What would you say to lift the spirits of a special person you know? No doubt, you have dozens of kind words that come to mind in English, but do you know many compliments in Swedish? A compliment can be described as a polite expression of praise, admiration, encouragement or congratulations. It’s sometimes used in absolute sincerity and sometimes to flatter, but either way, human beings love to receive compliments! Table of Contents The Importance of Compliments Compliments you always want to hear Conclusion 1. The Importance of Compliments Giving and receiving compliments is so important in society, that you can be considered rude if you’re a person who never acknowledges anyone. We all need to hear words of affirmation to... Show more

Anger is a natural response to pain of some sort; when you’re angry, you’re angry with a cause and want someone to pay! It’s so much harder when you’re traveling, because your routines are off-kilter, there’s culture shock to deal with and the smallest problems can seem overwhelming. How do you handle someone who’s just pushed your last button? At home, we often have a go-to person who is good at calming us down, but emotions are tricky to deal with in a foreign country. Sometimes people may treat you unfairly, but you’re completely baffled as to why. You have to remember that people in think differently to how you do and it’s not impossible to inadvertently cause offense. Don’t stress about it too much, because you’ll adapt! Once you... Show more

What is the most defining moment you will face this year? From memories that you immortalize in a million photographs, to days you never wish to remember, one thing's for certain: big life events change you. The great poet, Bukowski, said, "We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well, that death will tremble to take us." The older I get, the more I agree with him! Talking about significant events in our lives is part of every person's journey, regardless of creed or culture. If you're planning to stay in for more than a quick visit, you're sure to need at least a few 'life events' phrases that you can use. After all, many of these are shared experiences, and it's generally expected that we will show up with good manners... Show more

Did you know that every minute of the day, one billion tons of rain falls on the earth? Hard to believe, considering the climate crisis! Of course, all that rain is not equally shared across the planet. So, would you mention this fascinating fact to your new acquaintance? Well, small talk about local weather is actually a great conversation-starter. Everyone cares about the weather and you’re sure to hear a few interesting opinions! Seasons can be quite unpredictable these days and nobody knows the peculiarities of a region better than the locals. SwedishPod101 will equip you with all the weather vocabulary you need to plan your next adventure. The weather can even be an important discussion that influences your adventure plans. After... Show more

Did you know there are many different types of calendars? As you probably know - a calendar is a system of organizing days in weeks and months for specific purposes, according to Wikipedia. Worldwide, most countries use the Gregorian calendar. Some just work on the same framework, meaning that time is divided into units based on the earth's movement around the sun - the "solar calendar". Other calendars keep time by observing the moon's movements, a combination of the moon and the sun's movements, and seasons. Through SwedishPod101, you can learn all about this and so much more! Our themed, culturally relevant lessons are skillfully designed so you can do your planning perfectly for a holiday or a date. Having a good plan for a visit... Show more

Did you know that only some reptiles and birds don't parent their offspring? Except for crocodiles, all reptiles (and one family of bird species called megapodes) hatch from eggs and grow up alone, without any family. The rest of us need family if we are to survive and thrive - humans and animals alike! At SwedishPod101, we know how important family is. Therefore, we take care to teach you all the important vocabulary and phrases pertaining to family. Table of Contents Why Is It Important to Know Swedish Vocabulary about Family? Learn a New Culture? Learn its Family Vocab first How SwedishPod101 Can Help You Learn Swedish Family Terms 1. Why Is It Important to Know Swedish Vocabulary about Family? Well, if you're serious... Show more

Traveling to foreign countries is nearly always an exciting, enriching, and beneficial experience. Yet, some things can be real downers, such as boredom on a lengthy flight to . Really, binge-watching onboard movies can only be interesting for so long! And jet lag - another huge downer. Did you know that jet lag is more severe when you travel from the West to the East? Well, we won't know how to beat that, but there are fortunately plenty of remedies around to investigate. To beat flight boredom, though, we may have the answer for you at SwedishPod101! Why don't you take the time to study Swedish travel phrases? We make this super easy and fun, with great downloadables, like our PDF Cheat Sheets. Quickly memorize these, and impress your ... Show more

Especially if you're planning a prolonged visit to , using the correct Swedish numbers for counting in Swedish could be very important! Number systems are the other alphabet in any language. In fact, it is a language all of its own, and it serves a multitude of excellent purposes. Table of Contents A Brief History of Counting and Number Systems Why is it Important to Learn Swedish Numbers? Learning Swedish Numbers Why Choose SwedishPod101 to Learn all about Swedish Numbers? 1. A Brief History of Counting and Number Systems 1. The Ishango Bone The origin of counting, and with it numbers, is not clear to historians. While their art showed that prehistoric man had a concept of numbers, the first indication of a formal... Show more

Ever heard of the four stages of culture shock? They are the four mental states every foreigner goes through when moving to a new country. Here’s a chart depicting each stage: Honeymoon is the period when your stay is all fun and games, and everything is still going as planned. You’re experiencing the "tourist" Sweden and you have no complaints. Fast-forward to the second or third month, and you’ll slowly but surely start sliding down into the culture shock hole. You start missing home, become sensitive to the more negative aspects of Swedish society, and begin to feel the changes that are taking effect in your life.  Thereafter comes adjustment, and that’s the period when you have to make the most mistakes and go... Show more

Yes, even beginners can quickly learn conversational Swedish well enough to carry on real conversations with native speakers. Of course, beginners won’t be able to carry a conversation the same way they could in their native language. But, just knowing a few tips like which questions to ask to keep a conversation going are all you need to speak and interact with real native speakers! But before we get to specific suggestions, let’s first take a closer look at how having real Swedish conversations is so vital to your mastery of the language. Learning to Carry a Conversation is Vital to Mastery of Any Language Communicating with other people is the very point of language and conversation is almost second nature in our native tongue. For... Show more