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LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Kiva! Seven unique Finland Swedish words the world needs to know

Sweden is not the only country where Swedish is spoken as a first language. Here are some words that are unique to the Swedish that's spoken in Finland.

Published: 9 April 2021 08:43 CEST
Kiva! Seven unique Finland Swedish words the world needs to know
The border between Sweden and Finland. Photo: Erik Simander/TT

Across the Baltic sea in neighboring Finland nearly 300,000 people speak Swedish as their first language.

Having been part of the Swedish empire from 1249 until 1809, this led to a large group of the population along the coast speaking Swedish as their first language. Nowadays Finland has two official languages, although the usage of Swedish varies across the country. A person who speaks Swedish as their first language is called a Swedish-speaking Finn.

Although the Swedish spoken in Finland is similar to the one spoken in Sweden, Finnish has sneaked its way into the language. As a result there are several unique words that only Swedish-speaking Finns use. Sometimes, it may even feel like you’re speaking another language. These words are called finlandismer.

Below are a few Finland Swedish words that you may find useful, although keep in mind that there are several dialects across the country that may use the words differently.

Roskis

Sweden Swedish equivalent: papperskorg/soptunna

English meaning: trash/bin

One of the most famous Finnish Swedish words. Originating from the Finnish word for trash, it’s pronounced rÅskis, as the o is pronounced the Finnish way.

Juttu

Sweden Swedish equivalent: grej/historia/inslag

English meaning: thing

A very flexible word that can be used to mean pretty much anything. A useful word to have on hand. You don’t know how to describe something? Just call it a juttu and that’ll keep the conversation flowing. Also originally a Finnish word, but very common among young Swedish-speaking Finns.

Råddigt

Sweden Swedish equivalent: stökigt

English meaning: messy

Although the origins of the word are unclear, this is a word that most likely originated from various Finnish Swedish dialects. Råddigt is used to describe something that is messy, like a room or a car.

Krabbis

Sweden Swedish equivalent: baksmälla

English meaning: hangover

If you’ve had a few too many drinks, you may experience some krabbis the following day. You can also use the word krapula to describe the banging headache you experience, although this is a word mainly used in the Helsinki region.

Did you have one too many last night? You may be feeling a bit krabbis today. Photo: Fotograferna Holmberg/TT

Håsa

Sweden Swedish equivalent: jäkta

English meaning: rush

You’re running around, trying to find everything you need, struggling to take a break? A Swedish-speaking Finn may ask you to sluta håsa (stop rushing) and calm down. Another Finnish word that has managed to sneak its way into the Swedish language. 

Nakupelle

Sweden Swedish equivalent: naken/näck

English meaning: naked

The Emperor has no clothes, he is nakupelle. When a person isn’t wearing any clothes, they are nakupelle. Has several times been voted the best finlandism in existence by Swedish-speaking Finns.

Kiva

Sweden Swedish equivalent: kul/trevlig

English meaning: nice/fun/exciting

Similar to juttu this word is very useful in everyday language. Also originally a Finnish word from the Northern parts of the country, kiva has managed to establish itself as one of the most common words in the Swedish language among young people in Finland. You will rarely hear older Swedish-speaking Finns use this word.

Useful in situations to keep the conversation going. Don’t know how to respond to someone? Just say kiva and that will be enough. Your intonation will show just how nice you think something is. Kiva!

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SWEDISH WORD OF THE DAY

Swedish word of the day: omgående

The meaning of this word may not be immediately obvious, but it's useful once you know how to use it.

Published: 15 July 2024 15:13 CEST
Swedish word of the day: omgående

Omgående is a Swedish word which originally comes from the German word umgehend. Both terms mean ‘immediately’, in English.

Umgehend in turn comes from the German verb umgehen, which means to avoid, bypass or go around something. This has been imported into Swedish, too, as undgå (avoid). 

It’s possible omgående in the sense of ‘immediately’ in Swedish comes from the German phrase mit umgehender Post, which literally meant ‘with post that turns around’, which essentially meant a letter which was to be sent back as soon as possible.

This was translated as med omgående post in Swedish. This exact phrase has fallen out of usage – Swedes don’t send that many letters anymore, and anyone wishing to get a message across immediately would probably not send it via post anyway – although the word omgående is still used in official or formal settings.

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It’s often used when talking about some kind of action or measure which should be taken, like det kräver omgående åtgärder (it requires immediate measures) or lämna in handlingarna omgående (hand in the documents immediately).

It’s also commonly seen in job advertisements, either encouraging a potential applicant to apply immediately, or to inform them that the company is looking for someone who can start as soon as possible.

In a less formal situation, such as if you were telling a friend that you were about to get on the bus, something like strax would be a better choice.

Omgående also exists in Danish and Norwegian, where it has the same meaning.

Example sentences:

Vi söker en ny säljare. Start omgående!

We’re looking for a new salesperson. Start immediately!

Polisen vill prata med dig omgående.

The police want to talk to you straight away.

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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