Archive for June, 2015
Barbecues in Sweden Posted by Marcus Cederström on Jun 30, 2015
Come summer, Swedes (in one of those stereotypes that paints with broad strokes) like to be outside. That means drinking at the outdoor bars even if it’s cold (don’t worry, the bars generally provide blankets and have plenty of heat lamps), trying to get out for a swim, a bike, a hike, something, and heading…
Going to the Bathroom in Sweden Posted by Marcus Cederström on Jun 25, 2015
When learning a new language, we don’t always spend too much time on certain vocabulary—like bodily functions. A while back, Katja wrote a post titled The sensitive subject (which isn’t so sensitive in Sweden) where you can learn all kinds of vocabulary about bodily functions. It’s a wonderful list. Now it’s time to expand on…
Swedish Midsummer Dances Posted by Marcus Cederström on Jun 19, 2015
Every June, Swedes gather to celebrate Midsummer. Actually, they celebrate Midsummer Eve. It’s a time of singing and dancing and even a bit of drinking. That singing and dancing is quite the traditional part of a Midsummer celebration. As is the drinking, actually, but we’ll focus on the singing and dancing for now, just like…
Pronouncing years in Swedish Posted by Stephen Maconi on Jun 11, 2015
We’ve all been there. You’re trying to learn a new language and you’re practicing reading. And then you come across a clump. A clump of numbers that refers to a year. And so the question appears: How do you even say that?! Well, lucky for you, we’ve got a Swedish year guide right here! So…
Talking about specific years in Swedish Posted by Stephen Maconi on Jun 5, 2015
In English, when you want to say that something happened during a specific year, you say, for example: IKEA was founded in 1943. In Swedish, you express this slightly differently; namely, you leave out the preposition “in”. The same sentences is said in Swedish as this: IKEA grundades 1943. In other words, it would be…
Important Swedish verbs: att bli, “to become” Posted by Stephen Maconi on Jun 1, 2015
Also known as bliva*, the Swedish verb bli is one of the most useful ones to know. It has several uses, but the main meaning is “to become”. (*Bliva is an older variant of the word that you might see in older texts or songs. Bli is the variant used in modern Swedish, so this…