Jag önskar nya och gamla kunder en riktigt glad sommar! Befintliga kunder fortsätter under sommaren; nya är välkomna i augusti.
Happy summer to all of my current as well as new, potential customers! Lessons will go on all summer for some of my students; new customers are welcome in August!
Spring has arrived and the nature is practically exploding around us! Every possible shade and shape of green is offering its beauty. Rest your eyes and mind on dancing foliage; use your senses and memorize a new expression; expressions in Swedish using the word “grön” (green). Some of the phrases and idioms are used in several languages.
First I’ll give you two expressions that are often used in reference to nature, garden and outdoor life as well as healthy food:
grönt och skönt
grönt är skönt
grönt – here referencing the color green, vegetables or greenery
skön = nice, comfortable, fine, beautiful
Phrases and idioms:
Att komma på grön kvist = to end up in a financially good position. “De har minsann kommit på grön kvist.”
Att ge grönt ljus till någon = to give someone the green light (permission) “Jag gav honom grönt ljus”.
Att få grönt ljus = to receive a permission, “good to go”, to get a green light. “De fick båda grönt ljus av chefen.”
Att vara grön av avund = to be jealous. “Han blev grön av avund!”
gröna vågen = “green wave”; the trend in the 70’s seeing young families leaving the cities moving out to the countryside in Sweden
att ha gröna fingrar = to be good at keeping plants and garden; to have green fingers; to have a green thumb. “Hon har verkligen gröna fingrar!”
Gräset är alltid grönare på andra sidan. = The grass is always greener … Other circumstances might appear more desirable than one’s own but in reality they are not.
“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.
How do you learn Swedish? How to others learn?
This is how Anna Maria Corazza Bildt managed to break the code of Swedish language. I know I have students that learn Swedish via Klartext.
The Sami languages conform a group of languages spoken in the Northern parts of Sweden (as well as in Northern parts of Norway, Finland and Russia). Sami is one of the official minority languages in Sweden.
“Joik” means song in Sami.
Take a moment to listen to Jon Henrik Fjällgren’s joik.
Note: 4 more minority languages are recognized in Sweden; Finnish, Romani, Yiddish and Miänkieli.
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.
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.
New Swedish words 2014; collected by Språktidningen and Språkrådet. These words are not (at least not yet) officially adopted but are highly interesting since they mirror recent events, pop culture and the current way of living.
I do not know why the word “en” is on the list though, even if the reason is that is has been used more. It is not a new word or meaning to it.
Do you have a favorite word?
ett språk = a language
en tidning = a magazine, a (news) paper
ett råd = a council; an advice
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:
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)
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 :).
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!
