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LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Quiz: How well do you know these Swedish words?

Test your knowledge of the Swedish language with this mix of slang and colloquial terms you probably wouldn't learn in a traditional classroom. Can you get five out of five?

Published: 26 February 2020 16:45 CET
Quiz: How well do you know these Swedish words?
High five to anyone who can get 100 percent on this quiz...Photo: Helena Wahlman/imagebank.sweden.se

 

Do you know the meaning of these curious Swedish words?

 

A 'funkis' is usually used to mean a kind of…

 

When would you use the word 'hoppsan'?

 

'Nollåtta' is a northern Swedish slang term. What group of people does it describe?

 

'Lördag' means Saturday in Swedish. Which day of the week is known as 'lillördag'?

 

In what scenario would you use the word 'nollning'?

 

Better luck next time!

 

Good effort, but it looks like you need a bit more practice when it comes to some of the more unusual words in the Swedish language.

 

Not bad!

 

Good work, you know some of the trickier and more unusual words in the Swedish language. Why not try the quiz again and see if you can get full marks?

 

Perfect score!

 

Congratulations, you know your stuff when it comes to quirky Swedish words.

Quiz Maker – powered by Riddle

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For members

SWEDISH WORD OF THE DAY

Swedish word of the day: fullständiga rättigheter

You might have seen this phrase on the sign or menu at restaurants, but what does it actually mean?

Published: 20 September 2024 06:53 CEST
Swedish word of the day: fullständiga rättigheter

Let’s start with the first word in this phrase: fullständiga, or fullständig when it isn’t used before a plural noun.

Speakers of German might recognise it as a version of the word vollständig, meaning complete.

The second word, rättigheter, or rättighet when singular, means a right, as in something you are entitled to. A literal translation of fullständiga rättigheter would therefore be “full rights”. Which admittedly doesn’t make a lot of sense in English.

Essentially, the rights in question here are the rights to serve alcohol. Sweden has strict alcohol laws: alcohol over 3.5 percent ABV can only be sold at Systembolaget stores, which are owned by the state, and you must be over 20 to do so.

In restaurants and bars, however, the drinking age is 18, and there are strict rules for waiters, bartenders and other hospitality workers when it comes to being allowed to serve alcohol over 3.5 percent.

  • Don’t miss any of our Swedish words and expressions of the day by downloading our app (available on Apple and Android) and then selecting the Swedish Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button

A restaurant displaying the phrase fullständiga rättigheter has applied for and been granted a license to sell alcohol (serveringstillstånd), which among other things bans people who have been sentenced to a crime or who haven’t paid taxes or employer fees on time from serving alcohol.

Applicants also need to have sufficient knowledge of Sweden’s alcohol laws, which may include a written test, depending on the municipality.

So, next time you’re looking for a restaurant for your next night out and you know you want to drink a few beers or share a bottle of wine, you know what to look for.

Example sentences:

Har du bara folköl? Nej, vi har fullständiga rättigheter!

Do you only have folköl [beer under 3.5 percent ABV]? No, we have a full alcohol license!

Restaurangen var bra, men de har precis öppnat, så de saknar fullständiga rättigheter.

The restaurant was good, but they’ve only just opened so they don’t have an alcohol license yet.

Villa, Volvo, Vovve: The Local’s Word Guide to Swedish Life, written by The Local’s journalists, is available to order. Head to lysforlag.com/vvv to read more about it. It is also possible to buy your copy from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Bokus or Adlibris.

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