14 Swedish Abbreviations You Need to Know Posted by Marcus Cederström on May 7, 2013 in Vocabulary
Learning vocabulary can be a challenge sometimes. But then there are those little moments when you hear the word, or maybe you just read it, and you get it. The smile creeps over your face, maybe you throw your arms up in the air like Rocky running up the stairs of the Philadelphia Art Museum. It’s a beautiful thing. Learning vocabulary, not Rocky.
But what happens when you see this: bl.a. or d.v.s. or m.m. or maybe even t.o.m.? Abbreviations. The bane of any language learner. I can hardly keep English abbreviations straight. Now there are Swedish ones floating around my head too. Awesome. Don’t worry. While there are a plenty of abbreviations to go around, there are a few that are just a bit more important than others. Below you’ll find a few of those common abbreviations, what they mean written out in Swedish, and an English translation. Good luck!
|
bl.a. |
bland annat/bland andra |
among other things |
|
ca. |
cirka |
approximately |
|
d.v.s. |
det vill säga |
that is (to say), i.e. |
|
e.m. |
eftermiddag |
afternoon, P.M. |
|
f.d. |
före detta |
formerly, ex |
|
f.m. |
förmiddag |
morning, forenoon, A.M. |
|
forts. |
fortsättning |
continuation |
|
kr. |
kronor |
Swedish currency – translates to crown |
|
m.fl. |
med flera |
and others |
|
m.m. |
med mera |
etc., and others |
|
osv. |
och så vidare |
and so forth/and so on |
|
s.k. |
så kallad |
so called |
|
t.ex. |
till exempel |
for example |
|
t.o.m. |
till och med |
including |
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About the Author: Marcus Cederström
Marcus Cederström has been writing for the Transparent Swedish Blog since 2009. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Oregon, a Master's Degree in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and a PhD in Scandinavian Studies and Folklore from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has taught Swedish for several years and still spells things wrong. So, if you see something, say something.
Comments:
silvia:
Hej!
En som är jätte använt är också p.g.a. = på grund av
Andrew:
Också MVH på slutet av brevet… med vänliga hälsningar…
Gabi:
Här kommer en förkortning till: m.a.o = med andra ord.
Marcus Cederström:
Bra, tack för det!
Ellen:
Obs! Obsevera! Observe/Important!
Carla:
Great list, thank you!
There’s also kl. for klockan!
Jo:
What does St mean? Ie. Eluttag – 2st
Marcus Cederström:
Good additions, folks!
And st. means pcs. or pieces. So you’ve got two electrical outlets.
Lynne Pegman:
What is BTWM (Scandinavia)?????
Angelou Chrisa:
trpt Hbgs Las-Klippan 2 man
What does it stand for in english
Marcus Cederström:
@Angelou Chrisa That one’s hard to figure out with more context. Sorry!
Geoff:
Great blog & lists. I have a question about “LAS” which I’ve seen in a document relating to a job. It was included in a list as follows:
1) LAS
2) Årsarbetstids & mertidssaldot
3) Kompetens & behovet För tjänsten
2) and 3) are clear but I can’t figure out what LAS could be abbreviated for. Any ideas? Thanks.
Marcus Cederström:
@Geoff That’s a tricky one. It could be Lagen om anställningsskydd (LAS).
Manuel:
I would like to clarify t.o.m. In the list appears as meaning “included”, but I think that’s a too short translation. “t.o.m.” refers always to a period of time and it means “until and including” (“from now until…”). Correct me if I’m wrong, please.
I would like to know if there’s any abbreviation to express the opposite, I mean “from one date on”.
Marcus Cederström:
@Manuel That’s a good explanation.
And there is: fr.o.m. = från och med
Maria:
K:a is a typical Swedish abbreviation, meaning Church (kyrka)
Molly:
Hey!
What does dd mean in the Swedish language? For example;
Me: Hej!
Friend: Hej
Me Hur mår du?
Friend: Bra, dd?