Category Archives: Swedish

expatriate, Swedish

Could it be false friendship? #7

1 Comment

False friendship in a language?

I am fascinated by words, especially the written word, and languages. The more languages I learn the easier it gets, and that sure comes in handy in expat life! It’s captivating to recognize similarities between languages, and to explore possible roots in common. Could it be a cognate or a false friend? Now if that doesn’t sound intriguing … 😉

I´ll explain it to you.

Cognates are words in different languages that have a common linguistic heritage. Examples are night natt nuit notte Nacht. Loanwords does not count.

Cognates within a language are known as doublets. Doublets are words that look similar, existing within the same language. Meaning of the words is irrelevant – they don´t have to mean the same thing, but could of course. An example is shirt and skirt in English.

False cognates are words that to the eye and ear appear to have the same origin but don´t. The meaning of the words is irrelevant here – it doesn’t matter if they are false friends or have the same meaning. An example hereof; mamma and pappa in Swedish – not related to similar words in other languages, merely stemming from baby language! (Svensk etymologisk ordbok – the Swedish etymological thesaurus, digitalized at http://runeberg.org/svetym/)

What about the false  friendship? Well, false friends are words in different languages that appear to have the same meaning but don´t. Here is a link to some false friends Swedish/English, serving as examples.

 

Primary sources

http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kognat_(lingvistik)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognate

My brain. 🙂

Want to know more on Swedish language training with me? Head over!

Related posts:

  1. Why the word out there really is international
  2. Networking for expats – you just have to do it!
  3. What are your biggest struggles learning Swedish?
  4. 100 challenges #blogg100
expatriate, Swedish

Swedish tongue twisters #6

2 Comments

Good morning! Let´s warm up our voices today with some Swedish tongue twisters. Let´s start with an easy one:

Får får får? Nej, får får inte får, får får lamm.

Do sheap have sheep? No, sheep don´t have sheep, sheep have lambs.

Now that was easy yet … odd.

Time to move on to those you try to repeat correctly as many times as possible.

Sex laxar i en laxask.

Six salmons in a salmon-box.

Packa pappas kappsäck.

Pack daddy’s suitcase.

Lastly and usually the most tricky one for non-native speakers. Unless you´re Dutch and go for a Gothenburg-accent – there are similarities to your advantage!

Sju sjösjuka sjömän på det sjunkande skeppet Shanghai.

Seven seasick sailors on the sinking ship “Shanghai”.

If you aim higher try to add “sköttes av sköna sjuksköterskor”  – nursed by beautiful nurses. I get a lot of questions on this sound from expats and during my Swedish classes. Listen to the sound via Forvo.com

I will do some recordings and add to the topic!

 

These are classical tongue twisters from Sweden. Want to add to the list? Pls do so in a comment!

Related posts:

  1. Swedish small talk – or big. #14
  2. What are your biggest struggles learning Swedish?
  3. Do you understand the news in Swedish?
  4. Could it be false friendship? #7
expatriate, Swedish

100 challenges #blogg100

2 Comments

#1 Saturday Jan 26

What have I done?!  😉

#1 Decided to join the challenge #blogg100

#2 Decided to go to an outlet center on a Saturday. An outdoor mall mind you. Freezing cold and a strong icy wind.

Well, the second decision of the day – check! Safely returned home in time for a late lunch. I like the concept of outdoor malls. Just not in combination with the Swedish west coast winter wind.  There was a small outdoor mall where I lived in the US when I was an expat in Michigan. Loved it. Starbucks, GAP and Bodyworks. A grocery store and some restaurants. A small green area with a tiny playground and a fountain with a bench next to it to enjoy an occasional ice cream.  Perhaps 20 stores all in all. The outdoor concept with a “main street” gave it a European feeling. I believe it was called The Village. Only missed one of my favorite stores; Target. Come to think of it it wouldn´t really have been a “village” with a Target in it.

Decision No.1 I´ll have to live with for the next 100 days. Good for me! Love the idea! Found the challenge only this morning, so starting 3 days late. Just need to finish 3 days later. Since we´re on twitter, my business and I, and Facebook, Instagram as well as on Google+ and Youtube, the project should be perfect for providing my different media channels with content. And vice versa. Want to join?

Let´s go!

Related posts:

  1. #blogg100 post 100
  2. The timing of repatriation #11
  3. Umbrellas are not for mothers #12
  4. Moms’ expat disco
Swedish

Tulips – very Swedish

3 Comments

Tulips are my favorite flowers. The first sign of spring during our long dark winters; the first pastel colors after the intense reds and greens of Christmas. I love them! But I´m not alone – tulips are popular in Sweden. Swedes buy most tulips per person in the world, adding up to one million per day. US is still the largest market but the buying pattern of the Swedes- often a bunch per week – is far from matched. So even buying flowers can be culturally different, as well as the value of the flower. We happily buy them for ourselves when we do our weekly grocery shopping, whereas in other countries they might be considered more exclusive. Today– Jan 15 – is the Day of the Tulip in Sweden – “Tulpanens dag”. And yes, I bought some today! In spite of my admiration for tulips I haven’t grown many of them in my garden over the years. You see, it is not only Swedish people that can’t resist them; they seem to be favorite food for part of our wildlife. Last fall though I planted quite a few which I will guard vigorously when the time comes. Actually, due to the mild winter, one or two are peaking up already. As an expat I was lucky to enjoy smaller, botanical tulips in one of my rented gardens.

Updated 2018

Read more about tulips here, Tulpanguiden in Swedish, or just enjoy the pictures!

 

20130305-223845.jpg

 

Small Swedish lesson:

en tulpan – a tulip

tulpaner – tulips

en blomma – a flower

blommor – flowers

en bukett – a bouquet

att slå ut – to bloom/to enter the flowering state

en utslagen tulpan – a blooming tulip

att sloka – to wilt, to flag

vissna – to wither, to shrivel

vissen – shrivelled

en rabatt – a flower bed

en dag – a day

Tulpanens dag – the Day of the Tulip

Related posts:

  1. A little bird told me … #blogg100 #3
  2. Who turned the light off? DIY for winter blues.
  3. Swedish small talk – or big. #14
  4. What do expat people miss from Sweden?
expatriate, Swedish

Online Swedish language-tutoring

Leave a comment

Online Swedish language training

Language is part of a culture. When you learn a language you also learn the culture connected to it and vice versa. It’s fun and valuable to know different languages. Now Swedish isn’t exactly one of the most influential languages in the universe but it might still be important to you.

I have studied and learnt several languages in my life. The methods and situations have been different, depending on the teaching institute and the teachers, as well as me and my current situation. Looking back, the most valuable and rewarding classes have been the ones where I constantly practiced speaking. It goes without saying that this was easier when I had private tutoring, or was in a smaller group of students.

As an expat, language studies have often proved to be the first social networking for me, and a routine in making a new life for me and my family. Yes, it involved breaks for diaper-changes and preparing a bottle. Sometimes we took the tutoring outside, to enjoy the weather and to accommodate the needs of a toddler longing for the garden swing.

Talking, talking, talking!

To really learn how to speak a language I think it is important to have enough opportunities. And to seize them, of course. The more you speak the easier it gets.

In order to make it interesting and motivational the learning should also relate to topics of the students interests or learning needs. Perhaps reading poems is not on the immediate priority list.

Learning a new language should be fun and without stress! For many it is hard to fit in language training in a busy schedule. Online tutoring can often solve that problem. The Swedish classes I offer are usually half hour conversations and it works well. I am flexible when it comes to timing and recurrence, and my students can choose if and how much work they want to do in between our sessions.

Taking the first step can sometimes seem hard. But guess what, that first step is just an e-mail or a phone call!

Why not make this year the year of learning or improving your Swedish!? In the comfort of your own home.

contact charlotta@globatris.se

read more

20130719-000940.jpg

 

Related posts:

  1. To learn Swedish is to learn the Swedish culture – Swedish classes online
  2. Learn the Swedish language by listening to music
  3. Are you not practicing speaking Swedish?
  4. Tip for encouraging your child to speak a language
expatriate, Swedish

Fredagsmys for non-Swedes

Leave a comment

Say the word Fredagsmys and every Swede knows what you are talking about. An easy Friday evening get-together, to mark the end of the work/school week and the beginning of the weekend. Family or friends, easy cooking, snack and a TV-screen are ususally involved. Tacos is a classic, as well as chips/crisps and dip; at least that´s what the commercials want us to believe. Fredagsmys is part of our modern culture, probably substituting the Sunday dinner family gathering.

The reality TV-show “Allt för Sverige”, brings “Swedish” Americans to Sweden for a chance to discover their roots. One of the episodes exposed the group to Fredagsmys.  http://bit.ly/YizCDAI
 

Related posts:

  1. Forget about the past – or?
  2. Swedes and our precious weather talk #10
  3. What do expat people miss from Sweden?
  4. Swedish small talk – or big. #14
expatriate, Swedish

Midsummer & its important ingredients

1 Comment

Midsummer!

Midsummer is important to Swedish people, of all ages. There are lots of links to articles and YouTube clips on social media explaining the tradition. The other day I asked a group of people what is important to them on Midsummer. The group consisted of expats in Sweden (having been here for a long time), Swedes that have been living abroad and  … just Swedes. There was no difference between the answers of the Swedes and the expats, but as expected the now repatriated Swedes seemed to have celebrated more when abroad, and especially if they had children at the time.

Flower wreaths (for hair), may pole, dancing, sunny weather, picking flowers for decoration, food

White dresses, floral prints dresses, rain gear

Spending time with friends, going to a traditional may pole celebration, lottery, outdoor games (i.e. spoonrace with egg or potatoes)

Strawberries, egg, herring, barbecue, new potatoes, gräddfil (sourcream), fika

These things were also important when living outside Sweden: brännvinsost (type of cheese), prinskorv (small sausages), dillchips, estrella dip sauces, meatballs, arranging a bigger get together with other Swedish people.

No one mentioned schnapps or beer, or singing at the table, but this of course, is part of it too! As is setting the table up outside, having to carry it inside when the rain showers appear, and then outside again …

What else is important?

I shall ask @Sweden for help with input.

 

 

 

Related posts:

  1. Expat hand-me-downs
  2. Food in a tube – not only for space.
  3. Midsummer – what’s it all about?
  4. What do expat people miss from Sweden?