Scandi Words We Need in English

Ten useful Scandinavian words we wish existed in English

Inspired by Danish comedy extraordinaire Sofie Hagen’s skit about her native language’s superiority when it comes to communicating extended familial relationships, we list the Scandinavian words we miss most when speaking English.

1. Tanketorsk If you get your arguments in a twist or blurt out something awkward in a meeting, Danes might accuse you of having had a ‘tanketorsk’. ‘Tanke’ means ‘thought’ and ‘torsk’ means ‘cod’, so when you make an embarrassing mistake, you’ve had a thought cod. In Sweden, it’s called ‘tankevurpa’, describing a thought that’s collapsed and slapped onto the ground, sort of, but there’s something about the cod that’s more appealing…

2. Orka The Swedish word ‘orka’ – ‘orke’ in Danish – means to have energy or stamina for something, be it to cycle up the last bit of a very steep hill or do your homework. It’s most often used to express a lack of energy or motivation: ‘Jag orkar inte!’, loosely meaning ‘I don’t have the energy to do it!’, or simply that you’re not bothered. Recently, the word is also increasingly used as a highly sarcastic cheer. Swedes unimpressed with the country’s new policies might, upon reading more related news, exclaim: ‘Orka, Sverige!’, a way of saying ‘Get it together, Sweden!’ 3. Hygge / mys / kos Yeah, yeah, we’ve all heard of ‘hygge’ – but have you heard of the Swedish and Norwegian equivalents, ‘mys’ and ‘kos’? The crucial lesson here is as much about lifestyle as it is about linguistics, as these words are all about cosiness but far more important and commonly used than the English word. There’s the Swedish compulsory Friday activity of ‘fredagsmys’, while no trip to a Norwegian holiday cottage is complete without plenty of ‘kos’. Really, what’s life without cosiness? Admit that you need a verb in your vocabulary for being cosy. Have the Swedish ‘mysa’.

4. Arbejdsglæde / arbetsglädje Google Translate will tell you that these words mean ‘job satisfaction’, but the Danish ‘glæde’ and Swedish ‘glädje’ don’t mean satisfaction – they mean joy. The joy of working, or work happiness – why is there no word for it in English? There’s a philosophical discussion right there, waiting to be had.

5. Ildsjel / eldsjäl What do you call someone who’s deeply passionate about what they do, someone whose drive and spirit shine so brightly it’s just awe-inspiring? In Scandinavia, we call them a fire soul – ‘ildsjel’ in Norwegian, ‘eldsjäl’ in Swedish. Seriously, they’re so passionate their soul is on fire. Can you think of a better, more poetic way to put it? We’ll wait.

6. Vobba The Swedish VAB for ‘vård av barn’ – that’s when you stay at home to care for a sick child, but you still get paid – has inspired a number of linguistic inventions. The thing you do when you take VAB is ‘vabba’, and February, the month when there are so many bugs and viruses going around that parents are at home with sick kids more than they’re at work, is

Zero ‘ork’. Photo: Christian Erfurt/Unsplash Cosiness isn’t all about ‘hygge’. The Nordic countries have ‘mys’ and ‘kos’ too. Photo: Stella Rose/Unsplash

We all need an ‘utepils’ every now and then. Photo: Shutterstock

jokingly referred to as Vabruari. But what if you’re so ‘duktig’ (we’re cheating here, because the adjective ‘duktig’, for being that exceptional combination of skilled, responsible and hard-working, didn’t fit on the list) that you can’t just take the money and mind your child without feeling terrible about it? Take VAB, add ‘jobba’ for ‘working’, and you have ‘vobba’ – working while at home caring for a sick child (and, still, getting paid for it).

7.Dygn / døgn Less politically charged but an example of linguistic perfection is the Norwegian ‘døgn’, or ‘dygn’ in Swedish. A ‘døgn’ is 24 hours, both day and night – and when you have the word in your vocabulary, you miss it when it’s gone. How do you say that you need to do something for five ‘dygn’ in English? Add the Norwegian ‘døgnvill’ for when you’ve lost all sense of day and night, and you’ll see why, in a place of midnight sun and Polar darkness, you need this kind of terminology in your life.

8.Hinna ‘Hinna’ is the Swedish verb for having time for something. Instead of saying ‘I don’t have time to’, say ‘jag hinner inte’. Like ‘orka’, it’s one of those words that’s more specific and efficient than any English translation. We all know that the Scandis are fond of all things minimalist and functional, and language is no exception.

9. Mormor / morfar / farmor / farfar etc. Back to Sofie Hagen’s skit. The Scandinavian languages really are superior. Which granny are you talking about, or which uncle? The Scandinavian languages categorise all relatives not only according to their sex, but also according to which side of the family they’re from: maternal granny is ‘mormor’, whereas paternal granny is ‘farmor’. An aunt on your mother’s side is your ‘moster’, and on your dad’s side she’s your ‘faster’. We bet you can figure out ‘morfar’, ‘farfar’, ‘morbror’ and ‘farbror’ yourself.

10. Utepils You thought ‘friluftsliv’ was the latest lifestyle trend to come out of Norway? Try ‘utepils’, or ‘outdoor pilsner’ – a cold lager in the sun up the mountains or a hoppy brew in a vibey Oslo beer garden. How other languages don’t have a word for it is beyond us, but suffice to say, we’ll have an utepils, takk.

What gives you that fire in the belly and awakens the ‘eldsjäl’ in you? Photo: Brunetto Ziosi/Unsplash

Scandinavian music

By Karl Batterbee

This month, each of the ‘big five’ Nordic nations are putting forward their best pop prospects for your listening pleasure.

After delivering what was arguably *the* hit of the year in Sweden in 2021, Lose My Mind, Myra Granberg is back with a brand-new single, Highlights. It’s another Myra pop classic in the making, but this time with the tempo turned down to medium and the bassline turned up to max. The funk is strong with this one.

Norwegian super-duo Röyksopp have collaborated with another of Norway’s biggest pop exports on their latest tune – featuring Astrid S, they’re out with Breathe. An electronica epic plays out before you, hurtling from a semi-lucid start to a fullblown euphoric climax, gladly taking you along on the five-minute ride with it.

The latest single from Finnish bopmaker, Titta, is Ihana Mies. Herein lies a track that has seemingly all the best bits of modern influences from ‘80s pop, bundled together and with a particularly neon hue shone upon them. It’s a heady concoction that works splendidly.

Icelandic artist Daniel Oliver is out with his first release of 2022, ahead of the launch of an album later in the year. First, Pop is the new single, a celebration of those blissful first flushes of romance –or, as turns out to be the case in this song, a bittersweet reflection on those very feelings that indeed once were, but are no longer. Fret not about the mood –it’s elevated by an infectiously dreamy chorus that takes a more pragmatic view on the situation.

After debuting last year, Danish rockers Kalaset are back with a second single, Kaos Kan Være Smukt. They return with more of what made us all fall for them the first time around: retro glam, incredible pop melodies (and harmonies), and synths that are pure joy.

Web: www.scandipop.co.uk

Childhood memories and a silly wig

By Gabi Froden

I recently found an old photograph of me as a three-year-old in our cabin by the lake. The wallpaper behind me is blue and flowery, and the coffee cups on the table are small and flowery too. I am wearing a silly wig. Next to me is my granddad, tanned and lean, and my great-granny in her orange ‘70s polyester number.

Everyone is laughing. But not at me and my silly wig. We are laughing together. I look happy but unaware of how lucky I am to be sitting by a lake in the Swedish countryside, feasting on buns. I can almost hear the birds over the water and smell the petrol from the mower now – familiar senses from my childhood.

Sometimes I forget that I was once surrounded by several generations of loving family. What a beautiful gift. When you don’t live where you grew up, you can feel a little rootless at times, a little lost. Sometimes I envy people who live near their old haunts, memories present in their daily life. I am sure that can be claustrophobic too, but when you miss having family around you, it seems really lovely, and safe.

I know my exile is a choice, and therefore a luxury in itself, but I don’t know what you do when you feel far away. Maybe you FaceTime a lot or celebrate every cultural highlight with fervor. This spring, I think I might just throw on a silly wig, drive out to a Scottish loch with a bag of buns and remember that my memories of family and childhood can live on here. And, most of all, that it is OK to sometimes wish you were still three years old and back in Sweden with your grandad.

Gabi Froden is a Swedish illustrator and writer, living in Glasgow with her husband and two children. Her children’s and YA books are published in Sweden by Bonnier Carlsen and Natur&Kultur. www.gabifroden.com

Artist Brimheim performs at SPOT Festival. Photo: Hey Jack

Scandinavian Culture Calendar

– Where to go, what to see? It’s all happening here!

By Hanna Heiskanen

ARS22: Living encounters (8 April to 16 October) ARS22, a major exhibition of contemporary art, opens the extensively renovated Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma at the heart of Helsinki. The exhibition, which takes over the entire building designed by the American architect Steven Holl, showcases the latest trends in contemporary art as well as a number of pieces put together for this particular exhibition. Themes explored include nature and technology. Mannerheiminaukio 2, Helsinki kiasma.fi

SPOT festival (6 to 7 May) SPOT 2022 is taking over Aarhus, presenting a line-up of acts that is bound to make you want to tap your feet and raise your arms in the air. Whether your jam is house, punk or hip-hop, you will find something to enjoy here. There will also be six bands from the Future Sound, a talent development project for young bands between the ages of 15 and 25, so keep your ears open for emerging talent! Locations around Aarhus spotfestival.dk

PiedraQuemadaby Donna Huanca, whose work is exhibited as part of the ARS22:Livingencounters exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma. Photo: Johannes Stoll and Elsa Kostic

RoyalPavilionby Barbro Östlihn. Photo: Hossein Sehatlou

Vinyl Café (5 and 19 May) There’s no cosier way to spend a Thursday evening than listening to vinyls together over a cup of coffee. Make your way to the Reykjavik City Library’s Grófin building and dive deep into its collection of vinyls with a group of other music enthusiasts — or bring your own records with you. Tryggvagata 15, Reykjavik borgarbokasafn.is

Barbro Östlihn: New York Imprint (until 25 September) Barbro Östlihn (1930-1995) was one of Sweden’s most interesting post-war artists. Spending time in 1960s New York, Östlihn was acquainted with and inspired by pop artists such as Roy Lichtenstein. Over 40 of her colourful, abstract paintings are on display at the Gothenburg Museum of Art. Götaplatsen, Gothenburg goteborgskonstmuseum.se

From the exhibition Thecolouredtruth. Photo: Jarkko Järvinen Fjord Cruise Nærøyfjord. Photo: Sverre Hjornevik

The coloured truth – Art crime in Finland (until 16 December 2023) Combine culture and sleuthing by visiting the National Police Museum located in Tampere, Finland’s second city. The exhibition looks into the many aspects of art crime and includes genuine forged artworks that have been confiscated by the police. You will also get tips on how to spot a fake Picasso from the real deal. Vaajakatu 2, Tampere poliisimuseo.fi

Sustainably powered fjord cruise Sailing up and down Norwegian fjords on battery power? This is no longer a pipe dream. Step onboard the vessels Vision and Future of the Fjords, which are respectively hybrid and fully-electric, and let your eyes rest on the breathtaking scenery of mountains, waterfalls and villages north-east of Bergen. The trip, between Flåm and Gudvangen, takes around two hours one way. norwaysbest.com

Holmenkollen Ski Museum It might be spring, but that doesn’t mean you must say goodbye to winter sports. Head to the iconic Holmenkollen, which has been at the heart of Norwegian skiing for more than a century: the first ski-jumping competition there took place in 1892. At 21.5 metres, its longest jump has since been overtaken by the current record of 144 metres. The museum features skis from 600 AD, a Polar exhibition and an interactive area for children. Kongeveien 5, Oslo visitoslo.com