Category Archives: Tips for learning Swedish

Swedish traditions & culture, Tips for learning Swedish

Idas sommarvisa

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“Idas sommarvisa”, or “Du ska inte tro det blir sommar” is a popular spring/summer song among school children in Sweden.  It is often seen as a non-religious alternative to hymns (even though there is a reference to “someone to take action” in the lyrics – which of course is free to interpretation). The song is widely used during the ceremony of the last day of school (skolavslutningen) before the summer break.

“Idas sommarvisa” was featured in the Emil movie from 1973.

Lyrics by Astrid Lindgren.

Learning about this tune and perhaps part of the song/a few new words is good practice not only for learning the Swedish language but also a for getting to know Swedish culture.

Listen via Youtube:

Listen via Spotify. Use the lyrics function in Spotify to see the words.

Swedish traditions & culture, Tips for learning Swedish

Glad påsk! Happy Easter! Free print in Swedish

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A Happy Easter to all my customers, followers and friends! Let there be sunshine, food, company, love and lots of chocolate!

And a Happy weekend if you do not celebrate Easter.

As usual you can print this mini poster – put it in a small frame on the counter, or put it up on the refrigerator door to learn or keep Swedish vocabulary alive! Just right click on the picture. Share or leave a comment if the print made you happy!

Charlotta

miniposter Swedish vocabulary related to Easter
Glad påsk!
Tips for learning Swedish

“Detta med de och dem”

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Most of my Swedish language students know the theoretical difference between “de” (=they) and “dem” (=them). It is when we go into sounding like a Swede that it gets a bit more complicated :).

Why?

Most Swedes pronounce the two different words the same way – “dom” – which sometimes lead to confusion and mistakes by Swedes when writing.

Here is an excellent video explaining the difference between “de” and “dem”. Detta med de och dem; Video by Maia Andréasson.

Tips for learning Swedish

Swedish Dictionary App – svensk ordlista

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If you are learning Swedish a Swedish dictionary app comes in handy.  I  suggest downloading the app  SAOL (svenska akademiens ordlista) to your device. The app is far more lighter to carry around in your pocket than the heavy IRL book. Promise.

SAOL will not always give you synonyms or explanations but spelling, inflection and declension, and the ever so important EN or ETT!

The good news – the app is a  free one. Gratis! (means “free”) Grattis! (means “congratulations”). Links at bottom of post.

If you know Swedish already you need SAOL too :). We can always learn more!

Svenska Akademiens Ordlista iTunes
Svenska Akademiens Ordlista Google Play

There is also the SO app (svenska akademiens ordbok). This is a thesaurus, providing meaning of a word, pronunciation by listening etc. Read more about it here.

 

Swedish traditions & culture, Tips for learning Swedish

Music in the Swedish language – the perfect video to practice Swedish

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My pick of music in the Swedish language this month! To learn pop culture, or for you to practice pronunciation, intonation and to acquire new vocabulary. Best of all – the artist himself provides the text in writing! A must see video – I love it!

Vocabulary list at the bottom of this post.

If you want to listen via Spotify:

Josef Johansson – Tysta leken

tysta leken = the quiet game (the one who makes a noise is eliminated)

åka ut = to be eliminated (in a game), to be sent out of a room

att bry sig om = to care about/for

nån’ting – slang for “någonting” = something, anything

en Håkan sång = a song by Håkan Hellström (link to one of Håkan’s songs)

Tips for learning Swedish

Christmas craft – instructions in Swedish

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In my previous post I promised to provide links to  instructions for Christmas craft in Swedish.  Why? Because it is fun, and because it is a way for you to activate both brain hemispheres when learning the Swedish language, which is beneficial for your acquisition hereof.

I practiced this method myself yesterday when I tried to fold a small star from an instruction in German. I did not succeed in making the star but I did learn a new German word – which I now have a visual of in my head; working on different sections of paper ribbons across one another. I tried to fold it anew this morning from a Swedish video but have to say I did not manage that one either on the first go :).

en smällkaramell
en smällkaramell

 

So, which Christmas craft will you do first? Below you find three suggestions. How about sending me a pic of your master piece when you are done? I will happily put it in my FB timeline.

If you go here you will learn how to make a “smällkaramell” (see photo above)  in Swedish.  Sveriges Radio is providing the written instruction, with illustrations.

Below is a link to Barnens bokklubb, who provides a pdf for the task of folding a traditional paper heart. Yes I would like to make a heart – show me the instruction in Swedish! Pdf.

Here is a link to Arla’s video on how to make a paper star. Video; for you to practice your listening skills.

Good luck! Lycka till!

Tips for learning Swedish

“Koppången”

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Koppången. The name of a nature preserve in the Swedish region of Dalarna. You will learn the name today however because it is also the name of an amazingly beautiful Swedish song. It was released in 1998 by Per-Erik Moraeus; lyrics by Py Bäckman.

The song gains in popularity every Christmas time.

Koppången has been recorded by numerous artists; this version is sung by Sanna Nielsen and is also supported by musiXmatch for you to follow the lyrics visually. You can find musiXmatch as an app in Spotify.

Instrumental – oh so wonderful, but you are missing out on practicing the Swedish vocabulary – unless you have learned some of the lyrics already and want to sing along on your own!

 

Tips for learning Swedish

Make sentences in Swedish – game

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Let’s build some sentences in Swedish today! Use this game – Bella Bävers ordlek – to make sentences; silly ones or perfectly normal ones – you decide! Click “spela upp meningen” to hear the result. It’s a children’s game and kids most definitely have a lot of fun playing this. I am sure it can amuse an adult or two too, and you will most likely pick up some new vocabulary while reinforcing how to make simple sentences in Swedish. 🙂

The word game can be found on the Swedish Radio’s website.

Swedish traditions & culture, Tips for learning Swedish

Summer hosts radio P1

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Every year Swedish radio channel P1 lets Swedish celebrities from every walks of life (artists, athletes, politicians, business gurus, ministers etc.) host a daily show.  These programs are very popular, and topics and music vary a lot. Last week the summer hosts of 2014 were revealed. Listening to the show is a good way to keep up your Swedish as well as to keep up to date with what’s the talk of the town in Sweden.

Click here to read about it / listen in easy Swedish (Klartext P1)

Find the complete list of hosts here Sommarvärdarna 2014