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SWEDISH WORD OF THE DAY

Swedish word of the day: lönehelg

It's a lönehelg this weekend, so don't be surprised if Sweden's city centres feel a bit busier than usual on Saturday and Sunday.

Published: 24 August 2022 15:41 CEST
Updated: 24 May 2024 06:57 CEST
Swedish word of the day: lönehelg
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Lönehelg is a compound word comprised of the word lön (salary) and helg (weekend). Its English equivalent would be “payday weekend”, the weekend after Swedish workers receive their salary.

In Sweden, unlike in some other countries, salary is paid monthly, with payments always reaching workers’ accounts on the 25th of the month (or the closest working day, if the 25th falls on a weekend or public holiday). This month, payday for most workers is March 24th.

This is the case for the vast majority of Swedish employees – meaning, as a general rule, everyone on Sweden gets paid on the same day.

This means that the first weekend after the 25th is always a lönehelg.

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You might notice the number of people in bars and restaurants gradually declining throughout the month, as people’s funds dwindle before payday, only for the city to be buzzing on the 25th after everyone has been paid.

In a similar vein, bars, clubs and restaurants are always more busy on a lönehelg, so it might be a good idea to book if you’re planning on meeting up with some friends just after payday.

This is also the period of the month where restaurants and shops earn the most money, when consumers finally splurge on the items they’ve decided they need but haven’t been able to afford since last payday.

Bizarrely, a 2014 study from the Institute for Labour Market and Education Policy Evaluation (IFAU) showed that more people die on paydays in Sweden than on other days – researchers saw a worrying 23 percent increase in deaths on payday, with deaths due to strokes or heart problems increasing by a whopping 67 percent.

There was no increase in alcohol-related deaths on payday though, so no need to worry if you do plan to indulge in a celebratory payday beer with your friends this weekend.

Example sentences:

“Ska vi ute och ta några bärs på fredag? Det är lönehelg!”

“Do you want to go out and get a few drinks on Friday? It’s payday weekend!”

“Åh, jag älskar den klänningen men tror inte jag har råd just nu…” “Köp den nästa vecka då, det är lönehelg i helgen!”

“Ah, I love that dress but I’m not sure I can afford it right now…” “Buy it next week then, it’s payday weekend this weekend!”

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.

Member comments

  1. This surprised me. I work for Region Dalarna and I don’t get paid until the 27th. Is this a Dalarna thing?

    1. Hi!
      It’s not a Dalarna thing but it is a public sector thing – a lot of regional and municipal workers are paid a couple of days later. Supposedly it used to be because the banks couldn’t handle that many transactions going through all on one day so they had to space them out on different days, but now it’s stuck.
      You could get paid as late as the 28th in some months, if the 27th falls on a Sunday, as it’s paid on the closest working day.
      Hope that clears it up!

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For members

SWEDISH WORD OF THE DAY

Swedish word of the day: kondis

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

Published: 26 June 2024 06:28 CEST
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 US, Amazon UK, Bokus or Adlibris.

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