Swedish learning & resource thread

[stjärnor]

You certainly take note of the word for stars in Kent songs like noone else. Spanish people should also be able to pronounce stj/sj (similar to their jota). The y-sound in Swedish is also tricky for non-swedes, not even the german ü is the same although similar.

*no one* - 2 words. Since we're being picky #stjärnorEngelskaLärare
and 'y' - I was taught that you round your lips (almost like a kiss, but not quite closed) and try and say 'ee'. Imagine a room of 30 adults making funny noises- that was my first Swedish lesson!

[HauZZer]

What is your native language Hauzzer? Unless I've misread your post, but you once lived in Sweden, but no longer do and aren't a native Swede, correct?

You're absolutely correct. I'm a finn and currently live in Finland. We have plans on moving back to Sweden within a year. There are some things that need to be arranged before that though.

On topic:
Toker - in swedish: a funny or maybe even a person who's slightly crazy. In english: a person who likes the herb, a lot.
Toker is also the swedish name of Dopey, one of the seven dwarves in Disney's Snow White.

[jazzpurist]

lol
You deserve forum love because you're funny.

I accept brownie points, kramar and American Express (which means I am better than most webshops).

Well, my answers was meant for you aswell (is that a word? my computer want's to change it inte swell and that is not what I want) but I guess I was too lazy to quote all people I (at least thought I) was talking to...

I'm sorry, I was just making fun of your statement that it is sometimes hard to come up with a nice response. Even tho it's very true. Also, I agree that it's inte "swell" what your autocorrect is doing, I wouldn't want it either.

@jazzpurist
I noticed that you wrote earlier that english isn't your native language. It got me curious, what is your native language if I may ask? For some reason I immediately assumed you live in the UK, but that might be just from the way you use english. I especially liked the bricks & mortar förliknelsen when describing the process of learning a new language.

This throwing in swedish words in between just feels plain wrong for me. It doesn't strike me as odd when I read posts made by others, but in my own writing it just feels off. I feel I should contribute to the topic but I just don't think I have anything to give.

No, I don't live in the UK, never did. But I work for a multinational company and my boss is in the UK. We do all the job in English, so I'm using it daily. But my native language is ungerska.

I have a Swedish friend who uttalar "just" in the Swedish way even when when he talks in English, so I am used to a word being off in a sentence. Keep doing it and it won't feel so unnatural efter ett tag.

Skåp is the Swedish word for a cupboard or a cabinet, but scope, while pronounced the same, means the range or extent of something in English.

[namokab]

If jazzpurist is Hungarian and HauZZer (ZZ top?) is Finnish then you can start find similarities between your languages in some general language thred (but despite being related they are not so similar, I believe). Hungarian felt very difficult to understand when I was there 2 years ago.

- Are you from Hungary?
- No, I'm not hungry.
(a joke I heard recently)

Drive is köra in Swedish, but if I "driver med någon" then I'm pulling his leg. I often feel the urge to driva med people instead of e.g. giving them serious feedback. Hopefully that is not interpreted as mean (which btw is pronounced like "min", the Swedish word for countenance). The word min for my/mine should be spelled minn (Swedish is very inconsequent).

[jazzpurist]

If jazzpurist is Hungarian and HauZZer (ZZ top?) is Finnish then you can start find similarities between your languages in some general language thred (but despite being related they are not so similar, I believe). Hungarian felt very difficult to understand when I was there 2 years ago.

- Are you from Hungary?
- No, I'm not hungry.
(a joke I heard recently)

Haha, I have heard that joke so many times, it doesn't even annoy me anymore.

Unfortunately the two languages were separated such a long time ago that their common origin can be proven by looking at very basic and very old words, but nothing more. At school we learn about it, and the examples they mention are hand (kéz in Hungarian and käsi in Finnish), water (víz in Hungarian and vesi in Finnish) and fish (hal in Hungarian and kala in Finnish) to prove the theory. So imagine, if those are the similar words, how different the ones are which are not similar at all.

Also, I can safely say after spending nearly a month at a camp with Finnish people and a few days with a Finnish family, that this is how much I understand from Finnish conversation: ............... beer................ home.......................................... Stockholm......

Lag is law, or a (sports) team in Swedish, in English it is pronounced a bit differently and means delay.

[HauZZer]

Haha, I have heard that joke so many times, it doesn't even annoy me anymore.

Unfortunately the two languages were separated such a long time ago that their common origin can be proven by looking at very basic and very old words, but nothing more. At school we learn about it, and the examples they mention are hand (kéz in Hungarian and käsi in Finnish), water (víz in Hungarian and vesi in Finnish) and fish (hal in Hungarian and kala in Finnish) to prove the theory. So imagine, if those are the similar words, how different the ones are which are not similar at all.

Also, I can safely say after spending nearly a month at a camp with Finnish people and a few days with a Finnish family, that this is how much I understand from Finnish conversation: ............... beer................ home.......................................... Stockholm......

Lag is law, or a (sports) team in Swedish, in English it is pronounced a bit differently and means delay.

Yeah the languages aren't that closely related. They share mostly grammar I think. From what I understand swedish and greek are roughly as closely related as finnish and hungarian.

Ok, I hope this isn't too inappropriate. Pippa in swedish is a slangword for having sexual intercourse. in english it's a name, short for Philippa.

[namokab]

Ok, I hope this isn't too inappropriate. Pippa in swedish is a slangword for having sexual intercourse. in english it's a name, short for Philippa.

Some British royalty actually competed in Vasaloppet with that name.

I heard a lie in their wagon about rain.