Svenska med Swedish2go

Video with Swedish phrases: Sommar i Sverige

2013-06-27T23:24:00.001+02:00

Summertime is here and if there is any time, it's this time, that Swedes come out of their shells. Go to Sweden in July and watch them enjoy life. This video will give you some phrases good to know for this time of year.

Studera till SFI-prov

2013-05-27T21:53:00.000+02:00

(Below you'll find this Swedish text translated to English)

I slutet av varje skoltermin är det hög tid för nationella prov i SFI - svenskundervisning för invandrare.

Nationella prov i SFI kommer från Skolverket. Testen finns för SFI-kurs B, C och D. D-kursen är den sista kursen på SFI.

Många elever frågar oss lärare:

Vad kommer på SFI-provet?

Vad ska jag studera till ett SFI-test?

Vi lärare kan inte svara, för vi vet inte! Nationella prov ska testa ditt språk på alla sätt: läsa, skriva, höra och prata. Ett språk är stort, och därför är svaret på VAD du ska studera inte så lätt. Det vi lärare kan göra är att rekommendera hur du kan studera.

Swedish2go rekommenderar dig att träna på att skriva. Det är viktigt att du förstår hur man exempelvis skriver e-post, vykort, brev, meddelande, formellt brev.

Det är inte bara viktigt att veta formen på de olika texterna, utan också att du kan vara din egen lärare. Här kommer dina grammatikkunskaper in. Du får inte ett grammatiktest med specifika grammatikfrågor på nationella prov i SFI, men du måste visa att du förstår svensk grammatik när du skriver dina texter och svarar på frågor i testet. Skriv din text, läs den sedan som en lärare. Försök att tänka på grammatiken när du läser ditt eget språk!

Det är viktigt att visa att du kan skriva olika typer av texter, men det är också viktigt att du kan känna igen olika typer av texter när du läser. En kategori av texter kallas för en genre. Exempel på olika genrer är: nyhetsartikel, recept, instruktion, novell, brev...

Träna läsförståelse hela tiden när du studerar. Det är en ganska lång process att bygga upp sin läsförståelse, men genom läsning blir ditt ordförråd och din förståelse större, starkare och säkrare. Det är alltid bra att läsa mycket och träna sig i att förstå vad författaren/skribenten menar. Allting står kanske inte tydligt och klart. En del fakta och innehåll måste man läsa mellan raderna.

Vad betyder "att läsa mellan raderna"?

Detta är en fras som vill förklara att det finns en mening med författarens text, som kanske inte skrivs så tydligt, eller inte alls. Författaren vill att du ska förstå det han/hon menar genom göra andra beskrivningar. Ett enkelt exempel kan vara: "Det började bli mörkt på kvällarna, och de flesta löven hade fallit av träden". Här ska läsaren gissa att handlingen är i ett nordligt land, som exempelvis Sverige, på hösten.

Materialet på Swedish2gos medlemssidor ger dig en bred bas, från SFI B till SFI D. Om du vill ha extra träning och förklaring är videofilmerna och övningarna ett bra sätt att bli bättre på svenska. Swedish2go kan också hjälpa dig att träna på skrivning av olika typer av texter.

Här kan du se Skolverkets publicering av gamla prov på SFI kurs D.

Lycka till på ditt SFI-test!

At the end of each school semester, it is high time for national tests for SFI (svenskundervisning för invandrare).
The national tests for SFI come from Skolverket (the National Agency for Education). The tests are for the SFI-Courses B, C and D. The D-course is the last course of the SFI studies.

Many students ask us Swedish teachers:

What will be asked on the SFI-test?

What should I study for a test in SFI?

Us teachers can't answer, because we don't know! National tests are to test your language in every way: reading, writing, listening and speaking. A language is big and therefore the answer of WHAT you should study is difficult. What we can do is to recommend HOW to study.

Swedish2go recommends you to write. It is important that you understand for example the form of how to write an email, postcard, letter, message or formal letter.

Not only is the form of the texts important, but also your language. An advice is that you are your own teacher. Here is where your grammar knowledge will come in handy. You will not get a grammar test with specifik grammar questions on a national test for SFI, but you must show that you understand and can use the Swedish language rules when you write your texts and answer questions in the test. Write your text, then read it through, like a teacher. Try to think about all your grammar knowledge when reading your own language.

It is important to show that you can write different types of texts, but it is also important that you show that you recognize different types of texts while Reading. A category of texts is called a genre. Examples of different genres are: news articles, recipes, instructions, novels, letters...

Practice reading all the time while studying. It is a fairly long process to build up your reading comprehension, but through Reading, your vocabulary and language understanding will become better and stronger. It is Always good to read a lot and practice yourself in what the author/writer really mean. Everything is not always clear in a text. Some facts and content must be read between the lines.

What does "to read between the lines" mean?

This is a phrase that explains that there is a mening to the autor's text, that maybe isn't written so clearly, or not at all. The writer wants you to understand what he/she means by making other descriptions. An easy example could be: "It was getting dark in the evenings, and most leaves had fallen off the trees." Here, the reader can guess that the story takes Place in a Nordic country, for example Sweden, in the fall.

The material on Swedish2go's membership sites will give you a wide basic understanding of Swedish, from SFI course B to SFI course D. If you want extra practice and explanations, the videos and assignments are a good way to become better in Swedish. Swedish2go can also help you practice writing for different types of texts.

Click here for Skolverket's publishing of old tests of SFI couse D.

Good luck on your SFI-test!

Vi firar våren!

2013-05-08T18:20:00.000+02:00

Spring is in the air!

Swedish2go celebrates with more study material for members and non-members. Swedish listening comprehensions are intensively being produced right now. And what is already done, is up and running for you to work on. As a trial member you can have a peak at it all! The listening comprehension material for members will be offered our premium members.

Cheaper Swedish studies for a full year!

We also celebrate spring with spring coupons! Take the advantage to sign up as a member for a full year, but only pay for half a year, on our already low course prices! Hurry! Offer expires on June 30th.

Premium Swedish for 12 months: Coupon Maj2013
Get 400 kr off our regular low price! Enter coupon code in check out on our website.

Swedish courses for 12 months: Coupon Juni2013
Get 320 kr off our regular low price! Enter coupon code in check out on our website.

What else is new?

Swedish learning through literature is on it's way. For our more advanced Swedish premium members, this will be a fun and stimulating way to study Swedish. Keep your eyes open!

Svensk text:

Våren är här!

Vi firar våren med nytt material för både medlemmar och icke-medlemmar. Hörövningar i svenska håller intensivt på att produceras och det som redan är klart finns tillgängligt för dig att börja jobba med. Som "trial member", alltså testmedlem i 3 dagar, kan du få en glimt av allt material. Hörförståelserna och diktamensövningarna är öppna för våra premiummedlemmar.

Billigare svenskstudier i ett helt år!

Vi firar också våren med vårkuponger. Ta tillfället att bli medlem i ett helt år, men betala bara för priset av ett halvår! Skynda! Erbjudandet gäller bara till sista juni 2013.

Premium Swedish, 12 månader. Kupong: maj2013

400 kr rabatt på ordinarie pris. Skriv in kupongkoden när du checkar ut genom vår hemsida.

Swedish courses, 12 månader. Kupong: juni2013

320 kr rabatt på ordinarie pris. Skriv in kupongkoden när du checkar ut genom vår hemsida.

Fler nyheter från Swedish2go

Lära svenska genom skönlitteratur är på väg. För våra premium medlemmar på lite mer avancerad nivå blir detta ett kul och stimulerande sätt att studera svenska. Håll ögonen öppna!

Swedes don't talk

2013-04-29T18:10:00.000+02:00

I spent this past weekend in New York with two Swedish girlfriends. I flew from middle of nowhere/Alberta, Canada, and they came from middle of Sweden. New York seemed like half way and way more exciting than any of the places we all normally live in.

What hit me the most was my girlfriends reflections of the people we met everywhere. "Wow, they are so polite!" "So many people are talking to us!"

What they meant by "talking" was maybe the phrase "There you go!" or "How are you today?" or "Have a nice day!"

This makes me wonder: How do the tourists and new immigrants to Sweden see the Swedes? Propably totally rude! The most Swedes would say to a stranger is: "Hej!" or "Tack!" (Swedes do know how to say thank you).

This little blog is to warn anyone going to Sweden. Don't expect an overwhelming welcoming! Swedes don't mean to be rude. Being quiet when seeing a stranger is just the way we are. We are maybe shy. Most of us simply don't think it's necessary, or meaningful to talk to strangers, asking for example how they are doing. We wouldn't get an honest answer anyway!

Take Swedes for what they are, and enjoy Sweden as it is! You will hopefully find our positive sides eventually, even if it may take time.

Swedish birthday celebrations

2013-03-30T16:00:00.000+01:00

According to my own little statistics, looking around on everyone I know, there is a huge chunk of people who has a birthday at the end of March, and April. Actually some official statistics also point to those months with the most birthdates in Sweden.
This is not a big suprise, if we start counting 9 months back that a woman usually is pregnant. That will take us right to Midsummer, and into July, the month when the big majority of Swedes have vacation. Hmmm...
Hense, this is a good time to talk about how Swedes celebrates birthdays.

What to give to a Swede for birthday?

Flowers or chocolate works in Sweden too. A gift in this form, or at least in the form of a thing, is more appreciated than a birthday card with nice words. I find this being a big difference from culture here in North America, where I spend this year. Swedes are not so sentimental and emotional, so Hallmarks birthday cards are not really a big deal for Swedes. The purpose of giving a card is more just to show who the present is from.

Ha öppet hus vid födelsedag | To have an open house at a birthday

Att fylla jämnt = to turn "even"

This is a big deal and it means that someone turns the big "zero" (20, 30, 40, 50 ...). The older we get, the more common it is to celebrate this with an "open house". By an ad in the newspaper, or simply by mouth to mouth, we welcome everone we know and who wants to come and celebrate in our own house. The open house is usually a full day thing, from morning till late night, and each guest may stay a couple of hours. One tricky thing is that you never know how many guests you will have and when they come, so make sure to be prepared with cookies, cake and "smörgåstårta" all day long. An advice is to ask someone to help with the serving part.
If you don't want a crowd to come to your house on your big day, you can also put an ad in the newspaper saying this: "All uppvaktning undanbes." (= All petitions are declined)

Att fylla halvjämnt = to turn half even

Not only the "zeros" mean something special, but also the "5's". When turning 25, 35, 45, we can also make sure to celebrate ourselves a bit extra. Maybe not with an open house, but a big party with friends, or throwing a surprise party for the one who has the birthday is common.

Hissa flaggan

A lot of Swedes have their own flag pole, and for every official flag day in Sweden, the flag needs to be hissed. But you can also have it up during the private special Days, like the birthday, to show that this is a special occasion.

Breakfast in bed

Frukost på sängen is a very common tradition. The family members that are to celebrate the birthday "child" (this is not only for children though), sneak up, make breakfast and put it on a tray together with a candle or flower. Then head to the birthday childs bedroom and start singing: "Ja må han/hon leva...". Of course there are presents brought too, but they are not to be opened until the breakfast is eaten (or is that rule maybe just in my family?)

Hooray x 4 | HURRA HURRA HURRA HURRA

We sing to the birthday child several times throughout the day, depending on the situation. After every time, we say the four "hurra hurra hurra hurra". This is introduced by someone saying the phrase (and learn this, because it may be you who wants to do it one day):
Ett fyrfaldigt leve för (NAME). Hon/Han leve:
Everyone: HURRA HURRA HURRA HURRA!
The reason we say this four times comes from the 1600's, when war ships needed to identify which country they belonged to. Sweden had the code 2 canon shots. When the King was present this was doubled, hense our 4 "hurra" today.

Important Swedish birthdays

All the "zeros"
7: You begin first grade of school.
15: You get to drive "moppe" = moped.
16: You can begin your driving practice.
18: You come of age = Du blir myndig.
20: You can buy alcohol from the liquor store "Systembolaget".
30/40: With some employments, especially within the public sector, you get an extra week of vacation (5 weeks being very short according to Swedes).
50: You get a day off from work to celebrate your big birthday.
65: (This may vary between 61 -67) You retire, if you want to.

In the video from Swedish2go you also get to know some useful words about birthdays in Sweden. Have a look at that!

One phrase I should give you here, right away though:

Grattis på födelsedagen!

Easter in Sweden | Påsk i Sverige

2013-03-22T19:45:00.000+01:00

What is an Easter witch?

The children soon has Easter break, but long before that many of them has started to prepare their Easter letters, colourful drawings with the text GLAD PÅSK (Happy Easter), and thereafter folded them together in the special Easter letter way. The more letters prepared, the more neighbours to visit and that gives more candy!

Which day to expect a visit from an Easter witch depends on where in Sweden you are. Some has the tradition of going out as Easter witches on the Thursday, while other wait until the Saturday.

We have the custom of Easter witches because of traditions from the old folk belief, which is mixed in with the traditions from Christian traditions.

The children dress up by putting some old clothes on, often found in mom's closet, take som make up from mom and paint some rosy cheeks and freckles in the face. And one shouldn't forget to bring a basket or bag to be able to carry all the candy home. After all the preparations, the children bring their Easter letters and go from door to door, wishing everyone a happy Easter. Once back home again, they have more candy than mom and dad allow them to eat.

What do Swedes eat for Easter?

Påskafton (="Easter eve") is like any other eves in Sweden the day we celebrate the most. We often visit with our family and have an Easter buffé. The ingredient that is on everyone's Easter table is egg. Other than that, this buffé is similar to the julbord (Christmas buffé). Of course both alcohol and alcohol free drinks, such as must, are being served on the table.

What is Swedish must?

Must is a soft drink that we often have to our buffés and often as an alternative to alcohol drinks, like beer. We can buy it in any food store. At Christmas we call it julmust, and at Easter - guess what? Yes! Påskmust. The recipe is the same though.

Easter eggs

The Swedes don't have a strong tradition of Easter egg hunt, or Easter Bunny. Instead we buy cardboard eggs, påskägg, and give those to the children, filled with candy or maybe a Little toy. The bigger egg the better!

Here are some Words and phrases for you to learn to survive the Easter:

Glad påsk = Happy Easter
Påskkärrningar = Easter witches
Skärtorsdag = Thursday in Easter
Långfredag = Good Friday
Påskafton = Saturday in Easter
Påskdagen = Easter day
Annandag påsk = "Boxing day" Easter
Klä ut sig = Dress up (Klä ut is a reflective verb that you can learn more about from our Swedish grammar site)
Smörgåsbord = you know this, this is one of few Words that has actually been exported from the Swedish language, and we are pround of it!
Sill = pickled herring
Pynta = Decorate with traditional arnaments
Påskris = Easter twigs (we have it both inside and outside)
Blåkulla = The place we say the witches fly to
Lov = School break

Här kommer den svenska texten om påsk:

Vad är påskkärring?

Barnen har påsklov, men långt innan det har många börjat pyssla med sina påskbrev; färgglada teckningar med texten GLAD PÅSK och därefter vikta på det speciella påskbrevssättet. Ju fler påskbrev man hinner förbereda, till desto fler grannar kan man gå, och det ger mer godis.

Vilken dag du kan förvänta dig besök av påskkärringar beror på var i Sverige du är. En del har traditionen att gå påskkärringar redan på skärtorsdagen, medan många andra väntar till påskafton.

Traditionen med påskkärringar har vi på grund av att traditioner från gammal folktro lever kvar, i blandning med de kristna traditionerna.

Barnen tar på sig något gammalt, ofta något som finns i mammas garderob, tar lite smink från mammas skåp och målar röda kinder och fräknar i ansiktet, och så ska man inte glömma att ta med sig en korg, eller påse, för att kunna bära hem allt godis. Därefter tar man alla sina målade påskbrev och går från hus till hus och knackar på, med önskningen om en glad påsk. Hem kommer man sedan med mer godis än mamma och pappa tillåter en att äta.

Vad äter svenskarna vid påsk?

Påskafton är, som de flesta andra aftnar i Sverige, den dag då vi firar som mest. Ofta träffar vi familj och släkt och dukar upp till påskbuffé (= smörgåsbord). Ingrediensen som alltid finns med vid påsk är ägg. I övrigt liknar detta smörgåsbord julbordet, med sill, korv, gravad lax, Janssons frestelse mm. Kanske byts skinkan ut mot lamm i vissa familjer. Självklart finns både alkoholhaltigt och alkoholfritt, som exempelvis must, på bordet.

Vad är must?

Must är en läsk som vi gärna dricker till våra smörgåsbord. Musten köper vi i vilken mataffär som helst, och vid påsk heter den självklart inte julmust, utan påskmust. Innehållet är dock detsamma.

Påskägg

Svenskarna har ingen "Easter egg hunt" eller Easter Bunny". Vi köper vackra kartong-ägg som vi fyller med godis eller leksaker och ger till barnen. Ju större ägg desto bättre!

Basic difference in pronunciation between the Swedish and English language

2013-02-24T07:15:00.000+01:00

When it comes to pronunciation, you probably know, no matter if you are a beginner Swedish learner or an advanced, that the the way the Swedes pronounce their words are very different from the English language.

Here are som basic differences between Swedish and English:

W

Swedes don't really have the letter w. You may see it in last names and names of places, but really no. When we sing our alphabet song in Swedish we skipp it. Therefore, if we do happen to find the letter that has snuck in to our language, it is always pronounced as v. So if a Swede, while speaking Swedish, want to say Washington, for example, it will sound like: Vashington.

Å Ä Ö

No need to say, the extra three vowels are of course a major difference between our languages.

Å is pronounced ... similar to the sound in Awesome (if you are speak the Brittish English)

Ä is pronounced... kind of like the long a-sound in glad. Close, but not really...

Ö... do you know French? More similar to the French long u-sound in un, for example. I have a tough time finding an English equivalence.

G

The English word gym has a g-sound that the Swedes don't have. Whenever a G shows up in the Swedish language, it's always pronounsed y (a Swede would describe it as a j, but that doesn't help an English speaker) or the hard G (sometimes it's a sj-sound, but not that often). What am I trying to say? That the "dj"-sound that the English speakers do, Swedes never do.

Of course there's more differences between Swedish and English pronunciation. But not for now.

Fettisdagen i Sverige | Semla?

2013-02-11T17:45:00.002+01:00

What's Fat Tuesday, and what's "SEMLA"?

Well, since I asked two questions in one sentence, I pretty much answered the first one, by asking the other. The "fettisdagen" is when we eat "semla". Fettisdagen is always the last Tuesday before the beginning of the Christian Lent. And if you don't know what semla is, here is a picture.

Kärt barn har många namn

= A beloved Child has many names.

Semla in a simplified described way: Wheat bun, the top cut off, with almond paste in the middle, lots of whipped Cream and powdered sugar on top of the lid. Mmmmmm...

Semla

= fettisdagsbulle
= fastlagsbulle
= hetvägg

Hmmm... "hetvägg" is maybe not totally a synonym. A "hetvägg" is a "semla" in warm milk, eaten in a bowl with a spoon. Like this:

How can "semla" be described?"

Underbar
Ljuvlig
Sagolik
Himmelsk
Otrolig
Förbluffande
Fantastisk
Utsökt
God*
Läcker
Delikat
Smaklig
Skitgod
Mumsig
Smaskens

Practice and learn these useful Swedish adjectives - because you will most likely need to use them next time you eat a semla!

Need some help to pronounce these words? Watch this video: Swedish adjectives | Semlor in Sweden

And a semla recipe in English, for the ambitious and the poor guy not living in Sweden between January and Easter (which is the only time Swedes eat them), can be found here.

Vill du ha recept på semla på svenska? Här är en länk till dig.

* Note that "god" in Swedish is most often used about food (and yes, also in situations like "god morgon...). Most often the Swedish word "bra" is a better translation to the English word "good".

Blog about Melodifestivalen in Sweden | Swedish phrases and words to know for the Eurovision song contest

2013-01-29T17:57:00.002+01:00

Swedes are coming in to a favourite season. No, they don't love slushy winter/spring, but inside by the TV, every Saturday night, it's their highlight of the year: Melodifestivalen 2013!

Also called Mello, Swedes love to hate this contest. What is it? In English it’s the Swedish song contest to elect the best song the Swedes can come up with for the Eurovision song contest. Normally Swedes have bad music taste, according to the rest of Europe, but last year we found the right hit with the help of Loreen, and won Europe’s hearts with the song Euphoria. Sweden finished number one (!) and the Eurovision contest will therefore this year be held in Malmö, Sweden.

But, what are the Swedes doing during the 6 weeks long season of Mello?

Other than watching song contests on tv 6 weekends in a row, complaining about the songs, the artist’s hair and clothes, eating snacks and drinking beer?

Well… we do other things… we... uhm… discuss the songs and artists every weekday on facebook, twitter or blogs, we find out more about the artists personal life in newspaper, on the radio and on every tv channel, we bet on the songs...

See! We have a life.

But for you who learn Swedish and want to be able to have a conversation with a Swede between February and May and to understand the media, here are some important words and phrases to know in Swedish:

Fel låt vann! = Wrong song won

Den var kass = It was terrible.

Den var kanon. = It was awesome.

Rösta på Carola! = Vote for Carola!

No, just kidding… she is actually not competing this year, nor Danny – another Mello-artist. But we could say:

Rösta på Army of Lovers/Ulrik, David Lindgren...

Jag älskar schlager! = I love ... well, this is the Swedish word for hit song and a type of Music that almost only configure in the Melodifestivalen.

Storfavoriten höll/föll. = The mega favourite artist won/failed.

And the headlines will likely include the word Eufori, just to be witty, like:

EUFORI I MALMÖ I MAJ

Another good blog about this phenomenon.

The king's name day!

2013-01-28T18:23:00.001+01:00

Kungens namnsdag!

The king of Sweden has his name day today! Today's name is Karl, and therefore we celebrate everyone called by that name, and one of them is the king of Sweden.

This blog is maybe not so much about our king, but about the name day celebration in Sweden.

What's wrong about celebrating? And celebrating one's birthday once a year isn't really enough for us Swedes, so celebrating our name days is a really good complement. (Which also is another great reason why many Swedes not only have one middle name, but often at least two.)

How do we celebrate name days?

Well... some totally forget about their name day. Some gets a small card or a phone call from someone saying "Grattis på namnsdagen". In some families they make this a bigger occasion, by inviting friends or family over for a name day fika, or actually kalas (which is the same as fika, but the word we use when celebrating birthdays - or name days). For people concerned about their age, celebrating the name day could be an awesome alternative to the birthday.

Back to the king of Sweden and his name day. Do we acknowledge that in any way? Yes, of course! It is an official flag day, meaning that everyone owning a flagpole (which is quite a few) must hoist the Swedish flag that day. In a Swedish calendar (svensk almanacka) you can see which days are official flag days, which is a good thing for flagpole owners. And of course, in the same almanacka, you can see what date you have your name day. (The chance of finding your name in the almanacka strongly increases if you have a Swedish name though.)

Is your name not in the almanacka? Do like many others: make one day Your name day! And celebrate!

Grattis på namnsdagen, Karl!

By the way: The name of the Swedish king is Carl XVI Gustav Bernadotte.

And if you want to know more about the reasons and rules around our Swedish name days, svenska namnsdagar, then follow this link.

Partikelverb i svenskan

2013-01-25T20:12:00.001+01:00

Swedish2go is in the production stage of finishing the 8 hours of lessons to the advanced course (Avancerad kurs i svenska). Right now, a lesson about partikelverb is being made. And it's just to face it: Us Swedes have some cool and useful expressions using particle verbs. There are tons of them though. Read and learn these as a start:

Ställa in sig - to prepare yourself for something, and to mentaly and strongly think something is going to happen
Ställa sig in - not the same thing as above! This means to brown nose somebody
Suga åt sig - to really absorb credit about yourself. If someone is telling you how good you are: Sug åt dig!
Punga ut - to pay for something, usually a bigger amount. It's always about money, though: Svenskar pungar ut miljontals på sms varje år.
Trassla in sig - "to tangle yourself in something": Not just literally, but also if you have a problem, or maybe several, and you have caused yourself to be in that situation.
Skälla ut någon - "to bark someone out" or to berate/scold/call down: Min lärare skällde ut mig när jag inte kunde alla partikelverb.
Skjuta upp - Skjut inte upp till imorgon, det du kan göra idag. = don't postpone till tomorrow, what you can do today...

Start learning Swedish! Yes! Great idea! You have already started by reading this blog.

Kör igång! (Another partikelverb!)

What's good about snow? + Verb lesson

2013-01-22T17:31:00.001+01:00

If you are not interested in reading about snow and winter, scroll down, for a quick lesson about the verbs "går" and "åker".

In the dark and cold winter Sweden, it may be uplifting to hear some good things about snow. Well, here you go!

Snow is dryer than rain. Snö är torrare än regn.
Snow is white - it lights up the dark hours (which are many!). Snö gör vintermörkret lite ljusare.
Snow shoveling gives you free exercise. Snö ger dig gratis motion.
Snow makes you laugh. It's hard not to, when racing down a hill on a sled. Snö får dig att skratta, när du far nerför en backe på en pulka.
Snow makes you want to try activities you've never dreamed of: downhill skiing, skating, cross country skiing, hiking with skis (gå på tur), Nordic skating, snowball fights, snow angel creations, making snow lantern and many more!

Enjoy snow! Winter is short, so look at it from the bright side.

Some Swedish phrases in the winter:

åka pulka, åka skidor, åka längd, åka skridskor, åka slalom, åka snöskoter

göra snöänglar, kasta snöboll, bygga snölyktor

Now your lesson: Åka och gå

Att åka = to go
Att gå = to go (or to walk)

What's the difference?

The easiest explanation is that we use "gå" when we use our feet. Therefore we cannot say this sentence "Jag ska gå till Sverige." We must say: "Jag ska åka till Sverige."

When we use some kind of transportation, we are therefore not using "går" but "åker":

Vi åker buss. Vi åker tåg. Vi åker bil. Vi åker kollektivtrafik. Vi åker motorcykel. Vi åker moped. And you see all the winter activities with some kind of help of transportation above: skates, skis, sleds...

Now that was the easy part. The verb "går" is however also used in a more general way than only when using our legs. We have quite a few standard phrases where we use "går":

Vi går på bio. Vi går på restaurang. Vi går på teater. Vi går i skolan. (Meaning that we are students in school. This is not the same as "Vi går till skolan", which is describing the way we get to school.)

The winter subject is also described in this YouTube video.

This, among many other grammar and language explanations, is also covered in the 8 hours of lessons, if you are curious about knowing more.

2013-01-17T19:02:00.000+01:00

Hej!

Svensk text kan läsas nedan.

This blog will be about what's going on at Swedish2go right now. Just in case you wonder.

A new video, presenting the company is just about to be published. Keep your eyes up!

Three different levels of video packages are ready and offered to you today. Welcome to subscribe! These videos can be used as a complement to your other Swedish studies, no matter where, or in what form, you do them. See it as a speaking grammar book, with a great support in the English language.!

There is a demand for Swedish2go offering an Advanced online course, and believe me, it's coming and has high priority. To ensure the quality of the course, it may be a couple of months though. Sorry about that! Until then, go through the Beginner and Intermediate courses, repeat, and get better at what you already know!

Den som väntar på något gott väntar aldrig för länge.
(=All good things come to he who Waits)
___________________________________________________________________________

Den här bloggen handlar om vad som är på gång med Swedish2go, ifall du undrar...

En ny video som presenterar företaget är i dagarna på gång att publiceras. Håll ögonen öppna!

Tre olika nivåer av videopaket är klara och finns just nu redo för dig att prenumerera på. Välkommen! Dessa videofilmer kan användas som ett komplement till dina övriga svenskstudier, oavsett var och hur du studerar. Se det som en levande grammatikbok, där du både ser och hör beskrivning av grammatik, med hjälp av det engelska språket.

Det finns ett sug efter en avancerad online kurs från Swedish2go. Tro mig, den är på gång och har hög prioritet. För att säkerställa kvaliteten på kursen kan det dock ta ytterligare ett par månader innan den är klar, tyvärr. Tills dess, gå igenom nybörjarkursen och fortsättningskursen, repetera och bli bättre på det du redan kan!

Den som väntar på något gott väntar aldrig för länge.

Comments to the weather sayings

2012-11-17T17:27:00.004+01:00

Jag lovade ju...

I did promise, to give you some explanations to the expressions I posted last week. Here they are:

Det som göms i snö kommer fram i tö.

You can not hide anything for good. It'll come out eventually - like when the snow is melting (=tö) What's hidden in the snow comes out in the thaw.

Det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder.

No bad weather, just bad clothes. This probably doesn't need much of an explanation.

Efter regn kommer solsken.

After rain comes sunshine. There is the same saying in English, or am I wrong?

Kläder efter väder

Clothes suitable for weather. A saying usually seen on letters from school before a school trip.

Spotta inte i motvind.

If things are against you, don't act badly. It'll only get back to you. Don't spit against the wind.

Solen lyser även på liten stuga.

Even people who don't have much in the material world, can have happiness and good times.

Även solen har sina fläckar.

Even the most popoluar and good people has their bad sides. The sun also has it's stains.

In intermediate lesson 6 the students were given some more sayings, this time about bodyparts: Like this one:

Smaken är som baken: delad.

Swedes love talking about the weather!

2012-11-08T17:48:00.004+01:00

And that's why the Intermediate lesson today, lesson number 5, is about the weather. We practice phrases, words, pronunciation and everything we need to know about this popular topic. Yes, we even learn how to complain about the weather:

Fy, ett sånt väder! (Not correctly spelled, but that's how we say it.)

We can see that weather is important to us Swedes by looking at popular sayings, some of them very often used:

Det som göms i snö kommer fram i tö.

Det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder.

Efter regn kommer solsken.

Kläder efter väder

Spotta inte i motvind.

Solen lyser även på liten stuga.

Även solen har sina fläckar.

Your assignment: Understand these sayings, not only word by word, but also the meaning behind it. A translation and interpreting help will come on this blog next week!

May I ask the Swedish teacher a question?

2012-10-24T17:19:00.001+02:00

Of course! Teachers love questions! That is usually a very good sign of a thinking student.

We have maybe all been there: we have a question (or many) but we don't ask it because we are not comfortable in the classroom, we are worried the question is stupid or we simply don't want to be annoying. So here are some questions (including answers) that students have asked lately. Who knows, maybe you are sitting on the same! Could be worth scrolling through...

Do you conjugate Swedish verbs after person?

No. Unlike English, the Swedish verbs have the same form no matter the person: I am, you are, he is = Jag är, du är, han är.

Easy!

The conjugation group 3 of the Swedish verbs (the ones ending with a long vowel in imperative form (bo, må, sy...), do they always get double "d" in the form of the past tense?

Yes. Bo - bodde, må - mådde, sy - sydde

What is the Swedish word for the violin? I found 'fiol' and 'viol' written in the same book.

You can say both fiol (the most common) and violin (more formal and traditional) but never ~~viol.~~

The word 'från' is pronounced as 'fran' rather than 'fron' Why is this? The letter å requires the lip rounding, doesn't it?

I'm not sure where you have heard this, but the word från is usually pronounced fron, although as a preposition not emphasized, so very unclear and fast. I wouldn't say that it's pronounced "fran" though.

What is the difference between åker and går?

We tend to use går = walk, what we do with our legs, and åker = go in some kind of transportation. The verb går can also be used in phrases where the way we are transported is less important: gå på bio, gå på restaurang, gå på teater...

Why is the last name Svensson (s sound) pronounced differently than Persson (sh sound)?

R + s (as in Persson) always gets an sh-sound.

If I say 'Jag är inte gift och jag har inte barn' Do I have to say 'inte' twice?

Yes, you have to repeat the sentence adverb (satsadverbial = inte).

Is this correct? 'Har du barn? Jag är gift men jag har inte barn'

Ja. You can, if you want, leave out the second subject (jag).

What is the difference if I say 'Pratar/talar du svenska?'

Not a big difference. Talar is a bit more formal.

I did not understand the difference between these two sentences from one of the videos:
Hur åker vi till Stockholm? / Hur ska vi åka till Stockholm?

Talking in future, we can use both present tense and with ska + infinitiv-verb. We use present tense especially when it is given that we talk in future, for example together with an adverb describing time: imorgon. To answer your question: there doesn't have to be a difference in meaning between these two sentences, although the first example could be for right now (in this very example not so common).
Feel free to ask more questions! You can do it through the comments here on the blog, on the facebook page on Twitter or by email. Swedish2go wants to help with your Swedish!

Simple Swedish! Yeah right...

2012-10-24T16:56:00.000+02:00

Finally I'm blogging again, and finally about this (I said to myself and some others a week ago that I would put it up on this blog, but haven't gotten around to it until now):

Sense of humour is very cultural and individual. See if you have the Åsa-culture-sense of humour by watching this video about the Simple Swedish language (excuse the bad language once in a while):

Phu!

2012-10-11T08:37:00.003+02:00

So has the new web page finally gone live. After long long nights, (oops I guess it's after midnight again!) the new, more functional web page is going.

The difference? It is hopefully easier to find your way around in, and easier to figure out how to do with what.

But if something is missing: please let me know. I have not thought of everything yet, and there are still things on the list of things to put up.

A web page is never done. So some feedback and input is always apreciated.

Tack och godnatt!

A new option to learn Swedish

2012-10-01T03:39:00.001+02:00

Swedish2go is adding on. The add-on is for all of you who for some reason can't make the fixed time for the hourly live Swedish lessons currently offered weekly. Starting October 15th, you have the option to take part of the beginner - or the intermediate lessons whenever you want.

How?

Through a subscription, you can get access to the recorded 1 hour lessons. With one new lesson per week to view, you can follow a Swedish language course that easily fits your schedule regardless of the time and place. The only difference is that it isn't live, so the possibility to ask questions right there and then won't be available. However, you will still have the possibility to ask the teacher questions through facebook or email and you'll get a response as soon as possible.

In addition to the recorded hourly lessons you will get access to the related tutorial grammar videos from Swedish2go and also a guide to free online self study material for you to practice what the teacher has gone through.

For 8 weeks you will be fed with one new lesson per week. However you will keep having access to your recorded lessons for another 4 weeks after that.

For more information take a look through our website at: www.swedish2go.com

Svensk mat utomlands

2012-09-26T18:13:00.000+02:00

Swedish food abroad

... more correctly: this text is more about the Swedish food that we don't find abroad - not in Canada anyway, where I presently spend some time. All cultures and countries have their different items, goodies, treats etc. Canada has a lot of them, that I miss when back in Sweden, but Canada is also missing out on a lot.

This one, for example:

Photo: Åsa Bouck

Kalles kaviar!

The picture is taken in Canada. I had my husband export it in the suitcase together with a block of ice from Sweden to Canada. Because the list of things I miss to eat over here is a lot longer now since Ikea took away all the genuine Swedish imports in their food section and replaced everything with Ikea brand! The charm is gone. Ikea probably makes tons of money on the change, but I am disappointed.

What else can't be found here... Filmjölk! Leverpastej! Saltlaktris! Mjukost på tub! (Yes, they laugh at us Swedes here in Canada, thinking that we put any food into a tube. Well they can laugh! They just don't realise how convenient and smart that is.)

And even though some things can be found abroad, the selection of certain items are different between countries. I know that my kids miss the "forever-long" isle of sugary breakfast cereals in the stores when we go back to Sweden, but their health-conscious mom misses the variety of healthy cereals, because that is a bit harder to find in North America. I also miss the selection of bread and the selection of cheese.

What's the point of this little text? I'm not sure. Maybe to prepare people going to Sweden that there's a lot of good stuff over there, but also that you will for sure miss things that you can't find. See the positive things in each country (and bring with you what you can't find). That's why I am going out for lunch, eating an amazing hamburger after having a restaurant breakfast with American pancakes, eggs and bacon!

(Living in Sweden, but from a different country? What eatable things do you miss? Are you a Swede living somewhere else? What do you miss? Please share with me.)

Photo: Magnus Skoglöf/imagebank.sweden.se Photo: Miriam Preis/imagebank.sweden.se

And don't forget to keep your eyes on the web site that shortly will have a new design: www.swedish2go.com

Swedish sayings with the butt!

2012-09-24T23:01:00.000+02:00

Svenska talesätt

Don't ask me why, but Swedes use several sayings including the butt, (häck, rumpa, ända, bak...)sometimes translated by Google translate with the ass (yes, I know I have advised you NOT to use google translate, but I find it amusing so I do it once in a while anyway, and maybe also with the purpose of showing why you shouldn't...)

Here's a few sayings for you to learn:

Jag har häcken full

Now, try this on Google translate! What we mean with this is that we have a ton to do, so we probably won't have time for anything else. This is commonly used among staff in Sweden (according to my North American hard working husband who thinks that the one thing Swedes are good at is FIKA!)

Hur man än vänder sig har man rumpan bak

Now, this situation is never fun: meaning that no matter what you do, you are in trouble. Maybe this saying is popular in Sweden because the country is full of people scared of conflicts. And we all know, that we can not always make everyone happy.

Smaken är som baken, delad

...just meaning that we all have a different taste in things and there's nothing we can do about it. Normally this can be used to avoid conflicts, when we feel the tension build up about our different opinions regarding for example a movie, a sports club, or even politics.

Att ha eld i baken

= to be in a huge hurry, running around like crazy. Usually used as a contrast from being totally relaxed and maybe even lazy, to, for some reason, being totally stressed and focused.

... and eld i baken is what Swedish2go has right now. The web page is currently being renovated for your convenience and the first online group classes are being prepared. Hectic and fun! Sign up for a class and see what it is all about! (info@swedish2go.com). (Read about the courses on www.swedish2go.com)

Be careful with translations!

2012-09-20T18:31:00.001+02:00

Dictionaries, and sometimes even Google translate, are important tools when learning a language, but don't forget your common sense! Your brain is a better tool than any dictionaries. Here's why:

We can say: "Slå upp ett glas vitt, är du snäll."

Well - that doesn't make much sense if you look in the dictionary: "Beat up a glass of white, are you kind."

???

The English language has some verbs with particles to it, giving the verb a completely new meaning. And the Swedish language does too. In fact, we've got tons of them! So "Slå upp" doesn't mean "Beat up" in this situation, it means "Pour". But in other situation it could mean "look up". Huh? Well, use your brain and figure out if it makes sense. Because we can't poor a telephone number, and we can't look up a glass of white wine.

So, please, when studying Swedish, or any language, don't take the dictionaries, or even less Google translate, too seriously. Use your brain!

Here are some more particle verbs that you can't translate word by word:

(Emphasis in our pronunciation is on the bold particle:)

Komma av sig (to suddenly forget what you were supposed to say)
Komma bort (could mean to get away, but also that something has disappeared)
Lägga av (to quit)
Lägga ner (to shut down, or quit something (like a project or business))
Känna till (to know of something)
Känna igen (No... not feel again! It means recognize)

You get to know more about "partikelverb" in the higher levels of the Swedish studies! Keep it up! (See! That's an English "partikelverb"!)

New course added!

2012-09-19T18:42:00.000+02:00

Ok, I can't only have a class for total beginners. What are all the other people, who knows a little bit of Swedish, going to do? So on the same day as the beginner class starts, the intermediate lesson is following: October 11th at 21.00 in Sweden.

Yes, it may be late in the evening for those of you already living in Sweden, but for all parents of young children, it's probably perfect. And the very hard working ones has time to come home. In north America, it could be perfect to put your lunch box in the microwave and enjoy your lunch break while learning Swedish from your teacher in front of the computer. For you in Great Britain/Ireland, 20.00 is regular evening course time, so congratulations! I guess in Australia... do you like very early morning studies?

I guess, with a global virtual classroom, there is never a time that is good for everyone.

This intermediate course, which also has a duration of 8 weeks, 1 hour/week, is for those who has some basic knowledge of Swedish, but is missing quite a bit of words and grammar understanding. Here is an example of what the course covers:

Phrases while shopping, groceries, Swedish traditions and customs, describing the way, phrases while at the doctor, talking about the weather (last subject VERY important in Sweden!).

Of course this course also includes quite a bit of grammar (also explained in English) and pronunciation drills. And just like the beginner course, you will have a chance to ask questions in writing, test your understanding of the last lesson and practice more on your own before the following lesson. You will be guided to free online study material related to what the last lesson covered and you will also be provided with Swedish2go video tutorials containing the same grammar as the teacher has taught you.

Please look at the Swedish2go website for full course description!

When interested in trying the first lesson for free, please write an email to info@swedish2go.com and let me know! Don't forget to say which course you want to participate in. (You are of course welcome to join both!)

The date is set for beginner Swedish class - distanskurs i svenska!

2012-09-11T22:43:00.001+02:00

October 11 at 19.00 Swedish time!*

That is the date you can look forward to starting your Swedish language lessons. And you don't have to come to me. I will come to you - in the computer. The meeting will be all online. For one hour, you will hear me teaching you about grammar, words, phrases, pronunciation. You will also be able to ask questions in the chat function.

Between each class, which will be once a week for 8 weeks with last class ending November 29, you will be directed to specific work material online - free material for those who wish, payed online textbooks for those who want something more thorough. This material will help you increase your reading and listening comprehension. Along with that you will also get access to related tutorial grammar and/or pronunciation videos from Swedish2go.

The first lesson is free of charge - you don't have to commit to anything. However, you do have to register to get access to the online meeting. If you decide to continue, all you have to do is pay the 399 Swedish kronor (approximately US$ 65) and you will have access to all the following classes in the course, including extra material.

This is a beginner course in Swedish, Nybörjarkurs i svenska på distans, and the special thing about it is that you will get a lot of Swedish grammar explanations in English, to help the understanding of the rules. Grammar is hard enough, so we don't have to do it ALL i Swedish!

After this course, you should have a basic understanding of the most important Swedish rules of grammar and pronunciation. You will also know how to talk about basic topics, such as time, family, introduction and hobby.

Below is a description of the course content:

Svenska online, nybörjarkurs (Swedish beginner course)

Lesson 1, October 11th 2012 @ 19.00 - 20.00 Swedish time:

Phrases to (greet)
Presentation phrases
Grammar:

Verb: present tense
Questions/answers (question words/yes/no-questions)
Pronouns, subjective form

Pronunciation
Room for questions by chat
Optional homework, and sheet of questions in relation to the above topics for you to check that you have understood

Lesson 2, October 18th 2012 @ 19.00 - 20.00 Swedish time:

Presentation cont.
Week days and ways of saying time
Phrases to greet (cont.)
The Swedish vowels (short/long)
Grammar:

Prepositions in presentation phrases
Conjunctions

Pronunciation
Room for questions by chat
Optional homework, and sheet of questions in relation to the above topics for you to check that you have understood

Lesson 3, October 25th 2012 @ 19.00 - 20.00 Swedish time:

Telling time, the clock
Grammar:

Verb: present tense + imperative
Word order

Pronunciation
Room for questions by chat
Optional homework, and sheet of questions in relation to the above topics for you to check that you have understood

Lesson 4, November 1st 2012 @ 19.00 - 20.00 Swedish time:

Phrases to be nice
Translating "Like"
Vocabulary: verbs
Grammar:

En/ett
Adjectives, indefinite form

Pronunciation
Room for questions by chat
Optional homework, and sheet of questions in relation to the above topics for you to check that you have understood

Lesson 5, November 8th 2012 @ 19.00 - 20.00 Swedish time:

Hobby and free time activities
Grammar:

Verb: Present tense, helping verbs + infinite form
Sentence adverbial (satsadverb)

Pronunciation
Room for questions by chat
Optional homework, and sheet of questions in relation to the above topics for you to check that you have understood

Lesson 6, November 15th 2012 @ 19.00 - 20.00 Swedish time:

Talk about family
Grammar:

Objective pronouns
Possessive pronouns

Pronunciation
Room for questions by chat
Optional homework, and sheet of questions in relation to the above topics for you to check that you have understood

Lesson 7, November 22nd 2012 @ 19.00 - 20.00 Swedish time:

Talking in helping verbs
Grammar:

Past tense
Definite/indefinite form of subject/adjectives

Pronunciation
Room for questions by chat
Optional homework, and sheet of questions in relation to the above topics for you to check that you have understood

Lesson 8, November 29th 2012 @ 19.00 - 20.00 Swedish time:

Repetition of the course, in a bit more advanced level - getting ready to move on
Grammar:

Word order - repetition
Verb tenses - repetition
Adjectives - repetition

Pronunciation
Room for questions by chat
Sheet of questions in relation to the above topics for you to check that you have understood

Svensk snabbversion:

Den 11 oktober klockan 19.00 - 20.00 börjar nybörjarkurs i svenska med mycket stöd av engelska i undervisningen. Detta är en grupp-undervisning online, en distanskurs i svenska för nybörjare där du bara behöver starta datorn där du är.

Efter kursen bör du ha en bättre förståelse av grunderna i svensk grammatik och uttal. Du ska också behärska enkla fraser om presentation, tid, familj och intresse.

*Starting date may be postponed if not enough attendees have signed up.
*Startdatumet kan komma att senareläggas om antalet medverkande inte är tillräckligt.

Send an email to: info@swedish2go.com and write that you want to sign up for the Swedish beginner class in October.

More courses at a variety of levels of Swedish will be announced, if this one has a good turn out!

Swedish online lessons live!

2012-09-10T20:10:00.001+02:00

Swedish2go is adding on to its selection of how and what to study. Keep your eyes up for Swedish online classes live! Coming soon, in different Swedish language levels, are oportunities to sign up for a series of Swedish instructional classes online! After each class of Swedish grammar and pronunciation you will be guided to extra material related to the topic in the live meeting so you can work with the new Swedish grammar knowledge by yourself.

The beginner levels will be supported in English, with lots of translation help. As you move on to more advanced levels of Swedish, classes will be in Swedish for the most part.

Follow this blog to see when we go live, or keep an eye at www.swedish2go.com. You can also send an email to info@swedish2go.com and we will keep you posted on when everything starts!