Swedish nouns. Sweden: state language, capital, head of state Swedish language group
In this lesson we will work with nouns in Swedish.
Usually, we do not take out the topic of nouns in the basic course for 7 lessons, simply because all work on nouns in almost all languages comes down to one thing: there is an article before the noun and it must be learned along with the word. All.
In Swedish, the principle of working with nouns is different from what we are used to. And we could not bypass this feature. By the way, nouns work in the same way in Norwegian.
If you are interested in comparing, be sure to open the same lesson in our Norwegian course in 7 lessons.
This lesson will be simple, but a little "jewelry" - we will need to pay attention to the endings of nouns. We recommend returning to this lesson throughout the course.
Nouns in Swedish are divided into two genders - common and neuter. An indicator of gender in a foreign language is the article - indefinite or definite.
Indefiniteness in Swedish - indefinite articles:
en- for general gender:
en man- man human
en kvinna - woman
en skola - school
ett- for the middle gender:
ett hus - house
ettäpple - apple
ett bord - table
We use the noun in the indefinite form (with indefinite article) when it is mentioned for the first time - just as in other European languages, such as English and German.
Jaghar en penna. – I have a pen.
Det har ar en katt. - It's a cat.
Of course, there are exceptions.
The indefinite article is NOT used:
before the occupation, religion, nationality in those cases when we talk about a person.
Hanar biolog. - He's a biologist.
Hon ar svensk. - She's Swedish.
Hanar buddhist. - He's a Buddhist.
when we are talking about uncountable nouns.
Jaghar inte tid. – I have no time.
in some fixed expressions.
Jag ater middag klockan sju. - I have dinner (= eat dinner) at seven.
Definition in Swedish
And now the most interesting!
There is no definite article familiar to us in the Swedish language.
How then do the Swedes put emphasis on something specific? Everything is very simple.
The Swedes get it like this: they just take the indefinite article, stick it to the end of the word and get, thus, something definite:
for general gender:
en hund – hund en(dog)
If the noun ends in any vowel, only -n:
en flicka – flicka n(girl)
If the noun ends in -er, -el, -or, then, again, only -n:
en syster – syster n(sister)
en nykel – nykel n(key)
en dator - dator n(a computer)
for neuter added to the end of the word -et:
ett hus-hus et(house)
ett barn–barn et(child)
If the noun ends with any vowel, then only -t:
ettäpple – äppl et(Apple)
ett frimärke – frimärk et(brand)
If the noun ends with endings -er, -el, then the penultimate -e disappears and is added -et:
ett monster e r - monster et(pattern)
ett sec e l-secl et(century)
If the noun has one syllable and ends in -n or -m, then this last -n or -m when forming a certain form, it often doubles:
en ma n-ma nnen(the male)
ett en m– ru mmet(room)
No exceptions anywhere, so:
en kran–kran en(tap)
en son - son en(son)
A definite form of the noun is also used in cases where we know exactly who owns an object or body part, even if the object is mentioned for the first time. In these cases, if the indefinite form is used, then one might think that it is just one of the objects, it is not known which one. This is especially evident in the example with body parts:
Jag har ont i huvudet. - I have a headache (= I have a headache).
If you say “Jag har ont i ett huvud”, then it turns out that I have some kind of incomprehensible headache, one of many, which, of course, will sound strange.
The same rule applies to personal items, as well as items that are directly related to a person at the moment, for example:
Jag sitter vid datorn. - I am sitting at a computer (my own, specific, and not just one of the computers that exist in the world).
Jag sitter på tåget. - I am sitting on a train (on the specific train I am traveling on, for example, from Gothenburg to Malmö).
Han går i skolan. - He goes to school (a specific one, not a new one every day).
In English, sometimes a possessive pronoun can be used in a similar situation, for example, "I brush my teeth" in English it will be “I clean my teeth”, and in Swedish “jag borstar tänder na”(tand - tooth, tänder - teeth, tänderna - (certain) teeth).
We will not give you rules for the plural. In this case, the Germans did the best, declaring that along with the article of the word, you must immediately learn its plural form. It's much easier, in fact, than learning the rules and exceptions to them.
In the exercises you will meet words in the plural - just learn them as a new word.
This is all we will work out in the exercises, so:
Ingen panic! - Don't panic!
Oroa er inte! - Do not worry!
This is the most important thing that you and I need to take away from this lesson.
It is clear that there are some exceptions to these rules, we will get acquainted with them in the exercises, but there are not very many such exceptions.
In the exercises, nouns of a certain form will be marked as (def. f.).
If there is no such mark near the noun, this means that the word is in an indefinite form, or it is clearly visible there that the form is definite: for example, this house or I am selling an apartment(it is clear that his particular apartment).
To use one word for a dozen feelings, emotions and states is very Swedish. For example, the word bra, literally meaning "good / good", can also be translated as "excellent", "wonderful", "normal", "excellent", "not bad" and so on, depending on the context. Word trå kigt – a synonym for "bad", "boring", "tedious", "difficult", "hard" (the list goes on). The degree of expression of emotion is entirely up to the speaker. Heroes of film director Roy Andersson, repeating one after another: « Vad roligt att hö ra att ni har det bra!» (“How great / happy / nice that you are doing well!”), This is how the word roligt (“great / joyful / pleasant”) is used. They, perhaps, are not at all happy and not pleasant, but the saving, non-specific word does not sound false, and allows them to observe decency.
5. Moderately well-fed man in the prime of life
There are many words and expressions in Swedish that do not have verbatim equivalents in other languages. The main one is lagom- a real concentrate of Swedishness. Lagom(“in moderation, just right”) is the informal motto of most Swedes, expressed in the desire not to overdo it or abuse it. The Swede will use this word-mantra when answering how much sugar to put in tea, to what degree to fry the meat, what should be the temperature in the room. Lagom means that everything should be in moderation, in no case too much. The ending – om reminiscent of the times when there was a case system in Swedish and - further versions diverge - either everything had to be done “according to the rules / law” or “the whole team” ( lag: "law" and at the same time "command").
Whichever version is more accurate, judge for yourself: after all, Carlson does not suffer from malnutrition, but he can also be called a glutton bad manners: he is in moderation - lagom- a well-fed man in the prime of his life.
6. Cozy word
Another word that is difficult to find an exact analogue in other languages is mysign. Literally translated, it means "comfortable". However, the Swedes use this word and its cognate mys(originally: “comfort”) most often in the meanings of “nice”, “beautiful”, “cute”, “comfortable”. If a Swede asks what you did on the weekend, and you describe to him a picture of a family idyll by the fireplace or tell him about dinner at your favorite restaurant, the interlocutor will most likely say as a sign of approval: Vadmysign! (“How cozy/pleasant/cute/wonderful!”). Hence another untranslatable, purely Swedish concept - fredagsmys. Swedes love to lounge on the couch in front of the TV and crunch on chips, popcorn or caramels, especially on Fridays. (fredag). It is this ritual that is reflected in the word fredagsmys.
7. Swedish family - in Swedish
Many Swedes prefer civil marriage to official marriage (which does not at all imply licentiousness, with which the crafty “Swedish family” is mistakenly associated).
S ambo- in translation means "companion". This term is used when couples do not formally marry, but share living space and household expenses. According to statistics, Swedish couples prefer status sambo and down the aisle are not in a hurry. The word is comfortable and gender-neutral: suitable for a partner of any gender. Sarbo- the one or the one with whom the Swede (ka) is in a relationship, but lives separately. exotic mambo means an adult still living with the mother. And if the relationship is exhausted and it's time to leave - this, of course, is difficult, but in most cases, the divergent partners will take care of the children in turn; mother, no doubt, will be able to provide for herself economically, and then, most likely, she will enter into a new union. And children are not a hindrance to this at all. In the lexicon of children will then appear, for example, bonuspappa, bonusfarmor, bonussyskon("bonus" dad, grandmother, half-siblings). If mom's new guy is so-so, then behind his back they can call him and plastpappa("plastic dad"). But with the love that the Swedes surround children, relatives and adoptive, most likely, he will become pluspappa("plus-dad"). Another dad is great.
8. Dialects - do not count
On a global scale, Sweden is a small country, but it is enough to drive a hundred or two kilometers across it to notice that a gas station employee, a cafe saleswoman, and a policeman suddenly started talking differently. Within the country and in neighboring Finland (which was part of Sweden until the beginning of the 19th century), one can count a hundred dialects that differ strikingly from each other both in pronunciation and intonation. Standard Swedish, the so-called rikssvenska, is based on the dialects of the Stockholm region. But no one is forcing you to use it: on Swedish TV evening news, the host can speak Stockholm, the reporter in Gotlandic, the meteorologist in Finnish Swedish, and the sports commentator in Skane. Understanding the inhabitants of the southern province of Skåne is a test for Swedes from the central and northern regions. Skåne borders on Denmark and, due to the common history, gravitates towards the Danish pronunciation. It is customary to joke good-naturedly over horses. The hosts of the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden first of all say: “Yes, we know what you are thinking right now – my God, these hosts from Skåne again!” At the national level, all major dialects are recognized as equal, and none is considered the only correct one. Long live diversity.
9. Inhale - Exhale
A feature of a conversation in northern Sweden: during a conversation, the Swede suddenly sharply and rather loudly draws in air through his mouth. An inarticulate sound hangs in the air. The conclusion that the interlocutor had an asthma attack is erroneous. Don't worry, he is with you. It is customary for laconic northern Swedes to express agreement in this way - without exchanging for extra words.
10. You, you, you
As in most other languages, Swedish has a form of addressing the interlocutor in you ( du) and you ( ni). At the same time, in practice, the Swedes turn to you ( du) to almost everyone, regardless of age and social status. This is a legacy of the language reform carried out by the socialists in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Appeal to you ( ni) will make the interlocutor alert: are they hinting to me that I am very old? fawn and want something from me? emphasize distance? or is this a joke? The appeal to you is not suitable only for members of the royal family. But they are also addressed not as you, but in the third person: “Does the king want to taste venison?”, “Can I take a picture with the queen?”. The king and queen react to the erroneous "you" without irritation: the subjects are regularly mistaken.
To use one word for a dozen feelings, emotions and states is very Swedish. For example, the word bra, literally meaning "good / good", can also be translated as "excellent", "wonderful", "normal", "excellent", "not bad" and so on, depending on the context. Word trå kigt – a synonym for "bad", "boring", "tedious", "difficult", "hard" (the list goes on). The degree of expression of emotion is entirely up to the speaker. Heroes of film director Roy Andersson, repeating one after another: « Vad roligt att hö ra att ni har det bra!» (“How great / happy / nice that you are doing well!”), This is how the word roligt (“great / joyful / pleasant”) is used. They, perhaps, are not at all happy and not pleasant, but the saving, non-specific word does not sound false, and allows them to observe decency.
5. Moderately well-fed man in the prime of life
There are many words and expressions in Swedish that do not have verbatim equivalents in other languages. The main one is lagom- a real concentrate of Swedishness. (“in moderation, just right”) is the informal motto of most Swedes, expressed in aspiration. The Swede will use this word-mantra when answering how much sugar to put in tea, to what degree to fry the meat, what should be the temperature in the room. Lagom means that everything should be in moderation, in no case too much. The ending – om reminiscent of the times when there was a case system in Swedish and - further versions diverge - either everything had to be done “according to the rules / law” or “the whole team” ( lag: "law" and at the same time "command").
Whichever version is more accurate, judge for yourself: after all, Carlson does not suffer from malnutrition, but he can also be called a glutton bad manners: he is in moderation - lagom- a well-fed man in the prime of his life.
6. Cozy word
Another word that is difficult to find an exact analogue in other languages is mysign. Literally translated, it means "comfortable". However, the Swedes use this word and its cognate mys(originally: “comfort”) most often in the meanings of “nice”, “beautiful”, “cute”, “comfortable”. If a Swede asks what you did on the weekend, and you describe to him a picture of a family idyll by the fireplace or tell him about dinner at your favorite restaurant, the interlocutor will most likely say as a sign of approval: Vadmysign! (“How cozy/pleasant/cute/wonderful!”). Hence another untranslatable, purely Swedish concept - fredagsmys. Swedes love to lounge on the couch in front of the TV and crunch on chips, popcorn or caramels, especially on Fridays. (fredag). It is this ritual that is reflected in the word fredagsmys.
7. Swedish family - in Swedish
Many Swedes prefer civil marriage to official marriage (which does not at all imply licentiousness, with which the crafty "") is mistakenly associated.
S ambo- in translation means "companion". This term is used when couples do not formally marry, but share living space and household expenses. According to statistics, Swedish couples prefer status sambo and down the aisle are not in a hurry. The word is comfortable and gender-neutral: suitable for a partner of any gender. Sarbo- the one or the one with whom the Swede (ka) is in a relationship, but lives separately. exotic mambo means an adult still living with the mother. And if the relationship is exhausted and it's time to leave - this, of course, is difficult, but in most cases, the divergent partners will take care of the children in turn; Mom, no doubt, will be able to, and then, most likely, will enter into a new union. And children are not a hindrance to this at all. In the lexicon of children will then appear, for example, bonuspappa, bonusfarmor, bonussyskon("bonus" dad, grandmother, half-siblings). If mom's new guy is so-so, then behind his back they can call him and plastpappa("plastic dad"). But with the love that the Swedes surround children, relatives and adoptive, most likely, he will become pluspappa("plus-dad"). Another dad is great.
8. Dialects - do not count
On a global scale, Sweden is a small country, but it is enough to drive a hundred or two kilometers across it to notice that a gas station employee, a cafe saleswoman, and a policeman suddenly started talking differently. Within the country and in neighboring Finland (which was part of Sweden until the beginning of the 19th century), one can count a hundred dialects that differ strikingly from each other both in pronunciation and intonation. Standard Swedish, the so-called rikssvenska, is based on the dialects of the Stockholm region. But no one is forcing you to use it: on Swedish TV evening news, the host can speak Stockholm, the reporter in Gotlandic, the meteorologist in Finnish Swedish, and the sports commentator in Skane. Understanding the inhabitants of the southern province of Skåne is a test for Swedes from the central and northern regions. Skåne borders on Denmark and, due to the common history, gravitates towards the Danish pronunciation. It is customary to joke good-naturedly over horses. The hosts of the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden first of all say: “Yes, we know what you are thinking right now – my God, these hosts from Skåne again!” At the national level, all major dialects are recognized as equal, and none is considered the only correct one. Long live diversity.
9. Inhale - Exhale
A feature of a conversation in northern Sweden: during a conversation, the Swede suddenly sharply and rather loudly draws in air through his mouth. An inarticulate sound hangs in the air. The conclusion that the interlocutor had an asthma attack is erroneous. Don't worry, he is with you. It is customary for laconic northern Swedes to express agreement in this way - without exchanging for extra words.
10. You, you, you
As in most other languages, Swedish has a form of addressing the interlocutor in you ( du) and you ( ni). At the same time, in practice, the Swedes turn to you ( du) to almost everyone, regardless of age and social status. This is a legacy of the language reform carried out by the socialists in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Appeal to you ( ni) will make the interlocutor alert: are they hinting to me that I am very old? fawn and want something from me? emphasize distance? or is this a joke? It is not good to refer to you only for members. But they are also addressed not as you, but in the third person: “Does the king want to taste venison?”, “Can I take a picture with the queen?”. The king and queen react to the erroneous "you" without irritation: the subjects are regularly mistaken.
European Union and the Alanian Islands. It is spoken by more than 9 million people throughout Scandinavia. The original source of the Swedish language was Old Norse, which at one time was also quite common and significant. There were practically no differences between Swedish, Danish and Norwegian in the 10th century.
Standard Swedish and its dialects
Standard or "high" Swedish originated in Stockholm and the surrounding areas at the very beginning of the 20th century. It is the language of the media and education, although even here there are dialects that differ greatly from the generally accepted standards of the language.
Swedes living in Finland also speak standard Swedish. In some provinces, dialects are common, the grammar of which is still close to the grammatical features of the language of the central regions.
The Swedish language has many dialects that have hardly come under the influence of standard Swedish and have been developing since the days of Old Norse. We can say that each of the dialects has quite noticeable differences in grammar and phonetics.
In the central regions of the country, people who speak these dialects are not understood. All these dialects can be divided into 6 specific types: Norrland dialects, Finnish Swedish, Svealand dialects, Gotaland dialects, dialects of young Sweden and dialects adopted on the island of Gotland.
Features of the Swedish language
One of the main features is this stress falling on the first syllable. Due to the presence of a large number of vowels, the language is considered sing-song, although each dialect has its own characteristics.
Swedish is analytical. It has two genders that are different from the usual: the average and the general. The latter includes features of both male and female. In some dialects there is no middle, but there are also feminine and masculine. There is no category of cases in the language, but there are articles, they are just indicators of number, gender and determine the place of the word in the sentence and context.
Nouns form both singular and plural. Moreover, in accordance with the education of the latter, they are divided into 6 classes. Adjectives have two types of declensions - weak and strong. As for the verb, Swedish distinguishes between the past tense, the perfect and new forms of the verb, which are similar to the English continuous tense. The perfect is formed with the help of a supine, a special form of the sacrament.
How and why to learn Swedish?
A lot of people are faced with this question, because almost everyone is fluent in English. But English is left as a last resort. If you need to go to Sweden for permanent residence or just for a long time, then without knowledge of Swedish you can’t go anywhere.
The inhabitants of this very hospitable Scandinavian country very well accept those who speak their native language. In addition, it is impossible to understand the culture and traditions of this country without knowing the native language. Yes, and not everyone knows English: for example, older people speak it very poorly and communicate mainly in their own, Swedish.
Doing business in Sweden also requires knowledge of this language, since all negotiations and important business meetings are also held only in the native language of this country. Hiring a translator all the time is simply unprofitable.
If a person knows at least one foreign language, then it will be easier to learn Swedish, in addition, it is believed that those who have learned Swedish can understand German, because. Sweden has a lot of loanwords from French, German and English. And just to visit Sweden for tourism purposes, you can learn Swedish at least at a basic level. Plus, learning a new language is always fun!
The Swedish language is spoken not only in Sweden, so you can safely travel throughout Scandinavia and be at home everywhere. You can learn this language on your own with tutorials, online courses or in language schools, where you will be provided with an experienced teacher or assigned to a group.
It is very useful to watch various programs in Swedish and listen to the songs in the original. In general, any speech in the target language will only bring benefits, even reading culinary recipes or guidebooks. To consolidate the material, it’s good to constantly learn tongue twisters and various proverbs, and you won’t go anywhere without textbooks and dictionaries that will help replenish your vocabulary and systematize all learning. Since the language does not have such a complex grammar and catchy vocabulary, it will not be difficult to learn Swedish, it is easier than, say, Finnish.
Having learned Swedish, you can not only travel, but also make new friends, as well as reread all your favorite fairy tales by Astrid Lindgren in the original.
If you want to become a full-fledged citizen of Sweden and feel like a full member of society, follow a really important recommendation: learn swedish!
English is not enough
There is an interesting pattern: residents of small states, as a rule, know three or four foreign languages. And vice versa: the larger the country, the fewer languages its citizens know. Unfortunately, Russia is a prime example of this. Almost all immigrants do not know Swedish when they leave. Some are not even going to learn it, hoping to communicate only in English. Of course, if you know English, you won't get lost in Sweden. After all, almost everyone here speaks the language of Shakespeare, and the Swedes will gladly take the opportunity to practice.
But when looking for a highly paid job, especially in municipal structures, you cannot do without knowing the only state language. In addition, knowing Swedish will help you build relationships with people who will become your neighbors. Remember with what hostility we speak about guest workers who come to Russia and cannot clearly explain themselves.
Difficulty in learning Swedish by Russians
Swedish is quite difficult and it can take a long period of time to learn Swedish.
Firstly, Swedish belongs to the Scandinavian group, which is not related to the Slavic languages. Difficulties are usually associated with phonetics and pronunciation. So, for example, there are seventeen vowels alone. For comparison, there are only six of them in Russian. Double stress and toning of syllables are even more difficult. Two identically written words, depending on the toning, will be translated completely differently. The word "anden" can mean both "spirit" and "duck". Moreover, tones are not indicated in writing, but are determined by meaning.
Secondly, it may even be difficult to find a Swedish textbook or enroll in courses, especially if you do not live in a metropolis. It can be recommended to sign up for online language courses that will solve the problem of distances. But, most likely, the knowledge that you receive in your homeland will become a necessary minimum. You can learn Swedish well after your arrival in Sweden.
Swedish for expats
All legal immigrants are granted the right to study the language in specialized SFI courses (Svenska f?r invandrare). On average, training lasts about one year. An additional incentive upon successful completion of SFI courses will be an amount of 12,000 kroons. If you want to improve your knowledge of Swedish acquired at SFI, you can enroll in Komvux for the course "Fundamentals of the Swedish language for foreigners" (Svenska som andrasprok grund).
Useful links when learning Swedish
Komvux is the name of specialized educational institutions for adults. Here you can not only study Swedish, but also enroll in a number of other courses, such as economics or management. If by the time you study at Komvux you already have a PUT (permanent residence permit), then you will be paid a scholarship.
The following tips will also help you learn Swedish as soon as possible.
- Try to read the printed version of the work and listen to its audio version at the same time. This will help you remember the correct pronunciation and spelling of Swedish words.
- Make friends from Sweden on Skype - only live communication will train your speaking skills.
- Try reading a Swedish book you already know.
- Watch more movies, listen to popular songs, read newspapers.
Some fun facts about the Swedish language
- Don't say "I'm walking down the street" in Sweden. In a literal translation, you tell the interlocutor that you are engaged in prostitution.
- If the Swede says "no", it means that he is listening to you. The Swedish nej (no) corresponds to the Russian "so". As in English, “well” does not mean at all that everything is “good”.
- You should not rush to the aid of your Swedish friends if you hear a short “a” sound from them on the inhale. In our country, such an exclamation can usually be heard if a person is suddenly frightened or has an asthmatic attack. In Sweden, such a sharp sound "a" corresponds to our "uh-huh", and means only that the person is interested and he is listening to you.