Just around about this time of year, at least in the south of Sweden, talk of spring is one of the most popular conversation topics. This blogpost will equip you with good phrases for “vårprat” (spring talk).
Here comes a standard phrase which you can exchange the adjective for any number of synonyms.
“Visst är det _fint_ väder ute!” (“Isn’t it nice weather outside.”)
“Visst har det blivit varmt på sistone.” (“It’s been warm outside lately hasn’t it.”)
| Positive adjectives in Swedish |
Negative adjectives in Swedish |
| underbart |
jobbigt |
| fint |
hemskt |
| fantastiskt |
tråkigt |
| super |
tradigt |
| superläckert |
sorgligt |
| otroligt |
bedrövligt |
| ljuvligt |
trist |
| upplyftande |
|
| störfint |
|
| toppenfint |
|
| strålande |
|
| trevligt |
|
| uppfriskande |
|
Replies:
“Ja, det är det verkligen” (“It sure has.”)
“Ja, eller hur” (“Yeah, it really has.”)
“Ja, det tycker jag _med/också/verkligen/absolut_.” (“Yeah I agree/think so too.”)
And if it should snow again after a warm spell these phrases can come in handy.
“Såg du att det snöade idag/igår igen?” (“Did you notice it snowed again today/yesterday?”)
Replies:
“Ja, jag tror knappt det är sant!” (This can be used for both good and bad things) (“Yes, I can’t believe it.”)
“Ja, usch vad _hemskt_!” (Yes, it’s quite awful.”)
“Ja, _hemskt_ är det!” (Yes, it’s quite awful.”)
“Jag hoppas snön smälter bort snart igen” (“I hope the snow melts again soon.”)
“Ja, det hoppas jag också” (“I hope so too.”) Do you see a pattern forming here? The conversation goes very much by safe statements about the weather and the reply usually just being a repetition of what the first person said. You can use the exakt same phrase just exchanging the verb. Eg. from tycker to hoppas.
“Åh vad jag längtar till våren/sommaren” (“I’m really looking forward to summer now.”) Here we are talking about a specific summer/spring so we use a particle for that. While if you are talking about summer in general as a season then we don’t use the -en ending as in the following example.
“Vad _fint_ det ska bli med vår/sommar.” (“It will be so nice when summer comes.”)
Hopefully these phrases will help you to at least start up a conversation in Swedish. Lycka till!
Here is a short dialog which you can practice by yourself or with a partner. Believe me, pets or small children are very good audiences as well.
A “Nejmen hejsan”
B “Hej! Hur är läget?”
A “Bara bra tack. Själv?”
B “Med mig är det bara fint! Tack som frågar.”
A “Visst är det _fint_ väder ute!”
B “Ja, eller hur. Det är det verkligen.”
A “Jag längtar verkligen efter sommaren.”
B “Ja det gör jag också. Det ska bli så skönt med lite värme.”
A “Ja absolut!”
B “Vi får hoppas att sommaren kommer snart.”
A “Ja, det får vi verkligen.”
B “Måste gå nu men det var kul att ses!”
A “Ja, det var ju ett tag sedan. Ha det så bra.”
B “Ja, tack det samma!”
A “Hejdå!”
B “Hejsvejs!”
A “Why hello.”
B “Hi, how are you doing?”
A “Good, and you?”
B “I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”
A “Isn’t it gorgeous weather outside.”
B “Yes, isn’t it!”
A “I’m really looking forward to the summertime.”
B “Me too. It will be nice with some heat.”
A “Yes definitively.”
B “We’ll just have to hope summer is around the corner.”
A “Yeah, that’s right.”
B “I have to go now, but great seeing you.”
A “Yeah, it’s been a while. Take care!”
B “Thanks. You too!”
A “Bye”
B “Bye”
