Coffee Break Swedish

17/06/2024

Hej på er! 👋 Midsummer is just round the corner, let’s warm up by learning some typical midsummer phrases. If you ever celebrate midsummer in Sweden, you can expect to hear at least 3 of these phrases 😉

Gillar du inte sill? = Don’t you like pickled herring? 🐟
Skål allihopa! = Cheers everyone!
Glöm inte att köpa jordgubbar. = Don’t forget to buy strawberries 🍓
Vilken fin krans du har! = What a lovely flower crown you‘ve got! 🌼
Det är dags att dansa kring midsommarstången. = It’s time to dance around the midsummer pole.

Can you come up with a midsummer related sentence? There are no right or wrong answers! ✍️

14/06/2024

Hejsan! 👋

To follow up on last week’s post about allemansrätten (the Right of Public Access) today we thought we’d share some of the gems you can pick in the Swedish forests.

- Blåbär = bilberries🫐 Blåbär are sweet and flavourful berries that you can pick in the forest from mid-July til late August.
- Lingon = lingonberries ♥️ Lingon are small, bright red berries with a tart and sweet taste. Ready to pick from mid-July til September
- Hjorton = cloudberries ⛅️ Hjorton is one of the most sought-after berry in Scandinavia, and they only grow in a very specific climate. Hjorton’s flavour evolves from distinctively tart to a creamy finish.
- Kantareller = chanterelles 🥇Kantareller are also known as skogens guld = the forest’s gold. They are a flavourful mushroom that you can pick in the forest from July up until late autumn.
- Karl Johan svamp = penny bun 🍄 Karl Johan svamp is a flavourful edible mushroom that is ready to be picked from late summer til late autumn.

Have you tried any of these? Let us know in the comments! ✍️

11/06/2024

Hej! Hur mår ni idag? 😃

Have you come across any homonyms in your Swedish learning? Homonyms are two words or more that have the same spelling and sometimes even pronunciation, but that mean different things. In Swedish there are quite a few of them. Here are some examples: (these are all pronounced in the same way)

Gift = poison, or to be married 💍
Val = whale, or election/decision 🐳
Vind = wind, or attic 💨

Do you know of any other Swedish homonyms? Or perhaps some words that you think are very similar? Let us know in the comments! ✍️

10/06/2024

Agera snabbt! The clock is ticking – only six hours remain to make the most of our Level 1 Coffee Break course offer ⏳

Our Level 1 courses feature an extensive collection of over 20 hours of audio content, detailed lesson notes, and more!

After completing our Level 1 course, you'll be able to do the following on your next trip to a Swedish-speaking area:

🍕 ask the waiter for extra cheese on your pizza
😎 rent a towel for lounging by the pool
☕️ order a tea, coffee (or another drink of your choice!) in a café
🚗 ask where the car rental office is when hiring a car for your trip

With over 30% off, now is the perfect time to start your language learning journey and live like a local.

Missa inte denna möjlighet– click the link below to get started: https://coffeebreaklanguages.com/local-2024-soc/

09/06/2024

What's stopping you from learning Swedish?

⏰ Limited time to study?
🙇‍♀️ Lack of discipline or motivation?
💰 Cost holding you back?

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Invest 15-20 minutes in one of our lessons each day and you’ll develop the language skills required to live like a local 🤩

The best part is that this week’s special offer on our Coffee Break Swedish Level 1 beginner course makes each lesson cheaper than a cup of coffee!

Click the link below to save before our offer ends on Monday👇
https://coffeebreaklanguages.com/local-2024-soc/

08/06/2024

Hej! Hur mår ni idag? 🤗

Did you know that in Sweden there is a law that gives all people in Sweden the freedom to roam free in nature. This law is called allemansrätten or the Right of Public Access 🌳🚶

Thanks to this law you can sleep on mountaintops, by the lakes, in quiet forests or beautiful meadows. Take the kayak out for a spin or pick berries, mushrooms and flowers from the ground – all completely free of charge 🍄🫐🌺 The only thing you need to pay is respect for nature and the animals living there. The only exception to allemansrätten is that you can’t walk or camp near private gardens, near a house or land under cultivation.

So if you’re planning a trip to Sweden, don’t forget to bring your walking boots 🥾 What are your thoughts on this? ✍️

07/06/2024

Unlock the secrets to living like a local genom att lära dig språket 🌏

🍷 Have you ever accidentally ordered fel dryck på ett café?
💶 Betalat för mycket for a market souvenir?
🗺️ Or struggled to find tågstationen?

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Click the link below for further details👇
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03/06/2024

Hej på er!🥰 In Swedish, we use a lot of reflexive verbs.

Reflexive verbs are used in Swedish when the subject and object of the verb are the same. In other words, the action is being performed by the subject on itself. To indicate this reflexive action, a reflexive pronoun is used, which refers back to the subject. The reflexive pronouns in Swedish are:

mig = myself
dig = yourself (singular)
sig = himself / herself / oneself / itself
oss = ourselves
er = yourselves (plural)
sig = themselves

Can you write one or two sentences in Swedish using a reflexive verb and reflexive pronoun? ✍️

Here are some examples of reflexive verbs in Swedish that you can use: to dress, to learn, to hurry and to go to bed 👗🛌

Lycka till! ☺️

31/05/2024

Hej allihopa!
Today we will share a recipe with you, and an old cookie-custom in Sweden 🍪🇸🇪

During the beginning of the twentieth century, there was a custom in Sweden that has been called "Sju sorters kakor” = ”seven kinds of cookies”. This meant that seven types of cookies were a lower limit for what was appropriate to serve. According to some, the hostess was stingy if she baked fewer than seven varieties and haughty if she baked more than seven. Luckily, this is not the case anymore! 😉 What are your thoughts on this?

A given cookie on the traditional cookie plate was the ”Hallongrotta”. Fancy giving it a go?😋

Raspberry caves ('Hallongrottor') – recipe

27/05/2024

Hej på er! 🥰 Today we have another anagram-challenge ready for you, this time with the theme of trädgård = garden 🪴🦋🌺 This one should be slightly trickier than previous ones. Are you ready?

1. PIKLARGÄSPER = ?
2. GODNIL = ?
3. ÄHKC = ?
4. LROSOS = ?
🌻👨‍🌾🌳🏡✂️☀️

Put your answers in the comments! Lycka till!

24/05/2024

Hej allihopa! ☺️ It’s riddle time! Are you ready? 🤩

Jag är lång när jag är ung och kort när jag är gammal. Vad är jag? = I am tall when I am young and short when I am old. What am I?
Put your guesses in the comments!

Following this riddle we have another challenge for you, pick one of your favourite riddles in your own language, and see if you can translate it into Swedish. If it works, we would love for you to put it in the comments and let other Coffee Break learners try to guess the answer ✍️🥳

22/05/2024

Hej kära följare! 👋

We’re grateful for your ongoing support and enthusiasm with our posts 🥰 Now, we’d love to hear from you! 👉 What do you want to see from us next? Maybe there's a tricky verb you’d like us to break down, a specific area of the language that you feel you need to practice, or a cultural topic you’re curious about?

Let us know your wishes, and we'll do our best to make them come true! 🙏

20/05/2024

Hej på er och glad måndag! 😃 Today, we've got an exciting challenge for you! We'll provide three words, and we'd love for you to create a sentence for each one. This is a good opportunity to test your writing skills ✍️

1. Cykel = bicycle 🚴
2. Vacker = beautiful 😍
3. Åka = to go (in whichever tense you like) 🚖

Put your sentences in the comments! Lycka till! 💪

17/05/2024

Hej allihopa! Hur mår ni idag? 🥰

Today we’re sharing another Swedish landmark with you, this time Fårö 🇸🇪 Fårö is a small island in the Baltic Sea, northeast of Sweden's largest island Gotland. It is reachable by a six-minute ferry ride from Gotland. Fårö is famous for its distinctive landscape, the entire island is made up of limestone rock and has hundreds of rauks that over the centuries have been shaped into spectacular monuments by the sea 🌊

Fårö was the legendary film director Ingemar Bergman's favourite island, where he lived and worked for 40 years. The island even has a Bergman Centre, which amongst other things offers “the big Bergman safari”.

Would you ever like to visit Fårö? 😍 Let us know in the comments!

Fårö – Ingmar Bergman's favourite island

13/05/2024

Hej! Hur har helgen varit? 🥰

Let's challenge your Swedish pronunciation with this classic tongue twister: "Flyg, fula fluga, flyg! Och den fula flugan flög." In English, it translates to “Fly, ugly fly, fly! And the ugly fly flew." 🪰🤪

Can you say it three times fast without stumbling on the words? Tell us how you did in the comments! ✍️

10/05/2024

Hejsan! Have you ever got to try salty liquorice saltlakrits in Swedish?🍬As with coriander and blue cheese, salty liquorice is an acquired taste that many either love or hate.

However, in Sweden, many people seem to love it. Actually, the Nordic countries together consume 80 - 90 percent of the world's production of liquorice. In Sweden, you'll find not only a diverse range of salty licorice candies but also salty licorice-flavored ice creams, cocktails, cakes, and pastries. 🍦🍪🍸

Would you like to try it? 😋 If you already have done so, let us know what you thought of it in the comments! 👍👎✍️

06/05/2024

Hej på er! We are doing a grammar exercise this week, on the topic of tenses! Can you change these sentences from the present tense to the past tense?

1. Julia åker till Luleå. (Julia is going to Luleå)
2. Åsa köper en tidning. (Åsa is buying a newspaper) 📰
3. Filip och Kalle springer runt sjön. (Filip and Kalle are running around the lake) 🏃‍♂️

Post your past tense versions of these sentences in the comments! If you like, write another sentence describing something you did today in the past tense ✍️

03/05/2024

Hejsan! 😃 Today we are playing Guess the Swede! This famous Swede:

- Is a retired professional footballer known for their goal-scoring abilities.
- Played for clubs such as Celtic, Barcelona, and Manchester United during their career.
- Was born in Helsingborg, Sweden.

Who are we describing? Put your guesses in the comments! ✍️What other hints would you use to describe this person?

29/04/2024

Hej allihopa! Hur mår ni?

Today, we have another anagram challenge focusing on verbs. Can you rearrange these letters to correctly form the names of some verbs?

RPAGNASI = ? 🏃♂️
TAÄ = ? 🍽️
DAUHCS = ? 🚿
UNGSJA = ? 🎤
TÄASD = ? 🧹

Put your answers in the comments! 😃

26/04/2024

Hej på er! 🥰

On April 30th, the arrival of spring is celebrated in Sweden 💐This day is called Valborgsmässoafton (Walpurgis Night). Locals gather to welcome the warmer weather with bonfires, singing, and traditional performances 🔥🎶 Do you have a similar tradition in your country? Please share in the comments!

Walpurgis Night (Valborg) and May Day

22/04/2024

Hej! Hur mår ni? 🥰

Today we have a little challenge for you, a grammar exercise on the topic of past tenses. Can you fill in the missing verbs in the following sentences? They should all be in the past tense.

Are you ready? 💪
1. Katarina ____ till Gotland i måndags kväll. (to go)
2. Jag ____ pannkakor till lunch. (to eat)
3. Erik ____ en dator i affären. (to buy)
4. I somras ____ jag 10 böcker. (to read)

Put your answers in the comments! ✍ How did you find this exercise? 😊

19/04/2024

Hej på er!🤗

Did you know that in Sweden, a 'smörgås' - a sandwich with a savoury topping - is a common breakfast choice? 🥪The key focus of the sandwich is the topping, known as 'pålägg' in Swedish. Grocery stores in Sweden even dedicate an entire section to 'pålägg.' Examples include cheese, various cold cuts, Kalles Kaviar (a spread made from salted cod roe), and vegetables.

What's your preferred pålägg for a sandwich?🧀🥗 Share your favourites in the comments! ✍

17/04/2024

We have exciting news for all book lovers out there! 📚

50 Swedish Coffee Breaks is now available to order worldwide 🎉🌍

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With 50 varied activities ranging from 5, 10, or 15 minutes each, you can expect puzzles and idioms to recipes and quotes. Perfect for high-beginner and intermediate learners!

Build skills in these key areas:
📚 reading comprehension
✍️ writing skills
📄 grammar confidence
🔎 translation abilities
🙇‍♀️ vocabulary expansion
🌍 cultural awareness

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15/04/2024

Hej! 😀 Hur mår du idag?

Let’s start this week by practising some Swedish compound words? See if you can take these English words and guess what the Swedish compound word is ⬇️

Soil + old man = ?
Tooth + meat = ?
River + horse =?
Butter + goose = ?

What are the Swedish compound words? 😉 Put your answers in the comments! ✍️

12/04/2024

Hej på er! ☺️ In April, Swedish weather can be a bit unreliable, it can quickly change from rain to sunshine, or from sunshine to a snowstorm ☔️☀️❄️

But Swedes are always prepared, they even have a saying for this. “Det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder” = there is no such thing as bad weather, just inadequate clothing. So next time someone complains about the weather, use this expression 😉

Do you have a similar saying in your language? Tell us in the comments! 🙌✍️

08/04/2024

Hej på er! Hoppas ni fått en bra start på veckan 🤗

Today it is time to practise our translating skills. Here are 4 sentences for you to translate into Swedish. Ready, set, go! 💪

1. My father works as a teacher in Örebro.
2. The pharmacy is next to the grocery store.
3. He has short, brown, curly hair and green eyes.
4. I don’t like peppers but I love tomatoes.

Put your answers in the comments! ✍️ How did you find this exercise? Easy/hard?👍👎

05/04/2024

Hej allihopa! Hur mår ni? 🥰

Have you heard of the Swedish word ‘lagom’? 🇸🇪 This word does not have an English equivalent, but it is such a useful word to have in your vocabulary. It means “in moderation”, “just right” or “not too much and not too little”. If you ask a Swede how much milk they want in their coffee, they would typically reply with “lagom mycket”☕️

What do you think of this word? 🤗 Write in the comments! ✍️

01/04/2024

Hallå på er och glad 1a april!😃

Today it is April Fools Day, or as we say in Sweden ‘fӧrsta april’. The first ‘prank’ by a Swedish newspaper was published in 1912 before the Olympic Games in Stockholm. The newspaper Svenska Dagbladet wrote that the inauguration of the Olympics would be led by a parade of 600 elephants 🐘 On the first 50 elephants, a band would sit and play national anthems, and on the rest of the elephants the zookeepers would sit and shout: ""Lirpa, lirpa"" (read backwards!) 😉

Please feel free to comment if you have any funny April Fool's jokes you'd like to share! ✍️

29/03/2024

Hej på er och glad fredag! ☀️

Today we’re sharing a recipe with you. This traditional dish is called ‘raggmunk’ and is a potato pancake, which is preferably served with bacon and lingonberry jam 🥞 If you can’t find lingonberry jam, you can always replace it with cranberry sauce. It is delicious and very easy to make! 😋

Do you want to give this recipe a go? Let us know in the comments! ✍️

Potato pancakes ('Raggmunk') – recipe

25/03/2024

Hej! Hur mår ni idag? 😃

Do you know what the days of the week are in Swedish? 🗓️

They all end with “dag” which means day. Fill out the blanks with the remaining letters and put your guesses in the comments! ✍️

M_ _ dag
T_ _ dag
O_ _dag
T_ _ _ dag
F _ _ dag
L _ _ dag
S_ _dag