Archive by Author
Meeting Someone New – in Swedish Posted by Marcus Cederström on Jul 31, 2013
Last week we learned about animals. It’s fun, it helps the vocabulary, but the word for hippo might not be all that useful (it’s flodhäst, in case you’re wondering). But one thing that will be useful is how to start a conversation with someone you just met. That’s one of the beauties of traveling. New…
Lions and Tigers and Bears… in Swedish! Posted by Marcus Cederström on Jul 24, 2013
Some vocabulary lists are more important than others. Some focus on getting you through your everyday life. Some focus on getting you a job. Others though, others are fun. Like swear words. I’m not teaching you swear words though. Katja already took care of that in her great post, “Swedish swear words.” But animal vocabulary lists…
Three Ways Wikipedia Can Help You Learn Swedish Posted by Marcus Cederström on May 21, 2013
You know all of those teachers who warn you about using Wikipedia academically? Well… they have a point. Kind of. At least if you start citing Wikipedia in your university papers. Don’t. But if you’re looking to improve your language skills? Do. There are plenty of ways to use Wikipedia to improve your Swedish language…
14 Swedish Abbreviations You Need to Know Posted by Marcus Cederström on May 7, 2013
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…
Every Other Hippo is Swedish (And Other Useful Frequency Terms) Posted by Marcus Cederström on Apr 23, 2013
There are some phrases in foreign languages that are just good to know. Hello (hej), good bye (hej då) thanks (tack), where is the bathroom (var är toaletten), every other hippo is Swedish (varannan flodhäst är svensk), you know, the usual. But within those useful terms are some things that can be tricky, like frequency…
A Swedish Hymn – Tryggare kan ingen vara Posted by Marcus Cederström on Mar 19, 2013
I wrote a while back about a Swedish nursery rhyme called Rida Rida Ranka that I have encountered while doing field work in Swedish America. It’s a great little nursery rhyme and one that I actually remember my dad reciting to me when I was younger. It’s not just nursery rhymes though that I keep…
Melodifestivalen – 2013 Posted by Marcus Cederström on Mar 5, 2013
It’s time. The final Melodifestivalen is happening this Saturday. Of course, we’ve got a few fans here on the blog who have written about Melodifestivalen before (including me with Melodifestivalen and the other Swedish Schlager), but for those of you who are new to the glory that is Swedish schlager, here’s a quick rundown. Schlager…