Last time, Justin Chan hardly exhausted the stock of curious Swedish words. Here are a few more everyday terms that put Swedish culture under inspection.
Konstig (adjective): “strange”
There are multiple words for “strange” in the vocabulary, but “konstig” is the standard, go-to option. Having a term for “strange” isn’t–well—strange, but the word itself is. Its base, “konst”, means art. Add the “-ig” and “konstig” literally translates to “art-ish”.
So things beyond the ordinary are suspicious and peculiar. This is, after all, the country that specializes in astonishingly plain yet tasteful furniture. Artists with a flair for the avant-garde might fare better selling their stuff elsewhere.
Come to think of it, I can’t even name one Swedish painter. There have surely been some, but they were probably ostracized for being eccentric.
Giftig (adjective): “poisonous”
To be “gift” is to be married. “Giftig”, or “married-ish” means poisonous. Coincidence? I sincerely hope so.
Knowing this, it may not surprise you that marriage is a low priority in Sweden. Many couples live in a “Sambo” arrangement, which is legally cohabiting without being married. 60 percent of Swedish children are born to unmarried parents, and most of the country has no objection to this.
To be fair, these patterns don’t mean the society’s relationships are crumbling; it’s just skepticism of legal marriage’s significance. Still, one wonders how long “gift” and “giftig” have existed in everyday speech. Perhaps the seeds of marriage’s demise were planted in the language all along…
Fika (noun, verb): “coffee break”
Words don’t get more Swedish than “fika”. Swedes understand that life needs frequent pauses, and that you might as well eat a pastry while you’re at it. “Fika” can even diffuse awkward situations. Whenever I encounter someone I’ve neglected to call, I simply suggest that we “fika sometime”. Problem solved.
This word’s versatility is sky high, but its potential still hasn’t been reached. I envision a day when “fika” serves us in all of our social needs.
In times of crisis…
“Let’s fika out a solution at the cafe!”
And the more intimate…
“Say, how about we go back to my place and…you know…fika?“
On that note, acquaint yourself with the word “sexa”. Dictionaries won’t confirm it, but it supposedly means “after party”.
Now that’s an invitation you should never decline.
