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SWEDISH WORD OF THE DAY

Swedish word of the day: långkörare

Let's take a look at a noun that can be positive or negative depending on the context – and is very relevant at the moment.

the word långkörare written on a blackboard next to the swedish flag
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Swedish is full of interesting compound words that describe a specific thing or concept, and en långkörare is one of them. It can be broken down into two components: lång (long) and körare, which means something like “driver” or “runner”, from the verb att köra

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

Att köra is a very versatile verb. While it sometimes means “drive” in a literal sense (att köra en bil – to drive a car), its purpose is often simply to signify momentum. This is clear in expressions such as nu kör vi! (“off we go!”) and klara, färdiga, kör! (“ready, set, go!”), where köra implies action rather than being linked to a specific type of movement or direction.

The noun långkörare is commonly used to describe a TV programme that ran for several years with multiple seasons, or occasionally a long-running theatre production. In this context, it’s usually a positive thing since it shows the ongoing popularity of the show.

But långkörare has another meaning which makes it particularly appropriate this month. When you’re talking about business or political negotiations, the term refers to drawn-out dealings, or an issue that crops up time and time again. An English translation would be something like “a long-running issue” or “long-running saga”.

Exactly how long something has to take for it to be worthy of the term depends on the issue, but the key is that it lasts longer than is either necessary or desirable.

For example, Sweden is now expected to soon join Nato after Hungary ratified it on Monday. But that comes nearly two years after it handed in its application, with both Turkey and Hungary dragging their feet on ratification. You could say it has been a real långkörare.

Examples:

Förhoppningsvis blir det inte någon långkörare

Hopefully it won’t become a long-running saga

Den främsta långköraren i svensk TV är förmodligen Rederiet

The biggest long-running series in Swedish TV is probably Rederiet (a 318-series soap opera)

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 USAmazon UKBokus or Adlibris.

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SWEDISH WORD OF THE DAY

Swedish word of the day: kondis

Today’s word has two meanings: one is healthy, the other less so.

Swedish word of the day: kondis

Kondis is a great example of a Swedish slang word ending in -is, which essentially is the shortened version of a longer word.

Somewhat confusingly, in the case of kondis, there are actually two similar words which have both been shortened in this way, resulting in one word with two different meanings.

The first meaning comes from konditori, the Swedish version of a patisserie or bakery, which you might recognise from the German word Konditor (a confectioner or pastry chef), originally from the Latin word condītor, which referred to a person who preserved, pickled or seasoned food.

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

The word kondis can either refer to a konditori itself, or to the type of baked goods and pastries they offer. A kondis differs somewhat from a bageri (bakery), which is more likely to focus on savoury or rustic baked goods, like bread (although many kondis also sell bread, and many bagerier will serve some sort of cake or sweet treat too). 

A kondis is also more likely to have some area where you can sit and enjoy your food on-site, perhaps with a cup of tea or coffee, while bakeries are more likely to be take-away only.

The second meaning of kondis is a shortened version of the word kondition, which translates roughly as your endurance or fitness. If you’re good at running, you might be described as having bra kondition or bra kondis, roughly equal to being fit. 

Another similar slang word for this in Swedish would be flås, which technically translates to “panting”, but can be used in the same way as kondis to describe physical endurance or fitness.

Example sentences:

Om man äter för mycket kondis kan man få dålig kondis.

If you eat too many pastries you could end up less fit.

Sprang du hela vägen hit? Du måste ha bra kondis!

Did you run the whole way here? You must be in good shape.

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 USAmazon UKBokus or Adlibris.

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