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B1Swedish·21 cards

Expressions for Preparing for a Speech

Getting ready to speak in Swedish — den röda tråden, genrep, fjärilar i magen and väl börjat är hälften vunnet.

Speech prep in twenty phrases: drafts and stödord, the röda tråden, butterflies and genrep — with two proverbs to carry you onto the stage.

Close-up of a microphone on a stand in a conference room setting.
Photo: Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels
  1. 1

    att förbereda ett tal

    to prepare a speech

    Tip: 'ett tal' is a speech; 'ett föredrag' is a talk or lecture

  2. 2

    att skriva ett utkast

    to write a draft

    Tip: 'utkast' = draft, literally 'thrown out'

  3. 3

    att repetera

    to rehearse

    Tip: also means to revise or repeat; 'rep' is the short form used in theatre

  4. 4

    att öva framför spegeln

    to practise in front of the mirror

    Tip: 'öva' = to practise, 'träna' to train

  5. 5

    att kunna utantill

    to know it by heart

    Tip: literally 'to know outside-on' — the fixed adverb for memorised

  6. 6

    stödord

    cue notes

    Tip: literally 'support words' — the keywords on your cards

  7. 7

    den röda tråden

    the common thread

    Tip: literally 'the red thread' — the through-line of an argument; an essential Swedish phrase

  8. 8

    att fatta sig kort

    to keep it short

    Tip: literally 'to grasp oneself short'

  9. 9

    att ta tid på sig

    to time yourself

    Tip: 'ta tid' = to time; the reflexive 'på sig' makes it your own performance

  10. 10

    att ha fjärilar i magen

    to have butterflies in your stomach

    Tip: the same image as English

  11. 11

    scenskräck

    stage fright

    Tip: literally 'stage terror'

  12. 12

    att dra ett djupt andetag

    to take a deep breath

    Tip: Swedish pulls the breath where English takes it

  13. 13

    att bryta isen

    to break the ice

    Tip: identical image; often done with an opening anecdote

  14. 14

    ett genrep

    a dress rehearsal

    Tip: short for 'generalrepetition'; the full run-through

  15. 15

    att avrunda

    to round things off

    Tip: 'runda av' in the separable form; the standard closing verb

  16. 16

    att lämna tid för frågor

    to leave time for questions

    Tip: expected at the end of most Swedish presentations

  17. 17

    att dra över tiden

    to overrun

    Tip: literally 'to pull over the time' — a real sin in Swedish meeting culture

  18. 18

    att anpassa sig till publiken

    to adapt to your audience

    Tip: 'anpassa' = to adjust or adapt

  19. 19

    att kolla tekniken i förväg

    to check the tech beforehand

    Tip: 'i förväg' = in advance

  20. 20

    väl börjat är hälften vunnet

    well begun is half done

    Tip: literally 'well begun is half won' — a standard Swedish proverb

  21. 21

    att sova på saken

    to sleep on it

    Tip: literally 'to sleep on the matter' — useful advice before finalising a draft