Breakup Expressions
Göra slut, bli lämnad, gå vidare — the vocabulary of an ending.
The end of a relationship in Swedish, told in order: the breakup itself and its three framings (lämnad, den som går, ömsesidigt), the apartment problem (vem får soffan — and sambolagen, the law that answers it), the grief phase with its unfollow ritual, the Swedish divorce machinery (betänketid, varannan vecka), and the calm ending this culture genuinely manages: friendly at the school gate, vänner så småningom.
- 1
göra slut
to break up
Tip: lit. 'make end'.
- 2
bli lämnad
to be dumped
Tip: lit. 'be left'.
- 3
vara den som går
to be the one who leaves
Tip: lit. the same.
- 4
det var ömsesidigt
it was mutual
Tip: lit. the same — usually not.
- 5
vi gled isär
we grew apart
Tip: lit. 'we glided apart'.
- 6
vi ville olika saker
we wanted different things
Tip: lit. the same.
- 7
ett uppehåll
a trial separation
Tip: lit. 'a pause'.
- 8
ha en paus
to be on a break
Tip: lit. the same.
- 9
flytta ut
to move out
Tip: lit. the same.
- 10
dela upp lägenheten
to divide up the flat
Tip: lit. the same.
- 11
vem får soffan
who keeps the sofa
Tip: lit. the same.
- 12
vara sambo
to be cohabiting
Tip: lit. the same — a legal status in Sweden.
- 13
sambolagen
the cohabitation act
Tip: lit. the same — it splits the home and contents.
- 14
bara gemensam bostad delas
only the joint home is divided
Tip: lit. the same — not savings or cars.
- 15
ett samboavtal
a cohabitation agreement
Tip: lit. the same — to opt out of the default.
- 16
vara den som flyttar ut
to move out first
Tip: lit. the same.
- 17
lösa ut den andra
to buy the other out
Tip: lit. the same.
- 18
en värdering av lägenheten
a valuation of the flat
Tip: lit. the same.
- 19
vem som får bo kvar
who gets to stay
Tip: lit. the same.
- 20
den som bäst behöver den
the one who needs it most
Tip: lit. the same — the legal test.
- 21
oftast den med barnen
usually the one with the children
Tip: lit. the same.
- 22
en skilsmässa
a divorce
Tip: lit. the same.
- 23
betänketiden
the reflection period
Tip: lit. 'the thinking time' — six months by Swedish law if you have children.
- 24
delad vårdnad
shared custody
Tip: lit. the same — the Swedish default.
- 25
varannan vecka
every other week
Tip: lit. the same — how most Swedish children live after a split.
- 26
en vårdnadsplan
a parenting plan
Tip: lit. the same.
- 27
överlämning på söndagskvällen
handover on Sunday evening
Tip: lit. the same.
- 28
ett samarbetssamtal
a co-operation talk
Tip: lit. the same — free mediation from the council.
- 29
komma överens utan advokater
to agree without lawyers
Tip: lit. the same — much better for everyone.
- 30
vara vänlig vid skolgrinden
to be civil at the school gate
Tip: lit. the same.
- 31
barnen först
the children come first
Tip: lit. the same.
- 32
aldrig tala illa om den andra föräldern
never speak badly of the other parent
Tip: lit. the same — the one rule.
- 33
vara förkrossad
to be heartbroken
Tip: lit. 'be crushed'.
- 34
gråta ut
to cry it out
Tip: lit. 'cry out'.
- 35
avfölja överallt
to unfollow everywhere
Tip: lit. the same.
- 36
stöta på dem hela tiden
to keep bumping into them
Tip: lit. the same — Sweden is small.
- 37
gemensamma vänner
mutual friends
Tip: lit. the same — the awkward part.
- 38
vara ensam ett tag
to take some time alone
Tip: lit. 'be alone for a while'.
- 39
komma ut igen
to get back out there
Tip: lit. 'come out again'.
- 40
en tröstrelation
a rebound
Tip: lit. 'a comfort relationship'.
- 41
gå vidare
to move on
Tip: lit. the same.
- 42
det tar den tid det tar
it takes as long as it takes
Tip: lit. the same.
- 43
vara vänner efteråt
to be friends afterwards
Tip: lit. the same — genuinely common in Sweden.
- 44
det var för det bästa
it was for the best
Tip: lit. the same.
- 45
det blir lättare efter ett år
it gets easier after a year
Tip: lit. the same.
- 46
bli vänner så småningom
to be friendly eventually
Tip: lit. the same.
- 47
och det är faktiskt vanligt här
and that's genuinely common here
Tip: lit. the same.