Balcony & Garden Expressions
Odla, gröna fingrar, uteplats — the short Swedish summer spent outdoors.
Balcony life at B2 — the expressions behind the Swedish summer religion: sun-chasing (solhungrig, following it round the balcony), the plant relationships (den trivs, den har gett upp, frosten tog den), the föreningens rules, July's twice-a-day watering, and the closing thesis: in an apartment country, summer lives on the balcony.
- 1
första varma dagen
the first warm day
Tip: lit. the same — the whole country goes outside.
- 2
ta vara på solen
to make the most of the sun
Tip: lit. 'take care of the sun' — a genuine Swedish duty.
- 3
vara solhungrig
to be sun-starved
Tip: lit. 'be sun-hungry' — a real medical-sounding word in Sweden.
- 4
följa solen runt balkongen
to chase the sun round the balcony
Tip: lit. 'follow the sun around the balcony'.
- 5
årets första utekaffe
the first coffee outdoors
Tip: lit. 'the year's first outdoor coffee' — a genuine milestone.
- 6
sitta ute i jacka ändå
to sit in a jacket anyway
Tip: lit. the same — April in Sweden.
- 7
en filt på varje stol
a blanket on every chair
Tip: lit. the same.
- 8
en terrassvärmare
an outdoor heater
Tip: lit. the same.
- 9
en ljusslinga
a string of lights
Tip: lit. the same — up all year.
- 10
en uteplats
an outdoor seating area
Tip: lit. 'an out-place' — the estate-agent selling point.
- 11
en balkong i söderläge
a south-facing balcony
Tip: lit. the same — the single best selling point in Sweden.
- 12
en i norrläge
a north-facing one
Tip: lit. the same — cool, and hard to grow anything on.
- 13
få kvällssol
to catch the evening sun
Tip: lit. the same.
- 14
odla
to grow things
Tip: lit. 'cultivate' — used for a windowsill herb as much as a field.
- 15
ha gröna fingrar
to have green fingers
Tip: lit. the same.
- 16
ta livet av allt man rör
to have a black thumb
Tip: lit. 'kill everything one touches'.
- 17
vattna blommorna
to water the plants
Tip: lit. 'water the flowers'.
- 18
plantera om
to repot something
Tip: lit. 'plant over'.
- 19
beskära
to prune back
Tip: lit. 'cut back'.
- 20
rensa ogräs
to weed
Tip: lit. 'clear weeds'.
- 21
pyssla ute
to potter about outside
Tip: lit. 'fuss outside'.
- 22
den trivs
it's thriving
Tip: lit. 'it thrives' — the same verb Swedes use about themselves.
- 23
den har gett upp
it's given up
Tip: lit. the same.
- 24
frosten tog den
the frost got it
Tip: lit. 'the frost took it'.
- 25
ta in krukorna
to bring the pots in
Tip: lit. the same — every September.
- 26
övervintra
to overwinter something
Tip: lit. 'over-winter' — a verb here.
- 27
vattna två gånger om dagen i juli
to water twice a day in July
Tip: lit. the same.
- 28
krukor torkar ut snabbt
pots dry out fast
Tip: lit. the same.
- 29
en självvattnande kruka
a self-watering pot
Tip: lit. the same.
- 30
be grannen vattna när man är bortrest
to ask a neighbour while away
Tip: lit. the same.
- 31
tomater på balkongen
tomatoes on the balcony
Tip: lit. the same — surprisingly successful this far north.
- 32
kryddor i köksfönstret
herbs by the kitchen window
Tip: lit. the same.
- 33
en chiliplanta som överlever
a chilli plant that survives
Tip: lit. the same.
- 34
ta in den över vintern
to bring it in for winter
Tip: lit. the same.
- 35
balkonglådor
balcony boxes
Tip: lit. the same — must hang on the inside, by rule.
- 36
ha en grön oas
to have a green oasis
Tip: lit. the same.
- 37
doften av sommar
the smell of summer
Tip: lit. 'the scent of summer'.
- 38
grilla på balkongen
to grill on the balcony
Tip: lit. the same — often against the rules.
- 39
grannarna ser allt
the neighbours can see everything
Tip: lit. the same.
- 40
lite insynsskydd
a bit of privacy
Tip: lit. 'a little view-protection' — the trellis solution.
- 41
föreningens balkongregler
the association's balcony rules
Tip: lit. the same — boxes on the inside, no barbecues.
- 42
inget borrande i fasaden
no drilling into the façade
Tip: lit. the same.
- 43
skaka mattan över räcket
to shake the rug over the railing
Tip: lit. the same — and annoy the neighbour below.
- 44
sitta ute till sent
to sit out until late
Tip: lit. the same.
- 45
det är värt väntan
it's worth the wait
Tip: lit. the same — nine months of it.
- 46
sommaren är alldeles för kort
summer is far too short
Tip: lit. the same — said every August.
- 47
sommaren bor på balkongen här
summer lives on a balcony here
Tip: lit. the same.