English has 10x the vocabulary of Swedish and sometimes I can't believe there's not *another* word

[cimorene]

Wax has reached the point where she can't remember how to say "disagreement" in her native tongue.

You have to practise that shit! Otherwise you lose it! "I don't have anyone to talk to," says wax. Maybe we should speak Swedish At Home on Tuesdays and Thursdays or something, like I keep claiming we will do and then we don't. Her brother and his buds had to fill in the blanks where she forgot words in conversation like three times when we went to see Shooter the other day (omg so bad, but the chick was hot. And so was Mark Wahlberg).

Comments

[northern]

Gah I know. I have to put English word in Swedish sentences all the time. I want to speak Swedish with Linda, but then it's just so much easier and quicker to do everything in English...

[northern]

words*

[cimness.livejournal.com]

You'll be a huge advantage for her in learning Swedish, though, even though in the end, it turns out the process to - I can't really say fluency, I guess? but comfort, competency? - is kind of solitary at the breaking point. Maybe spending time with your family is the best, because they're the group that's probably least likely to just switch to English for convenience due to her presence. Even though wax and I don't really practise when her family aren't around (and a couple of Swedish friends), I still started off with a better conversational ear than the people I had to take classes with, thanks to them.

The online dictionary I like returned, for disagreement, "motsättning" and "bristande överensstämmelse". This is how Swedish translations of academese end up with these multisyllabic sentences that I practically have to diagram before I can comprehend them...

[northern]

Yes I know... but I love the way I'm coming to see that Swedish is so. very. literal. There are so many examples where the English word is abstract, or derived from Latin, and the Swedish one just tells you what it is. Sofunny!

[hollsh.livejournal.com]

I forget English sometimes, but I have no excuse. :(

[guinevere33.livejournal.com]

My dad can't remember enough vocab in either French, German, or Latin to actually say anything useful, so he tends to borrow words from all three and mix them together. Hilarity ensues.

Also? You need to go see Hot Fuzz. It's a) hilarious, b) very British, and c) delightfully slashy. And when *I* think the gay subtext is there, you know it's practically having its own on-screen pride parade.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

We definitely will when it comes out. Wax and Brother Windows are tremendous fans of Shaun of the Dead already. (Meanwhile they're desperate and we went to see Shooter. Ahahhahaha.)

[cimness.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha, yeah. Swedish is more like regular, Anglo-Saxony English, less like the long and occasionally ridiculous words that come out in formal settings, because those are usually from Romance languages. It even kind of sounds more direct and earthy, or something.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

You can always find an excuse. If all else fails, blame Psy.

[hollsh.livejournal.com]

LOL, that I will!!

[anglepoiselamp.livejournal.com]

Can I come along too? I've been waiting for Hot Fuzz so so impatiently. ♥

[cimness.livejournal.com]

Sure, I don't see why not! There's plenty of time to make plans after it comes out.