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B1Swedish·47 cards

Winter and Light Words

The nouns of the Swedish winter — mörker, gryning, ljusstake, snöfall.

December's vocabulary, dark to bright: the darkness axis (mörker, gryning, skymning), the frozen inventory (frost, blixthalka, istapp, snödriva), the Lucia kit (ljusstake, krona, linne, saffran, kör), the light armory every Swedish window deploys (adventsstjärna, ljusslinga, lykta, levande ljus), the play layer (pulka, snögubbe) — warming through varm choklad and öppen spis to the season's real product: mys.

Close-up of glowing Christmas string lights draped over a page with inspiring words, creating a festive and cozy atmosphere.
Photo: Brigitte Tohm on Pexels
  1. 1

    mörker

    darkness

    Tip: 'i mörkret' = in the dark

  2. 2

    ljus

    light

    Tip: also means 'candle'

  3. 3

    ljusstake

    candlestick

    Tip: the advent one goes in the window

  4. 4

    gryning

    dawn

    Tip: very late in December

  5. 5

    skymning

    dusk

    Tip: around three in the afternoon

  6. 6

    snö

    snow

    Tip: 'det snöar' = it's snowing

  7. 7

    snöfall

    snowfall

    Tip: the weather-forecast word

  8. 8

    is

    ice

    Tip: also 'ice cream' is 'glass', not 'is'

  9. 9

    frost

    frost

    Tip: 'nattfrost' = night frost

  10. 10

    kyla

    cold

    Tip: the noun; 'kallt' is the adjective

  11. 11

    vinter

    winter

    Tip: 'i vintras' = last winter

  12. 12

    december

    December

    Tip: lowercase in Swedish

  13. 13

    morgon

    morning

    Tip: 'i morse' = this morning

  14. 14

    kväll

    evening

    Tip: 'i kväll' = tonight

  15. 15

    natt

    night

    Tip: 'i natt' = last night or tonight

  16. 16

    saffran

    saffron

    Tip: the December spice

  17. 17

    bulle

    bun

    Tip: 'lussebulle' at Lucia

  18. 18

    kör

    choir

    Tip: 'sjunga i kör'

  19. 19

    sång

    song

    Tip: also the act of singing

  20. 20

    tradition

    tradition

    Tip: 'gammal tradition'

  21. 21

    firande

    celebration

    Tip: from the verb 'fira'

  22. 22

    tåg

    procession

    Tip: same word as 'train'

  23. 23

    krona

    crown

    Tip: also the currency

  24. 24

    stjärna

    star

    Tip: on the star boys' sticks

  25. 25

    linne

    gown

    Tip: the white Lucia shift

  26. 26

    glitter

    glitter

    Tip: in the hair, on the tree

  27. 27

    värme

    warmth

    Tip: what everyone is looking for

  28. 28

    levande ljus

    candlelight

    Tip: lit. 'living light' — the Swedish term for candles

  29. 29

    lykta

    lantern

    Tip: 'en lykta i fönstret'

  30. 30

    adventsstjärna

    star lamp

    Tip: the paper star in every window

  31. 31

    ljusslinga

    fairy lights

    Tip: up from November

  32. 32

    reflex

    reflection

    Tip: worn on jackets in winter

  33. 33

    snöslask

    slush

    Tip: the worst of it

  34. 34

    blixthalka

    black ice

    Tip: the dangerous kind

  35. 35

    istapp

    icicle

    Tip: they fall from roofs

  36. 36

    snöflinga

    snowflake

    Tip: 'stora snöflingor'

  37. 37

    snödriva

    snowdrift

    Tip: what the plough leaves

  38. 38

    pulka

    sledge

    Tip: every Swedish child has one

  39. 39

    skridskor

    skates

    Tip: 'åka skridskor'

  40. 40

    snöboll

    snowball

    Tip: 'kasta snöboll'

  41. 41

    snögubbe

    snowman

    Tip: lit. 'snow man'

  42. 42

    vantar

    mittens

    Tip: warmer than gloves

  43. 43

    termos

    thermos

    Tip: essential outdoors

  44. 44

    varm choklad

    hot chocolate

    Tip: after sledging

  45. 45

    filt

    blanket

    Tip: on every sofa

  46. 46

    öppen spis

    fireplace

    Tip: lit. 'open stove'

  47. 47

    mys

    cosiness

    Tip: the noun behind 'mysigt'