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SWEDISH WORD OF THE DAY

Swedish word of the day: utsatt område

Today's word is a troubled suburb.

Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Today we are doing two terms in one. This is because they are closely related and often used to mean the same thing. Utsatt område means ‘vulnerable area’, and utanförskapsområde means ‘areas of alienation’. 

Utanförskap is the state of being on the outside of society, to not be included.

Utanförskapsområde is a term tied to the economic state of many Swedish suburbs, the areas commonly referred to as förorten, which we have previously covered. These areas are generally what is meant when someone uses the term utanförskapsområde, and this is due to there being a high number of poor, unemployed people living in these areas, and that the areas suffer from crime problems. The related term socioekonomiskt utanförskap, ‘socio-economic alienation’, is also very common to describe the situation for many living in these areas. 

Utanförskapsområde is not an official term with a legal definition, but it is sometimes used to refer to the so called LUA-områden, ‘LUA areas’, that is lokalt utvecklingsavtal, ‘local development agreement’. These were delineated as part of an agreement between the government and a number of municipalities between 2008 and 2011, which saw them given extra resources in order to reduce unemployment and crime. 

Utsatt område is a term used by the Swedish police since 2015 to designate certain areas that are of particular concern. The term is used with the two additional terms riskområde, ‘risk area’, and särskilt utsatt område, ‘especially vulnerable area’. Every year the police publish a list with the different areas considered to be in each category. 

Särskilt utsatt område is the most severe of the three and is characterized by a general reluctance to participate in the legal process, possibly due to systematic threats and acts of violence against witnesses, plaintiffs and whistleblowers in the area. It is difficult or almost impossible for the police to complete their mission.

There are parallel social structures, extremism – such as systematic violations of religious freedom or strong fundamentalist influence that limits people’s freedoms and rights, with people who travel away to participate in combat in conflict areas. And finally, a high concentration of criminals. This situation is considered urgent. 

An utsatt område is an area with a low socio-economic status where criminals have an influence over the local community. More tied to the social context in the area than the outright desire of the criminals to take power and control of the local community, this influence can consist of direct pressure, for example through threats and blackmail, or indirect, such as public acts of violence that risk harming third parties, drug trafficking that is conducted openly, and an outwardly violent dissatisfaction with society. The effect is that the residents of the area experience insecurity, which in turn leads to a reduced inclination to report crimes and participate in the legal process. The situation is considered serious.

And finally the term riskområde is used to describe areas at risk of going from utsatt område to särskilt utsatt område.

These definitions are provided by the police, but have been translated and reformatted from list to paragraph format. 

Utanförskapsområde and utsatta områden are often used interchangeably, but when used by officials it is important to note that utsatta områden is also a term used by the police, with a particular definition.

Just a word of caution, if you are not already, you should be aware that there is an ongoing and very heated debate regarding what to do about the situation in these areas. If you ask around you might find that many are very upset about the situation, so find the right time for a discussion about the issues with your Swedish friends, it is not exactly a topic that makes for a pleasant dinner conversation. Best of luck!

Example sentences:

Vad tycker du att man ska göra med situationen i utsatta områden?

What do you think should be done about the situation in vulnerable areas?

Finns det utanförskapsområden i Sverige?

There are socially disadvantaged areas in Sweden?

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.

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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.

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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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