Learning the Lingo: Popular Scandinavian Terms

When we are visited by new customers we often get questions about some of the terms that are featured on some of our favorite products. Some have simple, direct translations. Tak is thank you, God Jul is Merry Christmas, etc. Some words however don’t have a word in English, and require longer explanations, and teach us a little bit about the cultures and histories of their countries of origin.

Fika (Swedish)

Pronounced fee-kah, this term means getting together for coffee, taking the time to rest and get to know each other with intention. There is not a set time for this activity, unlike the English tea time for example, which is traditionally mid-afternoon, Fika is an anytime kind of activity, and must of course be combined with coffee and pastries.

Hygge (Danish)

This term, pronounced heu-gah, means a warm, cozy, happy environment, and whatever that means to you. It goes beyond just physical comforts, trying to encapsulate coziness of the soul as well. For example sitting by the fire with a blanket and glögg might be hygge for you, but it would definitely be more accurately hygge if you were sitting by the fire with a loved one reminiscing on good times. If a lyrical melody would help define this term check out the hygge song featured in the Broadway adaptation of the Frozen musical! This is also a great way to get the pronunciation down.

Uff Da (Norwegian)

The spiciest word you’ll find in our shop, uff da, pronounced oof-dah, is almost an expletive. Almost being the key word here as we are a very demure shop thank you very much. This term is a combination of two words, oof being akin to a sound like ‘bang’ or ‘pow’ and da being akin to well then. It has a variety of uses. You might use this term to comment on cold weather when leaving the house or to breath a sigh of relief when finally relaxing at the end of a long day.

Learning a new language is fun because it gives us new terminology to express ourselves. Feel free to use a few of these terms, and see how they change your perspective on life.