{"id":5943,"date":"2012-10-05T09:00:31","date_gmt":"2012-10-05T09:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/?p=5943"},"modified":"2014-06-26T22:14:50","modified_gmt":"2014-06-26T22:14:50","slug":"tricky-swedish-idioms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/tricky-swedish-idioms\/","title":{"rendered":"Tricky Swedish idioms"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Idioms are probably one of the most difficult areas in learning a language, partly because most of these idiomatic expressions are not written down making them hard to find. But generally most people just expect speakers of the language to know <\/em>them, and these are of course a huge reflection of a society and cultures development over a long period of time meaning that the logic behind the expression might be basically non-existent for somebody who hasn\u2019t been taught them from a young age.<\/p>\n

However, this blog post is a crash course on the most common ones, to take your language to a completely different level!<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll start off with some easy ones about animals, used almost all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Svenska<\/td>\nEnglish translation<\/td>\nUse of animal in English<\/td>\nSwedish version<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Listig\/slug som en r\u00e4v<\/td>\nSly as a fox<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stark som en bj\u00f6rn\/oxe<\/td>\nStrong as an ox<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hungrig som en varg<\/td>\nEat like a horse<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Arg som ett bi<\/td>\nAngry as a bull<\/td>\nBusy as a bee<\/td>\nFlitig som en myra<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Klok som en uggla<\/td>\nWise as an owl<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Envis som en \u00e5sna<\/td>\nStubborn as a mule<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fri som en f\u00e5gel<\/td>\nFree as a bird<\/td>\nEat like a bird<\/td>\n*means: eat smallportions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Minne som en guldfisk<\/td>\nMemory like a gold fish<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
R\u00e4dd som en hare<\/td>\nScared like hell<\/td>\nBreed like rabbits<\/td>\n*means: to have a lotof children<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kvick\/snabb som en vessla<\/td>\nQuick as a flash<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tyst som en mus<\/td>\nQuite as a mouse<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vig\/smidig som en katt<\/td>\nAgile as a monkey<\/td>\nGrin like a Cheshire\u00a0cat<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Just so you follow the organization of the table above I\u2019ll explain why I have written things the way I did. Either you remember an idiom by the characteristic it is describing or the for example the animal used to describe. But if the animal is used to describe something different in Swedish than in your own language you\u2019re in trouble right!?<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\n<\/a><\/div>\n

Then there are a couple of others, very commonly used idioms in everyday life. Some are similar and others are quite different. Once you have heard them you\u2019ll start hearing them all over the place, in films, books or conversations. Please share ones from you own language too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Svenska<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

English translation<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Ful som stryk<\/td>\nUgly as hell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gammal som gatan<\/td>\nOld as the hills<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Klart som korvspad<\/td>\nClear as a bell<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lika som b\u00e4r<\/td>\nAs like as two peas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sova som en stock<\/td>\nSleep like a log<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bakom fl\u00f6tet<\/td>\nNot the brightest light in the harbor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Det gick som smort<\/td>\nWork like a charm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dick gick \u00e5t skogen<\/td>\nGo haywire<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dra mig bakl\u00e4nges<\/td>\nBlow me down<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Idioms are probably one of the most difficult areas in learning a language, partly because most of these idiomatic expressions are not written down making them hard to find. But generally most people just expect speakers of the language to know them, and these are of course a huge reflection of a society and…<\/p>\n

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