Cinema Expressions
Bio, textad, spoilervarning — talking about films the Swedish way.
How Swedes actually talk about films: the subtitling nation (everything textad, nothing dubbad — except for de små), spoiler etiquette, the critic vocabulary from tårdrypare to publiksuccé, the practical layer of memberships and Monday prices — closing on the national habit: subtitles on at home too, and we're not alone in that.
- 1
gå på bio
to go to the cinema
Tip: lit. 'go on cinema' — 'bio' is short for biograf.
- 2
textad
subtitled
Tip: lit. 'texted' — Sweden subtitles almost everything.
- 3
dubbad
dubbed
Tip: lit. the same — only children's films.
- 4
originalspråk
the original language
Tip: lit. the same.
- 5
originalversion med text
the original with subtitles
Tip: lit. the same — from about age nine.
- 6
dubbad för de små
dubbed for the little ones
Tip: lit. the same.
- 7
barnmatiné
a children's matinee
Tip: lit. the same — Sunday morning.
- 8
trailern
the trailer
Tip: lit. the same — English loan.
- 9
en spoilervarning
a spoiler warning
Tip: lit. the same.
- 10
avslöja inget
don't spoil it for me
Tip: lit. 'reveal nothing'.
- 11
vändningen
the plot twist
Tip: lit. 'the turn'.
- 12
det kommer en scen efter
there's a scene at the end
Tip: lit. the same.
- 13
sitta kvar under eftertexterna
to sit through the credits
Tip: lit. 'stay seated during the after-text'.
- 14
slutet var uselt
the ending was rubbish
Tip: lit. the same.
- 15
seg
slow-moving
Tip: lit. 'tough, chewy' — the standard criticism.
- 16
boken var bättre
the book was better
Tip: lit. the same — the eternal verdict.
- 17
skådespeleriet var lysande
the acting was superb
Tip: lit. 'the acting was shining'.
- 18
vara felcastad
to be miscast
Tip: lit. the same.
- 19
hyllad av kritikerna
critically acclaimed
Tip: lit. 'hailed by the critics'.
- 20
få fyra av fem
to get four out of five
Tip: lit. the same — Swedish papers use a five-point scale.
- 21
en publiksuccé
a box office hit
Tip: lit. 'an audience success'.
- 22
ett fiasko
a flop
Tip: lit. the same.
- 23
baserad på en sann historia
based on a true story
Tip: lit. the same.
- 24
en feelgood-film
a feel-good film
Tip: lit. the same — an English loan Swedes use constantly.
- 25
en riktig tårdrypare
a tear-jerker
Tip: lit. 'a real tear-dripper'.
- 26
en dokumentär
a documentary
Tip: lit. the same.
- 27
värd att se på stor duk
worth seeing on a big screen
Tip: lit. 'worth seeing on big canvas'.
- 28
vänta tills den kommer på streaming
to wait for it to stream
Tip: lit. the same.
- 29
åldersgränsen är femton
the age limit is fifteen
Tip: lit. the same — with an adult, eleven is allowed.
- 30
i vuxens sällskap
accompanied by an adult
Tip: lit. the same.
- 31
ett biomedlemskap
a cinema membership
Tip: lit. the same.
- 32
obegränsat med filmer i månaden
unlimited films a month
Tip: lit. the same.
- 33
billigare på måndagar
cheaper on Mondays
Tip: lit. the same.
- 34
boka platser i appen
to book seats in the app
Tip: lit. the same.
- 35
rad åtta, mitt i
row eight, in the middle
Tip: lit. the same — the best seats.
- 36
för nära duken
too close to the screen
Tip: lit. the same.
- 37
en fällbar fåtölj
a reclining seat
Tip: lit. the same.
- 38
personen framför är för lång
the person in front is too tall
Tip: lit. the same.
- 39
en matiné
a matinee
Tip: lit. the same — cheaper, and full of children.
- 40
en kvalitetsbiograf
an art house cinema
Tip: lit. 'a quality cinema'.
- 41
en filmfestival
a film festival
Tip: lit. the same.
- 42
ett samtal med regissören
a director's Q and A
Tip: lit. the same.
- 43
popcorn och stor läsk
popcorn and a large drink
Tip: lit. the same.
- 44
en svensk film med svensk text
a Swedish film with subtitles
Tip: lit. the same — for the mumbling.
- 45
ingen hör dialogen
nobody can hear the dialogue
Tip: lit. the same — a national complaint.
- 46
ha text på hemma också
to turn the subtitles on at home too
Tip: lit. the same.
- 47
och vi är inte ensamma om det
and we're not alone in that
Tip: lit. the same.