Though Sweden is not a country famed for being concerned with people’s morality, Swedes have used the word vandel since at least 1621. Vandel means ‘the way someone lives their life from a moral point of view’, or how they ‘conduct themselves with others’, but it can also simply mean ‘change’.

You might recognize vandel from the recent Tidö Agreement, the political compromise between the Moderates, Christian Democrats, Liberals, and the Sweden Democrats, where the parties state that they will work toward being able to deport people for bristande vandel, where bristande means ‘flawed’ or ‘exceptionable’.

They go on to give some examples of what they mean by this: ‘circumstances such as lack of compliance with rules, association with a criminal organization, network or clan, prostitution, drug abuse, participation in violent or extremist organizations or environments that threaten fundamental Swedish values, or if there are otherwise unequivocally established remarks regarding way of life.’

Originally vandel means ‘compensation, amends’, from the Low German wandel which means ‘change, improvement; journey; outline of life’; and it is etymologically related to vända, which means ‘to turn’, and förvandla, which means ‘to transform’, and vandra, ‘to wander’.

You can find vandel in an expression like ‘handel och vandel’ which has about the same meaning as ‘doings and dealings’, or ‘employment and lifestyle’, but it can also mean ‘trade and change’. 

And to put some context to the idea put forward by the government, there is such a thing as a vandelsprövning, which means ‘test of vandel’. Simply put, it is a procedure that examines a person’s ‘way of life’ or ‘civic trustworthiness’. In order to pass a vandelsprövning one must traditionally be considered ‘hard-working, decent, sober and otherwise worthy of respect’. 

In fact, some professions or procedures require a test of your vandel. These include applying for Swedish citizenship, working as a realtor, obtaining a permit to sell alcohol, working as an accountant, becoming a licensed taxi driver, working as an insurance salesperson, and quite a few more.

It is a good idea to be of god vandel, ‘good vandel’, but this of course can mean many different things to different people. Perhaps a good topic for your next coffee break with your colleagues, or a fika with your friends?

Example sentences:

Visste du att regeringen vill kunna utvisa folk på grund av bristande vandel?

Did you know that the government wants to be able to deport people for having an exceptionable way of life?

Handel och vandel är bra.

Trade and change are good. 

Villa, Volvo, Vovve: The Local’s Word Guide to Swedish Life, written by The Local’s journalists, is now 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.