I love Sweden. I was born there. I spent summers there. I lived there. I worked there. It\u2019s a beautiful country and one that I find myself returning to again and again. It\u2019s a beautiful language and one that I\u2019ve found myself teaching. It\u2019s a beautiful culture and one that I try to promote just about everywhere I go. This blog is one such medium, and sometimes that medium is perfect for discussing Swedish stereotypes. Both good and bad.<\/p>\n
There are of course the ones about the Swedish looks. Blonde. Blue eyes. Tall. Beautiful. It seems to focus on women, but men are also included in this one.<\/p>\n
There is the utopian society that suggests that every beneficial service is free and that the government takes care of your every whim.<\/p>\n
How about the polar bears in the streets of Stockholm?\u00a0Or the fact that Sweden is actually Switzerland?<\/p>\n
The sing-songy language infamously stereotyped by the Swedish chef and his \u201cBork, bork, bork!\u201d<\/a> (That\u2019s not Swedish by the way. Not at all.)<\/p>\n Being in Denmark has given me an opportunity to hear some of the negative stereotypes while abroad. Granted, Denmark and Sweden have that brotherly relationship. They tease because they love. Or something like that.<\/p>\n The classic has been the drunken Swede. I can\u2019t tell you how many different variations of this stereotype I\u2019ve heard.\u00a0 Everything from Swedish speaking police officers being employed at the drunk tank to Swedes falling into the Danish water after a night of drinking. To be honest, I haven\u2019t seen (or heard) many Swedes at all here in Copenhagen.<\/p>\n Then there is the depression. It is just so very cold and dark during the winter that people can\u2019t help becoming depressed.<\/p>\n Swedes are reserved. Depending on where you come from, this might be a good thing. Or a bad thing. So painfully shy that they will avoid any sort of human contact at all costs. Until they have a drink. Then who knows where the night will end up. But if you\u2019re following the stereotypes, then it will probably end up in bed.<\/p>\n The list could go on and on. There is no shortage of stereotypes about Swedes, or anyone really. So many people tend to stereotype because it\u2019s easy. It\u2019s easier to say that all Swedes drink. All Swedes are blonde. All Swedes are shy. That way we don\u2019t have to think on an individual basis.\u00a0 It\u2019s an understandable reaction. The challenge is of course to overcome that and to not let those stereotypes define who we meet.<\/p>\n What stereotypes have you run into about Sweden? Good or bad? And do you agree?<\/p>\n If you are looking to learn more about true Swedish language<\/a> and culture, check out our website at transparent.com for more free resources like\u00a0our Swedish\u00a0Word of the Day<\/a> and of course our\u00a0Facebook community<\/a>, or take it to the next level with a free trial of our self-guided online\u00a0Swedish course<\/a>.\u00a0 Happy language learning!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I love Sweden. I was born there. I spent summers there. I lived there. I worked there. It\u2019s a beautiful country and one that I find myself returning to again and again. It\u2019s a beautiful language and one that I\u2019ve found myself teaching. It\u2019s a beautiful culture and one that I try to promote just…<\/p>\n