Posts under Swedish Language

Happy Birthday Swedish Blog!

Posted by Anna Ikeda
Jun
24
2009

I don’t know if you’ve noticed (because I must say it has totally escaped even me) that our little Swedish Blog is one year old now! Can you believe it? I’m not sure about you, but somehow this fact is enough to put a big smile on my face.

You’ve survived one whole year with me! And frankly, I couldn’t have done it without you. Your comments, support, suggestions, and just plain being there and reading what I have to say ten times a month is more than what any blogger could have asked for. Because what’s a blog good for if no one ever reads it, right?

So, while we’re on the subject of age, let’s learn how to say how old we are in Swedish (well, not “we” because you’re not supposed to ask a lady’s age, but just in general) , OK?

  • Swedish Blog är ett år (gammal). – Swedish Blog is one year old.

See? It’s easy. Very similar to English. That final “gammal” is not even necessary. Just like we would say in English that someone is (for example) 14, with “years” and “old” being understood and omitted.

Same in Swedish. You could say that:

  • Han är 14 år. - He is 14. And that’s good enough.

Notice anything interesting about that final “år”? Even though it looks like a singular noun, in reality it’s not.

Take a look:

  • år (def. året, pl. år, pl. def. åren) - 365 dagar * - year

This is the kind of stuff that happens with many “ett” nouns, and unfortunately, there’s no way around it - you just need to learn it.
And how do we ask about someone’s age?

  • Hur gammal är du? – How old are you?

And our young friend would answer:

  • Jag är 14 år. - I am fourteen.

But what happens if the object about whose age we are inquiring happens to be an “ett” noun? Then of course, instead of “gammal”, we have to say “gammalt”.

  • Hur gammalt är ditt barn? – How old is your child?

“Barn” is an “ett” noun, and so the adjective “gammal” acquired one “t” at the end.

But wait a sec. Now take a look at this:

  • Hur gamla är dina barn? – How old are your children?

“Barn” is one of those pesky nouns, just like “år”, that look the same in both indefinite singular and plural forms. But because “gammal” morphed into “gamla”, we know we are talking about more than one of your children here.

And this is how a simple birthday celebration turned into a grammar lesson. Ouch!

Har den äran på födelsedagen, Swedish Blog! – Happy Birthday Swedish Blog!

* A year with 366 days is called “skottår”.

PS. Even though it’s after Midsommar, it’s not too late to enter my Midsommar Swedish book contest!!! If you a reader from a country other than Sweden where Swedish books are hard to come by, all you need to do is to leave a comment under this post telling me IN SWEDISH why I should send the book to YOU (and not to someone else)! Good luck!!!

 
Posted under Grammar, Swedish Language
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Midsommar Book Contest!

Posted by Anna Ikeda
Jun
18
2009

It’s almost summer! I am saying “almost”, because we all know that the summer season officially starts with midsommar. And speaking of midsommar – what are your plans?
I will spend the occasion in Vancouver, actually, I’m on my way there right now - I’m sitting at the airport while typing this.

But, it’s not airports I wanted to talk about today.

To celebrate the beginning of summer, I have something special planned for you.

I don’t know about you, but for me it just wouldn’t be summer without a dorky summer pop hit, beach and summer reading. You just can’t have a summer break and NOT read a funny, lighthearted book. Do you agree?

And I remember how some of you complained about how hard it is to get Swedish books abroad.

So, I’m going to help you out a bit with this book problem! To celebrate the beginning of summer, I thought a little something special was in order.

And tah-dah! We have our first annual Swedish Blog midsommar book contest.
The book you can win is “Populärmusik från Vittula” by Mikael Niemi. Which just happens to be one of my most favorite books, ever.

It was the winner of the August Prize for the best Swedish novel of 2000 (vinnare av Augustpriset som bästa svenska roman 2000). So, you can say it’s almost a classic.

I picked this book not because I have an extra copy sitting around (thought that’s true, too) but because of its location – a lovely little town called Pajala in the north of Sweden. And you know how much I love the far north! The rest of Sweden is really, well, the rest, if you live in the north.

This book has been translated into English, so if you want to read along with an English version, that’s possible, too. That’s another reason why I decided to give away this particular book, and not another. I want to make this Swedish reading experience as fun for you as possible, so even if you’re not confident you can manage all the way through in Swedish, you can follow along in English when you get tired.

OK, enough of me talking.
Do you want to win it?
All you need to do is to tell me in the comments section, på svenska, in 15 words or less, why I should send this book to you (and not to someone else). The deadline - June 30th.

Easy? Very!
Just remember when you leave your comment to enter a valid email address, it won’t be seen by other blog readers, but it’s visible on my end, and this is the email address, I will use to contact you, OK? Don’t leave your mailing address in the comment - I will ask you for it when my distinguished panel of judges (consisting of me, myself and I) selects the winner.

Oh, and one more thing – the contest is open only to subscribed readers of this blog (to subscribe click in the box to the right - it means that you will be getting new Swedish Blog posts by email) from countries other than Sweden. I know, I know, it doesn’t seem fair. But you guys in Sweden can just saunter down to your local library and read all summer long.

Trevlig midsommar!!!

 
Posted under Culture, Swedish Language
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Reading Books in Swedish, continued…

Posted by Anna Ikeda
Apr
28
2009

Continuing with our topic of reading Swedish books, there are a couple of issues that need to be addressed.

  • 1. Where to get Swedish books abroad?

Hmmm… That is a very good question indeed. Bokus no longer ships orders to the US, due to problems with the US Customs.

This is very annoying, I know, and I will try to find out who is still willing and able to sell and ship to America. As you’ve probably noticed, the info you can find about it on the internet is painfully outdated. I have sent out a few emails and as soon as I get a reply, I’ll post it here, of course.

In the meantime, if anyone knows of any place that sells Swedish books in the US, and accepts phone or internet orders, please tell us!

If you live in the UK, or Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and so on, you’re in luck, because Bokus still ships to your countries.

UPDATE:

Ms. Peters from the Swedish Council of America kindly suggested this internet retailer: Skandimport. However, she also mentioned that she hadn’t used them personally but they did seem to have a nice selection of Swedish language media, including books. Other than that, the cost of importing books from Sweden is simply too high for most North American businesses specializing in Swedish imports.

  • 2. Thank you so much for mentioning ljudböcker (audiobooks)!

This is a fabulous idea, indeed. Personally, I’m not a fan of audiobooks – I like the smell and feel of pages of paper, but I agree that ljudböcker can be an excellent language learning help. Especially, if you manage to get a printed copy as well and can follow along while listening.

The nice thing about audiobooks is that you can purchase an MP3 download without bothering with the customs, shipping fees and so on. But if you want an actual CD, this company says they will ship to the US, too: Ljudboken.
They do ask for personnummer when you fill out the registration form, but that is not a required field for foreign customers.

Alternately, if you have friends or relatives in Sweden, you can ask them for help. It will end up costing more, but at least you will get the book you want.

  • 3. Reading newspapers and magazines is, of course, a great idea, too.

But do they give the same sense of accomplishment as opening an actual book and reading it from cover to cover in a foreign language? At least for me, they don’t. I have the same problem regarding the reading material on the internet. It’s a great resource, it provides tons of useful information, but can it compete with reading an actual book? I think not.

If someone already reads newspapers, magazines and websites in Swedish, he/she is that much more prepared for tackling an actual book. However, if you want to start with a more advanced book, say, about politics or horticulture, because that’s something you love and already know the appropriate terminology, then go for it. But even if the topic is something that really interests you, such first book can be a very discouraging experience. Therefore, picking an easier read would be a better idea. (Bryce, while I normally would totally agree with you, I also know some people need simplistic as their first book attempt in a foreign language. Otherwise, they may not try reading a book at all - just ask my husband! LOL!)

  • 4. Bottom line, only you know your individual preferences and Swedish proficiency level.

What I’m trying to say is that you can start reading books in Swedish at almost ANY language level from intermediate up. It all depends on what kind of book you want to read and ultimately choose.

PS. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try to sort something out regarding a Swedish book club on the blog.

 
Posted under Swedish Language
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Reading Books in Swedish? - How to Begin

Posted by Anna Ikeda
Apr
26
2009

A while back somebody asked about which books would be a good choice for a first-time reader, in Swedish naturally.

I know that some people recommend the classics: Astrid Lindgren, or Selma Lagerlöf or more recent works by Henning Mankell or Liza Marklund or Stieg Larsson.

But I am going to be a little bit unorthodox here and suggest something different. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with the writers listed above, their works are not for everybody. And especially not for those, who are just learning the language and reluctant to pick up a book in Swedish in the first place. This first book selection in a foreign language can be what makes or breaks you as a reader. It will either encourage you to read more and more, or will turn you off books for a long time.

Let’s face it, reading in a foreign language can be quite intimidating. Especially reading anything other than what’s in a foreign language textbook. It forces you to focus, it makes you think twice as hard as you would when reading in your native tongue, and it frequently bares all your linguistic inadequacies and shortcomings when it comes to vocabulary or foreign language comprehension.

Add to that the specific “flavor” of Swedish fiction and after the first try you may decide that reading in Swedish is not for you.

So, I am going to suggest something that will make all native-Swedish Swedish teachers cringe. Pick a book that you’ve read in your native language, one that you know and like. Find it in Swedish (chances are it has been translated) and give it a try along with the original language version. Make it a popular book without any highly specialized vocabulary. Though what’s “specialized” to one person, might be everyday to someone else, so use your own judgment.

I know a lady who’s a huge Harry Potter fan, and needless to say, for her first book in Swedish she chose a Swedish translation of one of her favorite boy wizard stories. My friend did the same with Alexander Smith McCall’s novels. Yes, I still have your copy of “Damernas detektivbyrå” - The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, I’ll give it back, I promise!

Myself, I began with Swedish translations of the Discworld (Skivvärlden) series, which almost did me in. I kept comparing them to the original versions and was utterly disappointed. (Only much later did I learn that many Swedish fans felt the same way and preferred to read Terry Pratchett in English.)

Then I picked up one of Tove Jansson’s Moomin books, looked up the English version at the local library and got busy. Muminböckerna proved exactly what I needed (which maybe is a good indication of my mental level, ha!).

My first Swedish-Swedish book was by Selma Lagerlöf. I’m not counting Tove Jansson, because she was technically Finnish. From there, I graduated to other types of Swedish literature.

Of course, using a book in your native tongue as a crutch may not appeal to everyone, but it is a convenient and almost pain-free way to ease yourself into reading in a foreign language.

So, what was your first book in Swedish? Or, if you haven’t started reading in Swedish yet, what would you like to begin with?

If enough of you agree, we can start a mini-book club on the blog!

 
Posted under Swedish Language
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Hav or sjö?

Posted by Anna Ikeda
Apr
23
2009

When is a lake not a lake? When it’s a sea. Doesn’t make much sense, now does it? But unfortunately that’s how it can be in Swedish. Sometimes a lake is just a lake, but sometimes, even though it’s called a lake, it’s really a sea.

Of course, I am talking about the “hav” and “sjö” issue. And what inspired me to write about it was a heated discussion between a Swede and a foreigner I overheard on the bus the other day. The discussion was in English, the foreigner was asking lots of questions and the Swede was doing the explaining. Sadly, he wasn’t very good at it and I was seriously contemplating whether or not I should join in. But since one doesn’t just join random conversations taking place in public places in Sweden, I stayed silent. I was reading an interesting book anyway.

So, here’s my chance to add my 2 öre to the discussion, even though I seriously doubt that the foreign guy from the bus reads this blog.

But this was his question that started the whole discussion:
Why is the Baltic Sea called a “lake” in Swedish? And how come it’s not even called “Baltic lake” but “Östersjön” – Eastern Lake.
Hmmm… the easy answer is that: Since it’s to the east of Sweden, it’s called “eastern”, even though as far as I know the rest of the world calls it “Baltic”. That’s OK, I can live with that. Every language has its quirks and this is one in Swedish. And that was pretty much what the Swedish guy on the bus said.

But what’s up with this “sjö” (lake) business? That’s something the Swede had a much harder time explaining. And I can’t blame him. There’s Vänern, which is most definitely “sjö”, in fact Vänern är Sveriges största sjö and third largest in Europe.

So, if “sjö” means “lake”, then why do we have “Östersjön” (the Baltic Sea) and Nordsjön (the North Sea)? Well, the traditional reasoning is that those two seas were so well-known to the Vikings, they didn’t even consider them as seas, but as their own lakes. Fine, I can live with that, too. But then what about Sydkinesiska sjön (the South China Sea)? Was it also known to the Vikings? Mercifully, Sydkinesiska sjön also has an alternate name - Sydkinesiska havet. And that’s more like it. To make the distinction between lake-lake and sea-lake easier, the kind of lake that is a normal lake is called “insjö” in Swedish.

“Hav” means either a sea OR an ocean. So you can have for example Stilla havet (the Pacific Ocean) and Medelhavet (the Mediterranean Sea).

Ok, so if “hav” means “ocean” and there’s Stilla havet to prove it, then what about “Indiska oceanen”? Hmmm… a very good question. Luckily, you can say either “Indiska oceanen” or “Indiska havet” – both are fine.

And what about the Atlantic Ocean? To make things even more interesting, it’s simply called “Atlanten”.

  • sjö (def. sjön, pl. sjöar, def.pl.: sjöarna) – stort område med vatten som inter inner och med land runt omkring, insjö – lake (or a sea in some cases
  • hav (def. havet, pl. hav, def.pl.: haven) - saltvattnet som finns runt jordens landområden – ocean or sea.
 
Posted under Geography, Swedish Language
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