At the Museum: Expressions
Utställning, fri entré, konstnärlig frihet — and the very Swedish habit of ending in the café.
Museum Swedish for grown-ups, in visit order: tickets and tidsbokad entré, the cloakroom rules, gallery etiquette (stand back, no flash), the language of actually experiencing art — bli berörd, växa fram, penseldragen — the inevitable museiträtthet, and the honest ending: caféet är bäst. Includes the phrase every Swede has muttered: det där kunde mitt barn ha målat.
- 1
en utställning
an exhibition
Tip: lit. the same.
- 2
en tillfällig utställning
a temporary exhibition
Tip: lit. the same.
- 3
den permanenta samlingen
the permanent collection
Tip: lit. the same.
- 4
fri entré
free entry
Tip: lit. the same — true for many Swedish state museums.
- 5
gratis för under arton
free for under-eighteens
Tip: lit. the same — at most Swedish museums.
- 6
ett årskort
an annual pass
Tip: lit. the same — pays for itself in three visits.
- 7
en familjebiljett
a family ticket
Tip: lit. the same.
- 8
kö till specialutställningen
a queue for the special exhibition
Tip: lit. the same.
- 9
tidsbokad entré
timed entry
Tip: lit. the same.
- 10
boka tid på nätet
to book a slot online
Tip: lit. the same.
- 11
obligatorisk garderob
a cloakroom you must use
Tip: lit. the same — no big bags inside.
- 12
ett skåp mot en slant
a locker for a coin
Tip: lit. the same — you get the coin back.
- 13
ingen blixt
no flash photography
Tip: lit. the same.
- 14
fotografering tillåten utan blixt
photography allowed without flash
Tip: lit. the same.
- 15
stå för nära
to stand too close
Tip: lit. the same — the guard will tell you.
- 16
rör inte konstverket
don't touch the artwork
Tip: lit. the same.
- 17
den här får man röra
to touch this one, please do
Tip: lit. 'this one you may touch'.
- 18
en interaktiv del
a hands-on exhibit
Tip: lit. the same.
- 19
ett skolbesök
a school visit
Tip: lit. the same.
- 20
en verkstad för barn
a workshop for children
Tip: lit. the same — most museums run one.
- 21
en visning
a guided tour
Tip: lit. 'a showing'.
- 22
en ljudguide
an audio guide
Tip: lit. the same.
- 23
intendenten
the curator
Tip: lit. the same.
- 24
konstnärens avsikt
the artist's intention
Tip: lit. the same.
- 25
konstnärlig frihet
artistic freedom
Tip: lit. the same.
- 26
det är öppet för tolkning
it's open to interpretation
Tip: lit. the same.
- 27
det där kunde mitt barn ha målat
my child could have painted that
Tip: lit. the same — heard in every museum on earth.
- 28
bli berörd
to be moved by something
Tip: lit. 'be touched'.
- 29
lämna en oberörd
to leave you cold
Tip: lit. 'leave one untouched'.
- 30
växa fram långsamt
to grow on you slowly
Tip: lit. 'grow forth slowly'.
- 31
ljuset i rummet
the light in the room
Tip: lit. the same.
- 32
en slående färgskala
a striking use of colour
Tip: lit. 'a striking colour scale'.
- 33
penseldragen
the brushwork
Tip: lit. 'the brush strokes'.
- 34
ett original och en kopia
an original and a copy
Tip: lit. the same.
- 35
museiträtthet
museum fatigue
Tip: lit. the same — it sets in after ninety minutes.
- 36
hoppa över halva salarna
to skip half the rooms
Tip: lit. the same.
- 37
en bänk mitt i salen
a bench in the middle of the room
Tip: lit. the same — sit and look properly.
- 38
titta på en sak i tio minuter
to look at one thing for ten minutes
Tip: lit. the same — the best way to visit.
- 39
istället för allt i tio sekunder
rather than everything for ten seconds
Tip: lit. the same.
- 40
komma tillbaka för resten
to come back for the rest
Tip: lit. the same.
- 41
museibutiken
the museum shop
Tip: lit. the same.
- 42
ett överprissatt vykort
an overpriced postcard
Tip: lit. the same.
- 43
caféet är bäst
the café is the best part
Tip: lit. the same — a widely held Swedish view.
- 44
en bit kaka och en kaffe
a slice of cake and a coffee
Tip: lit. the same.
- 45
vi borde göra det här oftare
we should do this more often
Tip: lit. the same.
- 46
friluftsmuseet
the open-air museum
Tip: lit. the same — Skansen, and its many cousins.
- 47
historia man kan gå igenom
history you can walk through
Tip: lit. the same.