Posts tagged with "Sweden"

Svenska Samtalsbordet

Posted by Marcus Cederström 1 Comment
Jan 25 2012

We’re always looking for learning language tips here at Transparent. It’s why everyone who works so hard on the various language learning software is so proud of what they do (if you haven’t already, check out what Transparent has to offer). But sometimes, some of the best things in life are free. Or, at least they don’t cost any money. When it comes to learning a language, there are some easy activities you can arrange to help you practice your new language.

One such way is the language conversation table, or samtalsbord. It’s a simple enough idea. Grab a few language learning friends, meet up once (or twice, or three times, or however many you want) and speak Swedish for an hour. Only Swedish. Only an hour. You’d be surprised how much you can actually say and how much you can actually understand.

The key is of course making sure that your conversation table becomes a recurring event. The best way to do so is to pick a time that works for a decent amount of people. Maybe your group does best right around 5:30 after work. Maybe your group likes to meet at lunch. Maybe you are a morning coffee person. It doesn’t matter, but make it regular. By choosing a set time every single week, it is easier to make your conversation table a habit.

Make sure that all levels are welcome. In fact, encourage it. Advanced language learners can learn a lot by helping beginners with pronunciation, word order, and vocabulary. It forces you to think about the language in a way you may not have done before. Beginners can learn a lot from watching and listening to more advanced speakers. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship that can also lead to a lot of great friendships.

Some conversation tables like to have a script to work from. A sort of introductory discussion that gets repeated at every meeting and gets the ball rolling. Others like to let the conversation come organically. That’s up to you. I’m a proponent of the organic conversation. It’s more realistic and in my opinion more interesting. You never know what you’ll learn how to say in Swedish if you just let things happen.

Finally, if you have some Swedes in the area, invite them along. It’s great to have a native speaker to practice with and more often than not, they are excited to be able to use their language and help others learn.

A great place to start when forming a language table is in your classroom. Many of you are learning Swedish with a bunch of other students who share your interest in the language. Take advantage of that and get together. Even if you find yourself actually in Sweden learning Swedish, it can be a great exercise to meet up with other learners to share your experiences (in Swedish of course). If you are an industrious soul trying to learn on your own, check around. You might be surprised by the Swedish community in your area. Look for Swedish-American clubs, community colleges or universities, or check for online communities willing to share a samtalsbord online. You might be surprised by how many people are actively trying to learn the language right alongside you.

As always, good luck, and please be sure to let us know how it goes for you, whether you are staring a new language table or if you’re already a part of one.

Helpful Swedish Phrases

Posted by Marcus Cederström No Comments
Jan 18 2012

We try to give you a basic understanding of Swedish here at Transparent Language. We mix vocab in with grammar in with culture in with news. It’s always a challenge trying to make sure that these posts have a little bit for everyone. And we realize that that is nearly impossible. Some of you have been studying Swedish for years and come here to just clean up a few of those nagging little questions. Some of you just started learning Swedish recently and are trying to absorb as much as possible. And some of you have no interest in the language at all and come here to just check in on Swedish culture.

With all that in mind though, I thought it might be useful to offer up a few common phrases in Swedish that could be helpful if you find yourself in Sweden or just speaking with a Swede. It’s a great way to show off your linguistic chops and start a conversation. Even if you have to switch to English a little bit.

Keep in mind, this will not include every useful phrase, and some of you might not agree with my definition of useful. That’s ok. In fact, I prefer it that way. All I ask then is that you add your useful phrase in the comments section below! Also, please note that I have not given literal translations, but instead focused on the colloquial meaning of these phrases. Good luck!

Hej. Hello.
Tjena. Hey.
Jag heter ________. My name is ________.
Mitt namn är ________. My name is ________.
Vad heter du? What is your name?
Hur är läget? How’s it going?
Läget? How’s it going? (Slangy)
Hur går det? How’s it going?
Hur mår du? How are you feeling?
Var kommer du ifrån? Where do you come from?
Ja, tack. Yes, please.
Nej, tack. No, thank you.
Tack Thanks.
Tack så mycket. Thank you so much.
Det var så lite. No problem.
Varsågod. You’re welcome.
Hur mycket kostar ________? How much does ________ cost?
Jag behöver en biljett till ________. I need a ticket to ________.
Var ligger ________? Where is the ________?
Var är toaletten? Where is the toilet?
Var är toan? Where is the toilet? (Slangy)
Är du hungrig? Are you hungry?
Jag är hungrig. I am hungry.
Är du törstig? Are you thirsty?
Jag är törstig. I am thirsty.
Ska vi ta en öl? Should we grab a beer?

Sweden’s Newest Religion

Posted by Marcus Cederström 2 Comments
Jan 6 2012

Sweden is not a religious country. At all. In fact, it is often described as one of the most secular countries in the world. That does not mean that there are not religions, or that there is no spirituality. Such things are alive and well in Sweden. In fact, Sweden has recently become the birthplace of a new religion: Det Missionernade Kopimistsamfundet or the Missionary Church of Kopimism.

The church has decided that the file sharing is a religion. The Swedish government has even acknowledged the church as an official religion. The church claims that it has over 3000 members in more than ten countries. Isak Gerson, a philosophy student at the University of Uppsala founded the religion a couple of years ago and since then has been working to have it recognized by the Swedish government. Just recently that recognition was given.

While this news seems to have taken the internet world by storm, it doesn’t amount to all that much. Nor should it be all that surprising. The acknowledgement as an official religion in Sweden is similar to incorporating a business. It’s an important step, yes, but it has a way to go to supplant the already established religions in Sweden. Of course, it fits well in a country that already has a political party, the Pirate Party, which shares similar views in terms of file sharing.

Below, you’ll find a short vocab list of religious words that may come in handy. In parentheses you’ll find whether it is an en or ett word as well as whether it is a noun, verb, or adjective. Good luck!

(ett) sakrament                        a sacrament (noun/substantiv)
(en) tro                                      a belief (substantiv)
(att) tro                                    to believe (verb)
(en) helig skrift                        a religious text (substantiv)
andlige                                       spiritual (adjective/adjektiv)
(en) religion                             a religion (substantiv)
religiöst                                   religious (adjektiv)
(en) gud                                   a god or God (substantiv)
(en) ängel                                an angel (substantiv)
(en) kyrka                                a church (substantiv)
(en) domkyrka                         a cathedral (substantiv)
(att) be                                     to pray (verb)
(en) bön                                   a prayer (substantiv)
kristen                                     Christian (adjective)
(en) kristen                              a Christian (substantiv)
(en) kristendom                       Christianity (substantiv)
muslimsk                                 Muslim (adjektiv)
(en) muslim                             a Muslim (substantiv)
Islam                                       Islam (substantiv)
judisk                                      Jewish (adjektiv)
(en) jude                                  a Jew (substantiv)
(en) judendom                         Judaism (substantiv)

Christmas Season Traditions in Sweden

Posted by Marcus Cederström 2 Comments
Dec 27 2011

We’re in those days between New Year’s Eve and Christmas when people kind of laze around, gliding through their work week just trying to get by waiting for one more holiday. So what better time to discuss a few of the different holidays in Sweden around this time?

First, Swedes love vacation days. As they should. Most companies will start you off with at least 25 days of vacation per year. And that doesn’t even count all of the public holidays. December and January are chalk full of them.

In December, there is of course julafton (Christmas Eve), the big Christmas celebration in Sweden. This is the day you’ll be watching Kalle Anka on TV with nearly the entire nation. Unfortunately, it doesn’t count as a red day, those sought after days off from work, but that doesn’t stop most people from taking the day off and many companies giving the entire day off.

Then there’s juldagen (Christmas Day). This is absolutely an official day off from work. This is the day you’ll be recovering from watching Kalle Anka on TV with nearly the entire nation.

Following juldagen comes annandag jul (Boxing Day). Just as the Swedish suggests, this is the day after Christmas. Historically there are religious reasons behind the holiday. Today, it’s just one more day off of work.

Then there is a lull. But have no fear; there are plenty of days off coming up. You just need to wait a week or so for January to roll around.

New Year’s Eve is not an official day off from work. And the traditions vary a bit from American traditions. There is no ball dropping. There is no Dick Clark. There is no countdown. In fact, trying to start a countdown with a bunch of Swedes will get you a lot of strange stares. Just trust me. But instead of a countdown, the Swedes celebrate with fireworks. Try to find yourself a rooftop to look out over whatever city you may be in. It’ll be worth it. Trust me.

New Year’s Day does count as a day off from work. And just like Americans, it’s a day usually used for recovery. Lots and lots of recovery.

Now for a lot of people, that’s it. Holidays are over. Back to work. Nose to the grindstone, no more fun for a while. Not Sweden. There is still one more day off: trettondedag jul. The Epiphany. Again, there are obvious religious reasons for the holiday, but for most Swedes today it is just another day off from work.

Finally comes the 13th of January. This is according to tradition the official end to the Christmas season. That means that you need to get rid of your Christmas decorations. Namely your Christmas tree (which Jennie does a great job of explaining in her post about The Swedish Christmas tree). Back in the day it was common to just toss the tree out of your window, even if you were in a tall apartment building. That’s less popular today and instead collection sites are usually available throughout your city. However, some people still toss Christmas, and the Christmas tree, out the window to mark the end of the season. Like me. From the 14th floor. No one was injured and I enjoyed every second of it. Until I had to clean up the mess that followed. I was picking pine needles up for months.

Safe Driving in Sweden

Posted by Marcus Cederström No Comments
Dec 26 2011

It is no secret that alcohol is a big part of the holiday traditions in Sweden for most people. Not all of course, but most. We’ve documented the crayfish tradition in August, replete with alcohol. We’ve even included a few drinking songs. And while this blog does not speak for all of Sweden, we do try to touch on the cultural mainstays of the Swedish way of life. And that includes drinking. For better or worse.

The insurance company Salus Ansvar seems to understand the prevalence of alcohol at the holidays and has created a mobile app to monitor your state of drunkenness. The app has one main goal. To keep people from driving drunk. The main concern is actually not getting into the car right after a party, but instead getting into a car the next morning with alcohol still in your system. A large percentage of Swedes according to Salus Ansvar are unsure whether or not the alcohol has cleared out their system by the time they are ready to drive in the morning. And that can have serious consequences. Especially in Sweden.

Drunk driving laws in Sweden differ quite a bit from those in the US. The legal limit differs from state to state, but I am from Colorado where the legal limit is .08%. That ends up being a couple of drinks. In Sweden though, the laws are much stricter. In fact, four times as strict. The legal limit is .02%. That essentially means one drink and you are done. No more driving. And if you decide to ignore that and pour a few more drinks into your gullet, you can reach what is considered a higher level of drunkenness. With higher penalties.  That level is .10%.

Salus Ansvars app, titled Körklar? (essentially asking you whether you are safe to drive or not and available at the Apple store if you’re interested in checking it out), takes into consideration factors such as your sex, your weight, the amount of drinks, and the time of consumption. All of these factors are computed to give an idea as to how long it takes your body to clear the effects of alcohol from your system.

Of course, this is not perfect. Each person burns alcohol at a different rate, but it is an interesting solution to a problem many Swedes deal with around the holidays. With apps like these though, the fear is always that you get the occasional idiot who instead of using it to safely monitor themselves, tries to reach a new level of drunkenness. Best advice? Be careful. Don’t drive if you’re drinking, no matter what country you’re in, and if you are going to drink, do so in moderation.

With all that said, god jul och gott nytt år!

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