Birch, brass and broken white
Describing what things are made of and what shade they really are: wood types, metals, fabrics and the fifty Swedish words for white.
Half of every furniture chat is describing materials and colors precisely: is it birch or beech, brass or gold-painted, white or 'broken white'? This deck gives you the material words and color nuances that make your ads accurate and your questions sharp.
- 1
Vilket material är det?
What material is it?
- 2
trä
wood
- 3
furu
pine
Tip: the 70s favorite
- 4
björk
birch
Tip: the light one
- 5
ek
oak
Tip: the sturdy one
- 6
bok
beech
Tip: also means 'book'!
- 7
teak
teak
Tip: same word
- 8
Är det massivt eller faner?
Is it solid or veneer?
Tip: the money question
- 9
Knacka på det — massivt låter dovt.
Knock on it — solid sounds dull.
Tip: dov = dull (sound)
- 10
lackat eller oljat?
lacquered or oiled?
Tip: surface treatments
- 11
obehandlat trä
untreated wood
Tip: o- again
- 12
målad
painted
- 13
metall
metal
- 14
rostfritt stål
stainless steel
Tip: rost + fri
- 15
mässing
brass
Tip: the lamp metal
- 16
koppar
copper
- 17
Är det äkta mässing eller bara målat?
Is it real brass or just painted?
Tip: the magnet test
- 18
En magnet fastnar inte på mässing.
A magnet doesn't stick to brass.
Tip: the test itself
- 19
glas
glass
- 20
frostat glas
frosted glass
- 21
läder eller konstläder?
leather or fake leather?
Tip: konst- = artificial
- 22
Äkta läder luktar läder.
Real leather smells like leather.
Tip: the nose test
- 23
ull
wool
- 24
bomull
cotton
Tip: lit. 'tree wool'
- 25
linne
linen
Tip: the fancy one
- 26
sammet
velvet
Tip: the trendy one
- 27
Nu färgerna. Vilken färg är den egentligen?
Now the colors. What color is it really?
Tip: photos lie
- 28
vit
white
- 29
bruten vit
broken white / off-white
Tip: the real default
- 30
Är det IKEA-vit eller Nordsjö-vit?
Is it IKEA-white or Nordsjö-white?
Tip: whites differ!
- 31
De matchar aldrig. Aldrig.
They never match. Never.
Tip: painful truth
- 32
svart
black
- 33
grå — Sveriges nationalfärg
gray — Sweden's national color
Tip: said with love
- 34
ljusgrå eller mörkgrå?
light gray or dark gray?
Tip: ljus/mörk prefixes
- 35
beige
beige
Tip: same word
- 36
marinblå
navy blue
Tip: marin = navy
- 37
skogsgrön
forest green
Tip: skog = forest
- 38
senapsgul
mustard yellow
Tip: senap = mustard
- 39
rostrött
rust red
Tip: rost again
- 40
Färgen är varmare i verkligheten.
The color is warmer in reality.
Tip: the standard caveat
- 41
Kan du fota den i dagsljus?
Can you photograph it in daylight?
Tip: the color check
- 42
Drar den åt gult eller rosa?
Does it lean yellow or pink?
Tip: dra åt = lean towards
- 43
Den drar lite åt grönt i kvällsljus.
It leans a little green in evening light.
- 44
Passar den ihop med möbler i valnöt?
Will it match walnut furniture?
Tip: passa ihop med
- 45
Träslag måste inte matcha — bara trivas ihop.
Wood tones don't have to match — just get along.
Tip: trivas ihop!
- 46
Ta med en tygbit.
Take a fabric sample with you.
Tip: tygbit = fabric piece
- 47
Håll den mot soffan i deras vardagsrum.
Hold it against the sofa in their living room.
- 48
Perfekt matchning. Menat att vara.
Perfect match. Meant to be.
- 49
Material åldras; bra material åldras vackert.
Materials age; good materials age beautifully.
- 50
Lär dig materialen så kan du marknaden.
Learn the materials and you learn the market.