Unique Swedish Words that Don’t Translate into English

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I learned quite a few Swedish words while living in Sweden (on top of the swear words that every Swede I encountered thought appropriate to teach) and continued learning after getting home, because why not? There are several Swedish words that don’t translate into English (and also several English words that don’t translate into Swedish, but we’ll save that for another discussion). A friend of mine said that he thought that the words that don’t translate easily say a lot about the culture of the people who speak that language. I suppose with the words listed below, that’s true in a lot of ways. Please keep in mind that I am nowhere near fluent in Swedish yet, so if I’m completely wrong about something, let me know.

Orka and Hinna

Orka att is a verb that means “to have the energy to,” similarly, hinna att means “to have the time to.” Often times, I feel like I don’t have the time or energy to get out the words I need to express those feelings, so it’s amazing that these expressions are all wrapped into one little word in Swedish.

Fika

I would be ignoring pivotal Swedish culture if I left fika off of this list. Fika can be a noun or a verb that describes the Swedish tradition of enjoying a coffee, often with friends, and normally with a pastry or some sort of sweet. When I was studying in Lund, during classes that lasted longer than an hour, we were normally given a 15 minute fika break in which everyone ran to the vending machines and got coffee for less than a dollar. Then we’d stand around the machine chatting until it was time to go back to class. It was one of my favorite parts about being a student in Sweden.

Mysig

If you’ve heard of the Danish hygge, mysig is the Swedish version. Loosely translated, it means “cozy,” but if you want to be more exact, it’s about the things that make you warm and cozy, which I guess is easier to translate if you’re used to cold winters spent inside.

Smultronstället

Smultronstället is the Swedish name of the famous Ingmar Bergman movie, Wild Strawberries. Smultronstället directly translates to “the wild strawberry place,” which is an idiom for a place that makes you feel happy and comfortable, like a childhood home. Everybody’s smultronställe is different, it can even be imaginary if you want it to be. This comes from the funny idea that everybody has their own secret spot to pick wild strawberries, which for selfish reasons, they don’t share with anybody else.

Lagom

People have difficulty translating lagom, but in the simplest explanation I can come up with, it translates to “not too much, not too little, but just right.” It’s the happy medium; that perfect balance that is oh so difficult to find. Swedes like to apply this concept to all aspects of their life: cooking, home decoration, clothes, etc. It is a way of life, in which they apply the same idea as ‘everything in moderation.’

Published by Casey

Casey always had a love for writing but never thought she could make anything of that love. At UCLA she started taking creative writing classes in between her science curriculum. Graduating with the class of 2020, she now works as a UX Designer, while continuing to write on the side, hence this blog exists. She has been published in literary magazines, like Linea Magazine, Little Old Lady, and Westwind Journal.