https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Sweden in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Today we look at a word that technically means 'woman', but you should be very careful about when you use it. https://www.thelocal.se/20190404/swedish-word-of-the-day-karring Thu, 04 Apr 2019 13:13:09 +0200 swedish-word-of-the-day-karring Swedes famously loathe conflict, so it is perhaps natural that they are masters of the passive-aggressive dig. James Savage has picked out some gems and explains what they really mean. https://www.thelocal.se/20250801/swedes-are-masters-of-passive-aggression-heres-how-to-detect-it Fri, 01 Aug 2025 16:57:25 +0200 swedes-are-masters-of-passive-aggression-heres-how-to-detect-it On the face of it, it's a gamechanger: an AI Swede permanently in your pocket who never loses patience and switches to English. But do AI language tools actually work? And if so, which is the best? We'd love to hear about your experiences. https://www.thelocal.se/20260410/tell-us-what-ai-language-tools-are-you-using-to-learn-swedish Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:15:11 +0200 tell-us-what-ai-language-tools-are-you-using-to-learn-swedish Buying a house in Sweden? Not sure how to read a 'planritning' or what a 'budgivning' is? Here's The Local's guide. https://www.thelocal.se/20220823/the-must-have-vocab-for-buying-property-in-sweden Tue, 23 Aug 2022 09:34:32 +0200 the-must-have-vocab-for-buying-property-in-sweden At the Ålidhem language café in Umeå, people of all ages and cultural backgrounds come to learn Swedish – and about each other. In a political landscape where immigration is often seen as a problem, community spaces like this tell a different story. https://www.thelocal.se/20260205/this-swedish-sprakcafe-is-about-more-than-just-learning-the-language Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:29:58 +0100 this-swedish-sprakcafe-is-about-more-than-just-learning-the-language Once you've learned the basics of Swedish, listening to podcasts is one of the best ways of increasing vocabulary and speeding up comprehension. Here are some of the best podcasts out there for Swedish learners. https://www.thelocal.se/20220808/the-best-podcasts-to-learn-swedish-or-take-it-to-the-next-level Mon, 08 Aug 2022 16:27:41 +0200 the-best-podcasts-to-learn-swedish-or-take-it-to-the-next-level To become a Swedish citizen, you may soon need to prove your language skills. Do yours make the grade? https://www.thelocal.se/20220721/test-is-your-swedish-good-enough-for-citizenship Thu, 21 Jul 2022 15:29:36 +0200 test-is-your-swedish-good-enough-for-citizenship Knowing where to put the verb in Swedish sentences is a common issue for Swedish learners, so don’t feel disheartened if you often make this kind of mistake. Hopefully this guide will help. https://www.thelocal.se/20240701/grammar-guide-how-to-know-where-to-put-the-verb-in-swedish-sentences Mon, 01 Jul 2024 09:31:32 +0200 grammar-guide-how-to-know-where-to-put-the-verb-in-swedish-sentences Särskrivning, or writing compound words in Swedish incorrectly as two separate words, is a common mistake among Swedish learners (and among Swedes in general, for that matter). But how do you avoid them? https://www.thelocal.se/20260120/swedish-grammar-when-to-use-compound-words-in-swedish Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:49:44 +0100 swedish-grammar-when-to-use-compound-words-in-swedish There are a lot of vowels in Swedish and it can be easy for someone new to the language to mix them up. Unfortunately, sometimes that means you can accidentally say something obscene when trying to talk about vacuum cleaners. https://www.thelocal.se/20260116/three-swedish-words-where-the-vowel-makes-all-the-difference Fri, 16 Jan 2026 09:49:57 +0100 three-swedish-words-where-the-vowel-makes-all-the-difference Swedes are famously not fans of small talk, but if you find yourself forced into small talk with a Swede then the weather is always a safe choice of topic. It’s no surprise then that there are so many words in Swedish to talk about the cold. https://www.thelocal.se/20260112/swine-cold-how-to-talk-about-the-winter-weather-in-swedish Mon, 12 Jan 2026 12:52:41 +0100 swine-cold-how-to-talk-about-the-winter-weather-in-swedish Talking about family in Swedish can be complicated. Discussing your relatives requires an in-depth knowledge of exactly how they are related to you, so it's time to start brushing up on your family history. https://www.thelocal.se/20220411/how-to-talk-about-family-in-swedish Mon, 11 Apr 2022 12:31:55 +0200 how-to-talk-about-family-in-swedish You won't learn them in your Swedish for Immigrants class and you probably won't even hear them in daily conversation. But you can't avoid them, because they are splashed across every tabloid frontpage in Sweden. Here's what they mean. https://www.thelocal.se/20220121/naked-shock-and-the-other-unique-tabloid-words-youll-see-in-sweden Fri, 21 Jan 2022 13:06:45 +0100 naked-shock-and-the-other-unique-tabloid-words-youll-see-in-sweden Magnus Hambleton, a partner at the Swedish tech fund byFounders, argues that if Sweden were to make English an official national language, it would open itself up to an entire world of talent. https://www.thelocal.se/20251201/opinion-three-reasons-to-make-english-an-official-language-in-sweden Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:45:09 +0100 opinion-three-reasons-to-make-english-an-official-language-in-sweden If you're new to Sweden, going to get your hair done in a new country and in a new language can feel a little scary, so here are some top tips and Swedish vocab to help you out. https://www.thelocal.se/20251126/going-to-the-hairdresser-in-sweden-vocab-and-other-tips Wed, 26 Nov 2025 12:50:49 +0100 going-to-the-hairdresser-in-sweden-vocab-and-other-tips It’s not pleasant but over the next few weeks and months many people will be falling victim to traditional winter illnesses, from a slight cold to a nasty dose of the flu. So if you are feeling poorly, here’s the Swedish words you need to get help. https://www.thelocal.se/20221005/coughs-colds-and-flu-what-to-say-and-do-if-you-fall-sick-in-sweden Wed, 05 Oct 2022 15:58:00 +0200 coughs-colds-and-flu-what-to-say-and-do-if-you-fall-sick-in-sweden Getting ill in a new or unfamiliar country is always an upsetting experience, but if you can't escape the pesky bugs that crop up around this time of year, you can at least use it as a Swedish-learning opportunity. https://www.thelocal.se/20181003/the-swedish-words-you-need-to-learn-as-flu-season-begins Wed, 03 Oct 2018 09:09:59 +0200 the-swedish-words-you-need-to-learn-as-flu-season-begins Karolina Wirdenäs, head of the Department of Swedish Language and Multilingualism at Stockholm University, explains why her department believes it is impossible for it to develop a language test for citizenship by the government's deadline of August 2026. https://www.thelocal.se/20251114/qa-why-will-it-take-three-years-to-create-a-language-test-for-citizenship Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:17:01 +0100 qa-why-will-it-take-three-years-to-create-a-language-test-for-citizenship Sweden's new football manager Graham Potter, from the UK, instantly won the hearts of Swedes when he was appointed on Monday, opening a press conference with a thank you speech delivered in Swedish. The Local asked our in-house Swedish teacher Jenny Crowther to rate his level. https://www.thelocal.se/20251022/just-how-good-is-sweden-football-manager-graham-potters-swedish Wed, 22 Oct 2025 13:12:43 +0200 just-how-good-is-sweden-football-manager-graham-potters-swedish Getting a job or education in Sweden often requires you to prove your Swedish skills. There’s no single official certificate – instead, there's a mix of tests and providers. Here’s how they work, what they cost, and which one will fit you best. https://www.thelocal.se/20251021/how-to-choose-the-right-swedish-language-certificate Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:19:44 +0200 how-to-choose-the-right-swedish-language-certificate