Gothenburg Expressions
Göteborg, spårvagn, göteborgshumor — Sweden's second city in its own words.
Gothenburg explained to a newcomer: the geography (västkusten, spårvagnen, Avenyn, Feskekörka), the working-class DNA (varvskrisen, bilfabriken — en råare kant än Stockholm, och en varmare ton), the famous humor (en dålig ordvits alla hört och alla berättar igen), göteborgska with its singing melody and terminal "gubbe", the rain doctrine (ett paraply är meningslöst), the räkmacka and the car-free skärgård — ending with the city's twin engines: stark lokalstolthet, and the eternal feeling of being nummer två.
- 1
Göteborg
Gothenburg
Tip: lit. the same — 'Gbg' in writing.
- 2
en göteborgare
a Gothenburger
Tip: lit. the same.
- 3
västkusten
the west coast
Tip: lit. the same.
- 4
en spårvagn
a tram
Tip: lit. the same — the city's symbol.
- 5
en hållplats
a tram stop
Tip: lit. the same.
- 6
Avenyn
the main street
Tip: lit. the same — Kungsportsavenyen.
- 7
Feskekörka
the fish church
Tip: lit. the same — the fish market that looks like a church.
- 8
en vallgrav
a moat
Tip: lit. the same — round the old centre.
- 9
en kanal
a canal
Tip: lit. the same — the Dutch built them.
- 10
ett landmärke
a landmark tower
Tip: lit. the same — the Lipstick, Läppstiftet.
- 11
en hamn
a harbour
Tip: lit. the same — the biggest in Scandinavia.
- 12
ett varv
a shipyard
Tip: lit. the same — and most of them closed.
- 13
varvskrisen
the shipyard crisis
Tip: lit. the same — the seventies, and the city changed forever.
- 14
en bilfabrik
a car factory
Tip: lit. the same — Volvo.
- 15
en arbetarstad
a working-class city
Tip: lit. the same — and it's still in the identity.
- 16
en råare kant än Stockholm
a rougher edge than Stockholm
Tip: lit. the same.
- 17
och en varmare ton också
a warmer tone too
Tip: lit. the same.
- 18
göteborgshumor
Gothenburg humour
Tip: lit. the same — puns, mostly.
- 19
en dålig ordvits
a groan-worthy pun
Tip: lit. the same — and they are proud of it.
- 20
ett skämt alla hört
a joke everyone has heard
Tip: lit. the same.
- 21
och alla berättar igen
and everyone tells again
Tip: lit. the same.
- 22
göteborgska
the Gothenburg dialect
Tip: lit. the same.
- 23
en sjungande satsmelodi
a singing intonation
Tip: lit. the same.
- 24
'gubbe' i slutet av meningar
'gubbe' at the end of sentences
Tip: lit. the same — an affectionate tag.
- 25
en regnstad
a rainy city
Tip: lit. the same.
- 26
mer regn än någon annanstans
more rain than anywhere
Tip: lit. the same — and they mention it constantly.
- 27
ett paraply är meningslöst
an umbrella is pointless
Tip: lit. the same — the wind takes it.
- 28
en regnjacka istället
a rain jacket instead
Tip: lit. the same.
- 29
en nöjespark
an amusement park
Tip: lit. the same — Liseberg.
- 30
en julmarknad
a Christmas market
Tip: lit. the same.
- 31
en berg- och dalbana i trä
a wooden roller coaster
Tip: lit. the same.
- 32
en fotbollsrivalitet
a football rivalry
Tip: lit. the same.
- 33
tre klubbar i en stad
three clubs in one city
Tip: lit. the same.
- 34
ett derby som delar familjer
a derby that divides families
Tip: lit. the same.
- 35
en räksmörgås
a prawn sandwich
Tip: lit. the same — and it means something here.
- 36
att glida på en räkmacka
to have it easy in life
Tip: lit. 'to glide on a prawn sandwich' — the idiom.
- 37
färska skaldjur
fresh shellfish
Tip: lit. the same.
- 38
en skaldjurssafari
a seafood safari
Tip: lit. the same.
- 39
en skärgård utan bilar
an archipelago without cars
Tip: lit. the same — the southern islands.
- 40
en färja med matkassarna
a ferry with your groceries
Tip: lit. the same.
- 41
en badklippa
a bathing rock
Tip: lit. the same.
- 42
ett kallt hav
a cold sea
Tip: lit. the same — colder than the Baltic.
- 43
och saltare
and saltier
Tip: lit. the same.
- 44
en studentstad
a student city
Tip: lit. the same.
- 45
ett tekniskt universitet
a technical university
Tip: lit. the same — Chalmers.
- 46
en mindre stad som känns mindre
a smaller city that feels smaller
Tip: lit. the same — in a good way.
- 47
man träffar folk man känner
you meet people you know
Tip: lit. the same.
- 48
vilket aldrig händer i Stockholm
which never happens in Stockholm
Tip: lit. the same.
- 49
en stark lokalstolthet
a strong local pride
Tip: lit. the same.
- 50
och en evig känsla av att vara nummer två
and a permanent chip on the shoulder
Tip: lit. 'an eternal feeling of being number two'.