A Trip to IKEA: Expressions
Sweden's own maze — kortaste vägen, självplock, köttbullar and the argument in the kitchen section.
The whole IKEA visit as a vocabulary walk, in the order it actually happens: through the entrance, up to the showroom, down into the marketplace, through self-serve, the checkout, and the eternal problem of the car. Every expression is a station on the route — read it once top to bottom and you have walked the store.
- 1
familjekortet
the family card
Tip: lit. the same — free coffee, once upon a time.
- 2
restaurangen på vägen in
the restaurant on the way in
Tip: lit. the same — eat first, buy less.
- 3
köttbullarna
the meatballs
Tip: lit. the same — the actual reason for the trip.
- 4
lekrummet
the children's play area
Tip: lit. 'the play room' — Småland, officially.
- 5
lämna barnen där
to leave the children there
Tip: lit. the same — an hour of peace.
- 6
utställningsvåningen
the showroom floor
Tip: lit. the same.
- 7
pennan och lappen
the little pencil and paper
Tip: lit. the same — an institution.
- 8
gång och plats
aisle and shelf number
Tip: lit. 'aisle and place' — what you write on the little pencil note.
- 9
mäta två gånger
to measure twice
Tip: lit. the same — and still get it wrong.
- 10
mäta bagageutrymmet först
to measure the boot first
Tip: lit. the same — next time.
- 11
vara en labyrint
to be a maze
Tip: lit. the same.
- 12
genvägen genom utställningen
the shortcut through the showroom
Tip: lit. 'the shortcut through the exhibition' — the arrows you're not supposed to ignore.
- 13
tappa tidsuppfattningen där inne
to lose track of time in there
Tip: lit. 'lose the sense of time in there'.
- 14
bråka i köksavdelningen
to argue in the kitchen section
Tip: lit. the same — a Swedish relationship rite of passage.
- 15
fundera en runda till
to sleep on it
Tip: lit. 'think one more round'.
- 16
marknadsplatsen
the marketplace
Tip: lit. the same — the downstairs bit with the baskets.
- 17
fylla den gula kassen
to fill the yellow bag
Tip: lit. the same — how it always starts.
- 18
bli sugen på allt
to be tempted by everything
Tip: lit. 'become craving for everything'.
- 19
ett impulsköp
an impulse buy
Tip: lit. the same — the candles, always the candles.
- 20
en växt du inte behövde
a plant you didn't need
Tip: lit. the same.
- 21
och en påse värmeljus
and a bag of tealights
Tip: lit. the same — nobody escapes without them.
- 22
en korg blir en vagn
one basket becomes a trolley
Tip: lit. the same.
- 23
behöver du en vagn?
do you need a trolley?
Tip: lit. the same.
- 24
gå in för en sak och gå ut med tio
to go in for one thing and leave with ten
Tip: lit. the same.
- 25
fyndhörnan
the bargain corner
Tip: lit. 'the find corner' — returns and ex-display.
- 26
vara slut i lager
to be out of stock
Tip: lit. 'be finished in stock'.
- 27
kolla lagersaldot på nätet
to check availability online
Tip: lit. 'check the stock balance online'.
- 28
självplockslagret
the self-serve warehouse
Tip: lit. 'the self-picking warehouse'.
- 29
ett platt paket
a flat pack
Tip: lit. the same.
- 30
stå i kassakön
to queue at the checkout
Tip: lit. 'stand in the checkout queue'.
- 31
självscanningskassan
the self-service checkout
Tip: lit. the same.
- 32
scanna själv
to scan it yourself
Tip: lit. the same.
- 33
en stickprovskontroll
a random check
Tip: lit. the same.
- 34
kvittot är en meter långt
the receipt is a metre long
Tip: lit. the same.
- 35
ha kvar kvittot
to keep the receipt
Tip: lit. 'have the receipt left'.
- 36
returdisken
the returns desk
Tip: lit. the same — generous by international standards.
- 37
korven på vägen ut
the hot dog on the way out
Tip: lit. the same — five kronor and non-negotiable.
- 38
utlämningen
the pick-up point
Tip: lit. the same — for big items.
- 39
hemleverans
home delivery
Tip: lit. the same.
- 40
monteringshjälp
an assembly service
Tip: lit. 'assembly help' — worth every krona.
- 41
det får inte plats i bilen
it won't fit in the car
Tip: lit. 'it doesn't get room in the car'.
- 42
paketet får ändå inte plats
the flat-pack won't fit anyway
Tip: lit. the same.
- 43
spänna fast det på taket
to strap it to the roof
Tip: lit. the same.
- 44
låna spännband
to borrow roof straps
Tip: lit. the same.
- 45
hyra släp i butiken
to rent a van from the shop
Tip: lit. 'rent a trailer at the shop'.
- 46
komma hem helt slut
to come home exhausted
Tip: lit. the same.
- 47
aldrig en lördag
never on a Saturday
Tip: lit. the same — the only real rule.