Posts tagged with "Swedish Language"

Swedish Madlibs

Posted by Marcus Cederström No Comments
Feb 7 2012

We’re going to try something new here. A Swedish Madlib. I’ve used Swedish Madlibs before, at the behest of a good friend actually, and loved them. They tend to get you thinking about various grammatical forms, how to use them, and of course what words you actually know. It’s a great way to practice the language while playing.

We all know how Madlibs work right? Usually you have a second person reading off certain grammatical forms that you need. A noun here, an adjective there, maybe the name of a person. Of course, we’re online and so we’ll have to improvise. Below you will find a list of 16 blanks to fill in. In Swedish. The prompts are in Swedish, the words you choose should be in Swedish, and finally, the final product will be in Swedish.

Pick your words, and in a couple of days, we will post the remainder of the Madlib for you to fill in. Have fun and be creative!

1: Påhittat ord (använd din fantasi!) 1. __________________
2. Färg 2. __________________
3. Färg 3. __________________
4. Kroppsdel 4. __________________
5. Kroppsdel 5. __________________
6. Singular substantiv 6. __________________
7. Presens verb 7. __________________
8. Stor siffra 8. __________________
9. Jättestor siffra 9. __________________
10. Land 10. __________________
11. Land 11. __________________
12. Mat 12. __________________
13. Plural substantiv 13. __________________
14. Din favorit låt 14. __________________
15. Adjektiv 15. __________________
16. Mat 16. __________________

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?

Swedish Language Learning Humor

Posted by Marcus Cederström 2 Comments
Jan 12 2012

There comes a point in every language learner’s studies that the language is just frustrating. Swedish is no different. For some, that frustration sets in early. As early as learning you first few nouns even. En or ett? I just have to know it? There is no set rule? Nope. You just have to know it. There is no set rule.

For others it comes a bit later. Like with plurals. There are five different endings to choose from. Luckily, here you’ll at least find some general rules to follow:

ETT words that end in a consonant = NO ENDING
EN words that end in A = OR
EN words that end in E = AR
EN words with stress on last vowel = ER
ETT words that end in a vowel = N
EN words that end in a consonant but do not have the stress on the last vowel = AR or ER

Or how about words that have several different meanings? Like sex. Or val. Or damm.

When you get to that point there are a couple of things that tend to happen. One, yoy get frustrated. Makes sense. Learning a language is difficult. So be frustrated. But work through it.  The next thing that happens is you start to laugh. Sometimes it is that high pitched frustrated laugh that only comes when you are at your wits end. That makes sense too. It’s usually at that point though that I try to find something actually worth laughing at. Luckily for Swedish learners everywhere, there is plenty of good material online that plays with the Swedish language. Like Henrik Schyffert and his Swenglish clips that can be found on YouTube. But for the true Swedish language learner, there is no better clip than Simple Swedish: Episode 1. There are a couple of episodes that follow, but I’m a fan of the first one which you can watch below.

Be warned, the clip does include some questionable language and even mentions sex. The act, not the Swedish number. If you don’t mind that, enjoy (and pay attention to some of the very interest linguistic points that are brought up.)!

YouTube Preview Image

Fika. Swedish Style.

Posted by Marcus Cederström 3 Comments
Dec 12 2011

After several years in Sweden and a move back to the United States, I realized I had picked up quite a few habits. Some decidedly Swedish. Like taking my shoes off every time I enter someone’s home. It’s just a nice thing to do in my opinion and it ensures that all of that gunk I’ve been walking on outside, doesn’t make its way inside.

One habit that I did not pick up was going out for a fika. Probably because I don’t drink coffee (on a side note, I was once told that me not drinking coffee made me a stereotypical American. Because Americans don’t drink coffee. Obviously.). But no trip to Sweden is complete without hearing the word fika on a regular basis.

A while back, Katja wrote about the classic snacks for a fika, and even took a look at the habit of fika-ing in cafes instead of at home.  Today, we’re going to talk a bit about the word and the cultural mainstay it has become.

First, what is it? Fika is a cultural phenomenon that is similar to English tea.  You’re supposed to have yourself some coffee, maybe some saft if you’re not into coffee, and some baked goods.  Fikas are common in the work place, where you’ll sometimes have both a morning and an afternoon fika.  They’re a common way to go on a first date. A common way to go on a last date.  A common way to meet new people, meet old friends, meet new colleagues.  Sometimes you might even have a job interview over a fika.

As you’ll notie above, there’s not much the fika can’t do.  It’s amazing really. The word itself is pretty impressive.  It can act as both verb and noun.  For example:

Verb form: Ska vi fika imorgon eftermiddag? (Shall we fika tomorrow afternoon?)
Noun form: Ska vi ta en fika lite senare? (Shall we grab a fika a little bit later?)

Fascinating isn’t it?  It gets better. Or at least for the linguistics amongst us it gets better.  Nationalencyklopedin has a very short, but very interesting (and unfortunately, now NOT free service) that describes how the word originated from a slang language used by marketplace merchants in Västergötland.  The Swedish word for coffee is kaffe, which became kaffi. Somehow, and this is where my linguistic knowledge hits a wall, the letters were rearranged and we are left with the word fika.

So next time you find yourself in Sweden and someone asks you out for a fika. Say yes. You’ll already have a great conversation starter (speaking of which, Katja has written a lovely post about a classic conversation starter in Swedish. Check it out.).

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