Swedish Language Blog
Menu
Search

Short words/Kortord Posted by on Dec 27, 2010 in Swedish Language, Vocabulary

 

rea = realisation 

It is the Swedish word for the English word sale. If you ask me, I think this is when actually the “real prices” are carried out or let´s say implemented. Who are they fooling???

bil = automobil eng. automobile/car 

Self-propelled is the original meaning of this word. A Danish newspaper used the Scandinavian short-word for this word in 1902 for the first time. Compare it with French auto. It is a myth that the word was cut into : auto/mo/bil in different languages.

el = elektricitet eng. electricity 

It is just a short and common word for electricity. 

biff = bifalla eng. to approve 

sv. “Saken är biff” eng. It´s done”. It is a military expression from the beginning. When a document for an application was approved by the military in Sweden, you could read BIF on the paper. BIF stand for bifallen i.e. approved. It is a common expression nowadays. 

 bio=biograf eng. cinema/movie 

From the Greek words bio which means life and grafein which means skriva. The word biograph was the first ever projector made for showing moving pictures. So a biograf is a place where they have both license and a projector to be able to show films for the audience. 

ex. = ett exemplar eng. a copy 

* note that short words like ex. and el. is not equal with shortenings like t.ex. till exempel eng. for example. They are two different words. Ett exemplar and ett exempel. This is also true to el and el. because the first one is a short and common word for electricity (as above mentioned) while the other one is a shortening for eller English´s or.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Keep learning Swedish with us!

Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.

Try it Free Find it at your Library
Share this:
Pin it

Comments:

  1. mathilde:

    ‘mo’ doesn’t mean anything in French. but ‘auto’ does…

  2. Tibor:

    and you are so right, check the updates