More False Friends
Swedish words that mislead English speakers — set two.
Fifty false friends, this time paired against their true translations: the profession splits (regissör/direktör, läkare/fysiker, dirigent/konduktör), the paper splits (kvitto/recept, nota/anteckning/not), the education ladder (gymnastiksal versus gymnasium, högskola), the number bombs (miljard is billion, biljon is trillion, en mil is TEN kilometres), the classics revisited (faktisk/aktuell, eventuell) — down to sakna's two faces and stämning's mood.
- 1
en regissör
a director (of a film)
Tip: Beware: 'direktör' means a company executive.
- 2
en direktör
an executive
Tip: Beware: looks like English 'director'.
- 3
en läkare
a physician
Tip: Beware: 'fysiker' means a physicist.
- 4
en fysiker
a physicist
Tip: Beware: close to English 'physician'.
- 5
ett kvitto
a receipt
Tip: Beware: 'recept' means a recipe or prescription.
- 6
ett recept
a recipe
Tip: Beware: looks like English 'receipt'.
- 7
ett bibliotek
a library
Tip: Beware: 'bokhandel' is a bookshop.
- 8
en bokhandel
a bookshop
Tip: Beware: not a library.
- 9
inse
to realise (understand)
Tip: Beware: 'realisera' means to sell off or make real.
- 10
en rea
a sale
Tip: Beware: short for 'realisation'.
- 11
en dräkt
a costume
Tip: Beware: 'kostym' means a man's suit.
- 12
en kostym
a suit
Tip: Beware: looks like English 'costume'.
- 13
en gymnastiksal
a gymnasium (sports hall)
Tip: Beware: 'gymnasium' is upper secondary school.
- 14
gymnasium
upper secondary school
Tip: Beware: not a gym.
- 15
en högskola
a college
Tip: Beware: 'kollegium' is a staff body.
- 16
en föreläsning
a lecture
Tip: Beware: 'lektion' is a class or lesson.
- 17
en lektion
a class
Tip: Beware: not a lecture.
- 18
en dirigent
a conductor (music)
Tip: Beware: 'konduktör' is a ticket inspector.
- 19
en konduktör
a ticket inspector
Tip: Beware: looks like English 'conductor'.
- 20
påverka
to affect
Tip: Beware: 'affekt' means strong emotion.
- 21
ett gräl
an argument (dispute)
Tip: Beware: 'argument' means a reason or point.
- 22
ett argument
a reason
Tip: Beware: not a quarrel.
- 23
en nota
a bill in a restaurant
Tip: Beware: 'nota' is not a note.
- 24
en anteckning
a note (written)
Tip: Beware: 'not' means a musical note.
- 25
en not
a musical note
Tip: Beware: 'noter' means sheet music.
- 26
ett slutligt utfall
an eventual outcome
Tip: Beware: 'eventuell' means possible, not final.
- 27
ett eventuellt utfall
a possible outcome
Tip: Beware: the classic Swedish-English error.
- 28
medkännande
sympathetic
Tip: Beware: 'sympatisk' means likeable.
- 29
sympatisk
likeable
Tip: Beware: looks like English 'sympathetic'.
- 30
ett årtionde
a decade
Tip: Beware: 'dekad' is rare and means ten days.
- 31
en miljard
a billion
Tip: Beware: 'biljon' means a million million.
- 32
en biljon
a trillion
Tip: Beware: the scales differ.
- 33
1,6 kilometer
a mile
Tip: Beware: a Swedish 'mil' is ten kilometres.
- 34
en mil
ten kilometres
Tip: Beware: the commonest distance mistake.
- 35
skämmas
to be embarrassed
Tip: Beware: 'genant' is embarrassing, not embarrassed.
- 36
genant
embarrassing
Tip: Beware: about the situation, not the person.
- 37
faktisk
actual
Tip: Beware: 'aktuell' means topical or current.
- 38
aktuell
topical
Tip: Beware: the classic false friend.
- 39
en ny idé
a novel idea
Tip: Beware: 'novell' is a short story.
- 40
som till slut sker
eventually happening
Tip: Beware: never 'eventuellt'.
- 41
en pension
a pension (money)
Tip: Beware: 'pensionat' is a guesthouse.
- 42
ett pensionat
a guesthouse
Tip: Beware: looks like 'pensioner'.
- 43
ett företag
a firm (company)
Tip: Beware: 'firma' is more specific — a registered trading name.
- 44
en varuhuskedja
a warehouse chain
Tip: Beware: 'varuhus' is a department store.
- 45
ett varuhus
a department store
Tip: Beware: not a warehouse.
- 46
kloka råd
sensible advice
Tip: Beware: 'råd' also means a council.
- 47
ett råd
a council
Tip: Beware: same word as advice.
- 48
sakna
to lack
Tip: Beware: 'sakna' also means to miss someone.
- 49
sakna någon
to miss someone
Tip: Beware: one word covers both.
- 50
en stämning
a spirit (mood)
Tip: Beware: 'sprit' means alcohol.