couldn’t ignore. Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Göteborg (check out our Facebook page by the way for some beautiful photos of Göteborg!) is offering a 5000 SEK bonus to any staff member who can recruit a nurse that is hired by the hospital. The hospital is at a loss for nurses and the shortage is becoming so problematic that they have turned to financial incentives to try to expand their recruiting efforts. Of course, you could argue (and plenty of people are), that this is just a short-term solution to a long-term problem and that the low wages for nurses in the country is resulting in fewer people studying nursing.

So why did I include the link to finding a job in Sweden above? Simple. Job shortages mean job opportunities for people with the right educational background or career experience. Certain occupations in Sweden are more sought after than others. In fact, there is a list that is published with these occupations and specific jobs at workinginsweden.se. Having the necessary skills to fulfill one of those jobs and then applying for it increases your chances of getting hired. Maybe most important to some people is that if your job is listed, youc an actually stay in Sweden while applying for your work visa. Normally, you have to leave the country and return to your home country while applying for a work visa. If you happen to have the experience necessary to fill a job on the labor shortage list, you can stay in Sweden.

Not surprisingly, especially considering Sahlgrenska’s recruiting bonus, several nursing positions are on the list:
Nurses – operating room (Operationssjuksköterskor)
Nurses – pediatric (Barnsjuksköterskor)
Nurses – psychiatric care (Sjuksköterskor, psykiatrisk vård)
Nurses – public health (Distriktssjuksköterskor)
Nurses – x-ray (Röntgensjuksköterskor)

If you are considering moving to Sweden for work, first, learn Swedish. Seriously. Learning Swedish will make your life so much easier when looking for employment. Second, check out the labor shortage list. You can even work on your vocab while you’re searching for work (the site lists the positions in English and then in Swedish, just as you see above).

As always, good luck!

As you all might now, this February saw the arrival of Sweden’s new Crown Princess, Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary. This afternoon, the three month old celebrity baby will be christened in a formal ceremony at the Royal Chapel in the Royal Palace in Stockholm. The ceremony will be conducted by Archbishop Anders Wejryd, who also wed  the Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel back in 2010.

The guestlist is of course long and impressive and includes royalties from all over Europe as well as politicians, family and friends. Swedish national television is broadcasting the whole event here, it starts with the VIP arrivals at 10.45 am. The ceremony starts at noon and is followed by a reception at the Royal Palace.

Photo: Kungahuset

Although the streets are Stockholm are filled with people who want to celebrate Estelle, critical voices are raised against the christening. Should we really celebratre her entry into Christianity and the church? Should she not be given a choice in a secular county like Sweden? Any thoughs on this?