Anyone moving to a foreign country should learn a few phrases to get a bit integrated faster in his new town. Thibault realized the importance of this and applied for Dr Henrik’s Swedish Express Course. And it turned out well, really well actually. To demonstrate what you could do with a few simple phrases, what follows is a true little anecdote.
A few days ago we had finished our lunch and were on our way back to the office. While waiting for the elevator, another colleague comes and starts to chat. And as you all know, every time people enter an elevator, the famous elevator syndrome appears. You get quiet, start to whistle and stare up at the ceiling, as if you actually could see the top floor approaching. Thibault is the only one in the elevator not speaking Swedish and the last one people would expect saying something in Swedish at all. But after about 30 seconds of complete silence, he takes his opportunity to practice what he recently learnt. He opens his french mouth and says Gott snack!
It was brilliant. Fantastic. Wonderful. (Check the dictionary further down for translation.)
Dr Henrik’s philosophy is that it’s better to skip the basics if you want to “express-learn” a language. Here’s a little dictionary of essential phrases and sentences that our good old Thibault has learnt so far:
Kräm, som är så gott - Kräm, which is so nice (Kräm is some kind of a jelly, served with milk. Often with strawberry flavour.)
Det kommer att kosta - This will be expensive (Nice to use when you just want to remind people about the expense of what you’re about to do.)
Gott snack - Good talk (Should be used much more often. Show appreciation and don’t take a Gott Snack for granted.)
Välkommen på inflyttningsfest - Welcome to our house warming party (This one has been used a lot. So much that Thibault actually has to arrange one now.)
Ja för fan - Hell yeah (Priceless and extremely useful.)
Jag var på en kille - I was on a guy (It makes as little sense in Swedish as it does in English, but it’s a great icebreaker.)
Jag flytta in en kille - I moved in a guy (Again, never fails as an icebreaker.)
Där är du - There you are (Perfect whenever you don’t understand what the native is saying.)
If you want to apply for Dr Henrik’s Swedish Express Course, please write to henrik.dufke@fb.se
