aka_fatman
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Joined: Sat 26 Nov 2016, 08:52

New Slang - A Guide To The Swedish Language

Sat 17 Dec 2016, 19:13

[Note: Now, I'm probably not the best guy to bring up the topic but I'm curious enough to ask the question]

Whether you're attempting Klingon phrases during your Star Trek campaign, hurling Dwarvish insults at an Elven archer or cursing in pidgin Chinese as you crash land your vehicle during a game of Firefly; it's fun to attempt to integrate languages during a role-playing session.

So, let's cast this topic out to our Swedish friends. What kind of slang would an 80's kid in Sweden use? Are there phrases that would be utterly alien to the non-Swedish speaker? And how best should we incorporate these words and phrases into a typical conversation?
 
Bub
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Joined: Fri 16 Dec 2016, 20:55

Re: New Slang - A Guide To The Swedish Language

Sun 18 Dec 2016, 00:37

I found a page with some Swedish 80s slang. Some of it origins earlier and some is still in use today. I haven't heard every expression before so I can't vouch for how widespread they were but most I have heard and used. Copying the list here and adding an english translation as well.
I am using this format
Swedish Slang/Classic Swedish/English/Direct Translation to English (when appropriate)

Ball/Häftig/Cool
Barr/Hår/Hair/Needle (From coniferous tree)
Bast/År/Year
Bauta/Enorm/Huge
Baxna/Häpna/Be overhelmed by something
Binge/Säng/Bed/Pile
Bira/Öl/Beer
Bladig/Berusad/Drunk
Blaska/Tidning/Paper i.e. Newspaper, Comic
Bonnläpp/Bonde/Farmer (derogatory) /Farmer Lip
Brasa/Stjärt/Butt/Fire (such as that in fireplace)
Brassa käk/Laga Mat/Cook food
Brillor/Glasögon/Glasses
Broiler/Muskelknutte/Buff dude/Chicken fed to be used as food
Brudar/Tjejer/Girls/Broads
Bulle/Taxi/Taxi/Bun
Bränd Bulle/Svarttaxi/Illegal Taxi/Burned bun
Bulle i ugnen/Gravid/Pregnant/Bun in the oven
Burrig/Snäll/Kind, Helpful
Bånge/Erektion/Erection
Båtar/Stora fötter/Big Feet/Boats
Bärs/Öl/Beer
Deg/Pengar/Money/Dough
Digga/Gilla/Like/Dig
Dojjor/Skor/Shoes
Dora/Fönster/Window
Panga en dora/Ha sönder ett fönster/Break a window/Blam(Sound effect as a verb) a window
EPA/Dåligt/Crappy/Origin is from a low price store EnhetsPris AB which translates to UnitPrice Company.
Farbror Blå/Polisen/The Police/Uncle Blue
Fejs/Ansikte/Face
Fena på/Skicklig i/Skilled at/Fin on
Fikus/Homosexuell Man/Homosexual Man/Ficus
Fillingar/Kalsonger/Male underwear
Fjolla/Feminin man/Feminine man (likely gay)
Flabba/Skratta/Laugh
Flax/Tur/Luck
Flingor/Knark/Drugs/Cereal
Foderlucka/Mun/Mouth/Fodder hatch
Foffe/Tönt/Geek
Frilla/Frisyr/Hair do
Frulle/Frukost/Breakfast
Fubba/Fuska/Cheat
Gaddad/Tatuerad/Tattooed/Stung by bee tail
Garva/Skratta/Laugh
Gura/Gitarr/Guitar
Göka/Ha samlag/Have intercourse/Do as the cuckoo
Hatta/Få fart på skateboard/Tic Tac on skateboard
Hoj/Cykel/Bike
Hulda/Flickvän, Fru/Girlfriend, wife
Hygglo/Snälla/Kind (adj), Please (imploring)
Häck/Stjärt/Butt/Hedge
Impad/Imponerad/Impressed
Ispärla/Hård snöboll/Hard snowball/Ice Pearl
Java/Kaffe/Coffee
Jiddra/Tjafsa/Argue, smalltalk
Inte ett jota/Ingenting/Nothing/Not one iota
Keff/Dålig/Sucky
Kex/Fin tjej/Nice girl/bisquit
Kista/Mage/Stomach/Chest (the furniture)
Knega/Jobba/Work (in a negative sense)
Knodd/Barn/Kid, offspring
Kockobäng/dum/retarded (derogatory)
Koja/Lägga sig/Go to bed/Hit the pillow fort
Kotte/Barn/Child/Pinecone
Kran/Näsa/Nose/Faucet tap
Krallig/Stark/Buff
Krubb/Mat/Food/Grub
Kruta/Sparka så hårt man kan/Kick as hard as you can/Gunpowder (verb)
Kröka/Dricka alkohol/Drink alcohol/Bend
Kulor/Pengar/Money/Marbles
Kuta/Springa/Run
Kutta/Kvinnligt könsorgan/Femal Genitalia
Kvart/Lägenhet/Apartment/Quarter
Kylig/Cool/Cool/Chill
Käftis/Tandläkare/Dentist/Maw-er
Käka/Äta/Eat
Lack/Arg på/Angry with
Lajja/Leka/Play
Limma/Ställa in sig på, Hångla/Hit on, Make out with/Glue (verb)
Lira/Spela/Play
Lobba/Spotta/Spit
Lomma/Spotta/Spit
Lubba/Springa/Run
Lunch/Allt är lugnt/Everything is cool/Lunch
Lungor/Bröst/Boobs/Lungs
Lya/Bostad/Home/Fox nest
Lyllo/Tursam/Lucky
Lätta/Avlägsna sig/Leave/Take off
Läder/Plånbok/Wallet/Leather
Lökar/Bröst/Boobs/Onions
Mellis/Mellanmål/Midday snack
Mova/Flytta/Move
Mugg/Toalett/Toilet/Cup
Mupp/Dum/Idiot/Muppet
Nia/Ansikte/Face/Nine
Nuna/Ansikte/Face
Nuppa/Ha samlag/Have intercourse (innocent term)
Nyp/Samlag/Intercourse/Pinch
Offer/Ful tjej/Ugly girl/Sacrifice
Packad/Full/Drunk/Loaded
Paj/Skinnjacka, Snus/Leather jacket, snuff (lip nicotine/Pie
Pajja/Ha sönder/Break
Palla/Stå ut, Stjäla/Endure, Steal(of minor value)
Panga/Slå sönder/Break
Pang tjong/överraskande/out of nowhere
Pantad/dum/stupid/recycled
Pattar/Bröst/Boobs (crude)
Pimpla/Dricka/Drink/Ice fish
Pingla/Snygg tjej/Beautiful girl
Pippa/Ha samlag/Have intercourse (playful term)
Pix/Krona/Crown (1 unit of Swedish base currency)
Pjuck/Skor/Shoes
Plugg/Skola, Studier/School,Study
Plurra/Ramla i vattnet/Fall into the water
Pluska/Plånbok/Wallet
Pråmar/Stora fötter/Big feet/Prams
Pucko/Dum/Stupid
Puma/Fin tjej/Nice girl/Cougar
Punschig/trög/slow in the head
På smällen/Gravid/Pregnant/On the kaboom
På tjocken/Gravid/Pregnant/On the fatty
Päron/Föräldrar/Parents/Pears
Rattar/Bröst/Boobs/Steering Wheels
Reko/Att lita på/ok person in ones book
Reaplan/Jetflygplan/Jet aircraft
Ribba/erektion/erection/high jump bar
Rugguggla/Ful tjej/Ugly girl/scary owl
Röda veckan/menstruation/menstruation/red week
Rödtjut/Rödvin/Red wine/Red howl
Röta/tur/luck
Röv/stjärt/butt
Skuff/bagagelucka/car trunk
Slaf/Säng/Bed
Släta av/kyssa/make out with/even off
Smarra/Smaka/Taste
Smöra/Ställa in sig/Suck up to/Butter up
Sne/Irriterad/Annoyed/Bent
Snorbroms/Mustasch/Moustache/Snotbreaker
Snuskburk/Matlåda/Food box/Dirtyjar
Socialsnöret/T-banan/The Subway/The socialwelfare string
Soppa/Bensin/Gas/Soup
Soppatorsk/Slut på bensin/Out of gas/Soup cod
Sossecontainer/Volvo 740/Volvo 740 (car model)/Social democratic container
Spackel/Smink/Makeup/putty (for filling out drilled holes)
Spåna/Tänka ut/Make a plan/Saw dust (verb)
Spänn/Krona/Crown (base unit of Swedish currency)
Stuk/utseende/Look
Störtskön/riktigt bra/awesome/really feelgood
Suck/Chans/Chance/Sigh
Svulla/äta mycket mat/overeat
Tagg/Cigarett/Cigarette/Thorn
Taggad/Full av energi/Ecstatic about and full of energy/Thorned
Terra/Testa/Try out
Tjacka/Köpa/Purchase
Tjotta/Toalett/Toilet
Tjotta-hejti/Toalett/Toilet
Torska/Åka fast/Get caught
Tugg/Språk/way of talking/Chew
Tåjuice/Fotsvett/Foot perspiration/Toe juice
Vurre/Varm korv/Hot Dog
Värde/Värdelös/Useless/Worth-ie
Värdo/Värdelös/Useless/Worth-o
Värsting/Snygg tjej/Hot girl/Worst-ie
Vässa/Skärp dig/Focus retake control/Sharpen
Yuppienalle/Mobiltelefon/Cellphone/Yuppie teddy bear

Some basic Swedish to use the above slang.
Jag är = I am
Du är = You are

i.e.
Jag är 15 bast = I am 15 years old.

To bring a verb into the present form, in most cases just add -r at the end.
I.e.
Jag baxnar = I am becoming overwhelmed by something (most likely someone else's stupidity)

en = a
har = have/has

Du är en rugguggla = You are an ugly girl
Jag har 15 spänn = I have 15 Swedish crowns

I hope you can find some use for it in your campaigns.

/Bub
 
Bub
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri 16 Dec 2016, 20:55

Re: New Slang - A Guide To The Swedish Language

Sun 18 Dec 2016, 00:42

Also an explanation of our funky letters:

Å å - Pronounced pretty much like the o in 'more'
Ä ä - Pronounced pretty much like the a in 'sad'
Ö ö - Pronounced pretty much like the i in 'bird'
 
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Björn Hellqvist
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Joined: Wed 07 Dec 2016, 20:41
Location: Sweden

Re: New Slang - A Guide To The Swedish Language

Sun 18 Dec 2016, 01:55

Also an explanation of our funky letters:

Å å -  Pronounced pretty much like the o in 'more'
Ä ä -  Pronounced pretty much like the a in 'sad'
Ö ö -  Pronounced pretty much like the i in 'bird'
Å can also be pronounced as "au" in "Audrey".
Ä like "ai" in "air".
Ö like "u" in "burn".
My life fades. The vision dims. All that remains are memories. I remember a time of chaos, ruined dreams, this wasted land.
 
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Björn Hellqvist
Posts: 133
Joined: Wed 07 Dec 2016, 20:41
Location: Sweden

Re: New Slang - A Guide To The Swedish Language

Sun 18 Dec 2016, 03:28

Some of the slang words in the above post are at least 50 years old, and were less common during the 80's

Swedish is a pretty hard language. My wife is American, and she's taking Swedish classes right now. There are free online courses which give you an idea about pronounciation and grammar.
My life fades. The vision dims. All that remains are memories. I remember a time of chaos, ruined dreams, this wasted land.
 
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Jynk
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Location: Round Rock, TX

Re: New Slang - A Guide To The Swedish Language

Fri 23 Dec 2016, 12:58

This is a pretty good list for a Swedish campaign or... and I'd love to actually figure out how to do it in the game.. for a group that somehow goes to Sweden from their country or for a group of Swedish kids that end up somewhere else and have to get helped by the locals.

Is anyone planning to do their campaigns in other countries besides Sweden and will there be lists as well? It might make for some interesting adventures of misplaced kids or exchange students.
"What matters most is how well you walk through the fire." - Charles Bukowski
 
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Vader
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Re: New Slang - A Guide To The Swedish Language

Wed 07 Oct 2020, 21:03

In my student days, I used to help American exchange students get the hang of Swedish pronunciation. Those umlauts weren't really the problem — as Bub rightly demonstrated, those sounds already exist in English. It's just a question of applying them in the right places, and most got the hang of it in fairly short order.

No, the real problem was usually the Swedish "r".

Drakens prinsessa grep rappt den röda rosen ur den gröna grodans grepp. Där for grodan i frisk fart framåt.

Brits — at least those with RP — have much less trouble with it.

[Btw, fart means "speed", nothing else!]
Before you use the word "XENOMORPH" again, you should read this article through:

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/aliens-throwaway-line-confusion

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