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Post by Henrik on Aug 30, 2002 8:35:07 GMT -5
It is common knowledge that Swedes in general speak good English. If you ever end up traveling there, you will be pleasantly surprised to find that you can easily speak with just about anybody, but you will also come across some rather amusing expressions.
One problem is Swedish has a number of words that “sound” English, and Swedes use these in both languages. The problem is they don’t have the same meaning! Here are some examples:
- As expressed by a spectator at an air-show:
“You should see, the plane took a big fart and vanished like a prick in the air!” (fart meaning speed and prick meaning dot!)
- A bank customer received the following response when requesting a new account opening:
“It’s okay, would you please fill in this blanket, and show me your leg” (blanket means form, and leg is the common word for identification papers)
- As stated in the opening speech for a technical show
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this technical mess” (mess coming from the Swedish word for show which is mässa)
- In a speech as the bank formerly known as Göta Banken had changed their bank name to Gota Banken:
“Dear friends, we are the same guys as before although we have lost our pricks.” (Again pricks is dots!)
- As expressed by a Swede to the parents of a baby who was becoming cranky:
“Is he getting a little kinky” (cranky = kinkig)
- A hotdog salesman in Sweden asking if the customer wants mashed potatoes with the hot dog:
“And with your hotdog, do you want a moose?” (mashed potatoes = mos)
And last but not least, the one Greg mentioned:
A friend of my commenting on the cruise-control in the car
“It’s really nice to have a fart-control in the car!”
I couldn’t agree more with my friend!!
P.S. Try saying the phrases with a Swedish accent for the full effect!!
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Post by Wycco on Aug 30, 2002 9:50:12 GMT -5
Actually- I have noticed that Swede's probably speak better English than just about any other nation outside the UK... (including the USA)  Also I recall- that in the Eurovision Song Contest growing up- Sweden's entry was often sung in English rather than Swedish. Is there a reason for this- has the English language invaded Swedish culture? Sorry- if I sound ignorant- just very curious- whenever I encounter anything Swedish (admittedly not very often) it always seems to be in English. Germany also is very English-Friendly. Although- I recall from Germany- they adopt everyone's language into their culture... Many German companies I know, force their workers to speak English even in Germany, Siemens is a good example. |
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Post by Henrik on Aug 30, 2002 10:22:15 GMT -5
Actually, there a several reasons as to why the Swedes are good with English.
The first is that the two languages are fairly similar in their structure. However, probably the main reason is that in Swden films are never dubbed to Swedish. The French, Spanish and German always dub English movies, and so there is no real exposure to the language. In Sweden, on TV all English TV shows and movies are shown in English with Swedish sub-titles, and so people simply grow up with it.
Personally the movie thing was something I hated when I first moved here. I simply can't stand watching movies dubbed to another language. Even if they have gotten very good at it, I still think that part of the acting is certainly in the speach.
About the German, I think you find when you actually go there that English is not that widely spoken.
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Post by Topcontender on Aug 30, 2002 10:28:08 GMT -5
Hell I can speak for one american that can't speak his native language.
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Post by da_silva on Aug 30, 2002 10:46:52 GMT -5
Wick,
Being a native Brit I must say that the majority of English people can't speak proper English, in fact unless you're British you can't understand a word they say and lets not get into colloquialisms (sp). I hold Newcastle as a shining example.
Also my experience in Germany is that most people don't speak English, although I know more Germans who speak English than vice versa. Luckily my fiance is fluent.
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Post by greg99 on Aug 30, 2002 10:56:40 GMT -5
That reminds me of one time when I was working at a radio station (I was much younger then...) and one of the shows was based on caller's requests.
One Spanish guy called and asked for Jota Jotacale (pronounce all letters) so we wrote it down like that. Nobody had any idea who that was so we were stalling on playing the record....until one of us - don't remember if it was me - realized that JOTA is the letter "J" in Spanish
We then happily played J.J. Cale.....
Henrik must remember "una pelicula con Mikael Jota Fox" as heard on the Spanish TV
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Post by dani on Aug 30, 2002 13:34:47 GMT -5
okok, well since we're in the spirit of dodgy sayings in different languages, i must go onto my excperience with german!lol!
while in heidelberg, my german exchange asked me how i was feeling. i replyed.
"ich fuhle mich gern" which i assumed would mean i feel good. well from the look on her face i soon realised that i had said "i like to feel myself!" LOL!
another time my german exchange mother asked me if i was allright and i said "nein, ich bin kalt" i should have really said "mir ist kalt" what i had said actually meant that i was cold in a different sort of way!LOL!
my german teacher was in a store in germany and he was looking of condiments. he didn't know what the word for condiment was and ended up asking for a condom. LOL!
the german word of waving is winken a friend of mine told me that he once told someone "we were all standing there yelling and wanking" LOL!
ok that's all for now!
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Post by da_silva on Aug 30, 2002 13:39:52 GMT -5
To add to Dani's comments,
I have said "Ich bin heis" which literally translated means I am hot, however to a German it means I am horny, needless to say I say it all the time. ;D
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Post by dani on Aug 30, 2002 13:50:57 GMT -5
LOL@Da_silva i think we've all done that!  |
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Post by Srrh on Aug 30, 2002 14:38:49 GMT -5
A french speaking friend of mine told an english speaking girl I knew "you have a beautifull corpse"...Corpse in his mind meaning body (corp)
Srrh
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Post by pabs on Aug 30, 2002 14:48:49 GMT -5
This one is kind of lame but I can fess up to it now.
Srrh, do you remember about a month or so ago when ferrarix got into an argument with @ndres in the F1-live forum and @ndres called him a "baboso mentiroso"??
At the time I was laughing my ass off but since I was defending south america at the time, I could not say it. Well now you know ;D
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Post by Srrh on Aug 30, 2002 14:58:10 GMT -5
Srrh, do you remember about a month or so ago when ferrarix got into an argument with @ndres in the F1-live forum and @ndres called him a "baboso mentiroso"?? Actually, I commented on it. It was rather priceless...still lol on that. Srrh |
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Post by pabs on Aug 30, 2002 15:22:03 GMT -5
I know you did...and although I wanted to reply to you I couldn't do it...my argument would have lost power |
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Post by Wycco on Aug 30, 2002 16:52:10 GMT -5
To add to Dani's comments, I have said "Ich bin heis" which literally translated means I am hot, however to a German it means I am horny, needless to say I say it all the time. ;D LOL- just don't say "Ich Bin Warm." |
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