False friends – when words are not what they seem

Falska vänner (False friends) are words that look like old friends from another language. They wave cheerfully and say, “You know me!” Then it turns out they changed personality at passport control.

Swedish and English have plenty of these words. They look the same, or almost the same, but mean something else. Sometimes the difference is enormous. Sometimes it is just small enough to cause a beautifully unnecessary misunderstanding.

Here are a few classics.

Semester – time off, not a term

The Swedish word semester means holiday or annual leave in English.

Jag har semester i juli.

I’m on holiday / on annual leave in July.

The English word semester, however, means termin in Swedish.

The autumn semester starts in September.

Höstterminen börjar i september.

So when a Swede says they are longing for semester, they are probably thinking of lie-ins, swimwear, or a cottage with suspiciously weak phone signal. Not textbooks, deadlines and 9 a.m. lectures.

Fabrik and fabric – machines or material?

The Swedish word fabrik means factory.

Han jobbar på en fabrik.

He works in a factory.

The English word fabric means tyg in Swedish.

I bought some fabric.

Jag köpte tyg.

A fabrik can of course produce fabric, but the building itself is not made of cloth. A bold architectural choice, especially in November.

Gift – romance, danger or a present?

Hold on to your hat for this one. The Swedish word gift can mean two very different things: married or poison.

Hon är gift.

She is married.

Det där är gift.

That is poison.

The English word gift, on the other hand, means present in Swedish.

I bought you a gift.

Jag köpte en present till dig.

So an English gift can be lovely. A Swedish gift should be handled with some care, depending on whether it is standing at the altar or lurking under the sink.

Ordinär and ordinary – almost friends, but not quite

This one is a bit more subtle. The Swedish ordinär and the English ordinary can sometimes overlap. Both can describe something normal or not unusual.

But in Swedish, ordinär often has a slightly negative flavour. It can suggest that something is plain, average or not especially impressive.

Maten var ganska ordinär.

The food was rather average.

English ordinary can be more neutral:

It was an ordinary day.

Det var en vanlig dag.

So these words are not enemies. More like neighbours who greet each other politely but do not quite use the same coffee machine.

Lokal and local – sometimes local, sometimes a room

The Swedish word lokal can sometimes correspond to English local:

lokala nyheter

local news

But very often, lokal means premises, venue or room.

Vi behöver en större lokal.

We need larger premises / a bigger venue.

Festen är i en lokal på Södermalm.

The party is in a venue in Södermalm.

So lokal can mean “local”, but it can also mean the actual place where something happens. A word with its own set of keys.

Affär and affair – shop first, drama later

The Swedish word affär often means shop, business or deal.

Jag ska gå till affären.

I’m going to the shop.

De gjorde en bra affär.

They made a good deal.

The English word affair often means affär in the sense of a love affair, a scandal, or a matter. The Swedish affär can also mean a love affair in some contexts, but in everyday Swedish it is more often about buying milk than destroying a marriage.

More false friends to keep an eye on

Here are a few more language traps where Swedish and English try to fool each other with a smart jacket and a fake moustache:

Swedish: eventuellt = possibly / perhaps

English: eventually = så småningom / till slut

Swedish: aktuellt = current / topical

English: actually = faktiskt / egentligen

Swedish: chef = boss / manager

English: chef = kock

Swedish: recept = recipe / prescription

English: receipt = kvitto

Swedish: motion = exercise or formal proposal

English: motion = rörelse, förslag or gest, depending on the context

Swedish: novell = short story

English: novel = roman

Swedish: eventuell = possible / potential

English: eventual = slutlig / som sker till slut

Swedish: gymnasium = upper secondary school / sixth-form college

English: gymnasium = gymnastiksal / idrottshall

So false friends are not dangerous. They are just a little too good at looking trustworthy. Once you recognise them, they become almost entertaining: tiny language spies in polished shoes, ready to sneak into your next sentence and cause trouble.