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A2Swedish·47 cards

Nature Words You Need Outdoors

The single nouns on every Swedish trail sign and map.

Forty-seven nature nouns, walked in order: from skog and stig through the trees and terrain — ending, as every Swedish forest hopes to, with an älg.

An inspiring coffee-themed text displayed with Scrabble tiles on a white background.
Photo: Visual Tag Mx on Pexels
  1. 1

    skog

    forest

    Tip: the default Swedish landscape

  2. 2

    sjö

    lake

    Tip: also means 'sea' in some fixed phrases

  3. 3

    stig

    path

    Tip: a narrow trail; a wider one is a 'led'

  4. 4

    led

    trail

    Tip: a marked hiking route

  5. 5

    tält

    tent

    Tip: used with 'tälta' as a verb

  6. 6

    eld

    fire

    Tip: 'brasa' is the cosy fire, 'eld' the element

  7. 7

    bär

    berry

    Tip: same form in singular and plural

  8. 8

    svamp

    mushroom

    Tip: also means 'sponge'

  9. 9

    mygga

    mosquito

    Tip: plural 'myggor', collectively 'mygg'

  10. 10

    karta

    map

    Tip: 'på kartan' = on the map

  11. 11

    kompass

    compass

    Tip: still on every scout's packing list

  12. 12

    ryggsäck

    rucksack

    Tip: lit. 'back-sack'

  13. 13

    känga

    boot

    Tip: plural 'kängor' — what you actually wear

  14. 14

    strand

    beach

    Tip: any shoreline, lake or sea

  15. 15

    klippa

    rock

    Tip: a cliff or big rock you sunbathe on

  16. 16

    mossa

    moss

    Tip: what the forest floor is made of

  17. 17

    äng

    meadow

    Tip: an open flowering field

  18. 18

    åker

    field

    Tip: a cultivated field — do not walk across it

  19. 19

    staket

    fence

    Tip: marks where the right to roam stops

  20. 20

    grind

    gate

    Tip: close it behind you

  21. 21

    ko

    cow

    Tip: plural 'kor'; keep the dog away

  22. 22

    hund

    dog

    Tip: 'kopplad' = on a lead

  23. 23

    koppel

    lead

    Tip: the dog lead

  24. 24

    skräp

    litter

    Tip: also 'rubbish' generally

  25. 25

    papperskorg

    bin

    Tip: lit. 'paper basket'

  26. 26

    båt

    boat

    Tip: rowing boats are everywhere

  27. 27

    brygga

    jetty

    Tip: the wooden pier you jump off

  28. 28

    träd

    tree

    Tip: 'ett träd', plural 'träd'

  29. 29

    tall

    pine

    Tip: the tall straight one

  30. 30

    gran

    spruce

    Tip: also the Christmas tree

  31. 31

    björk

    birch

    Tip: white bark, everywhere

  32. 32

    gren

    branch

    Tip: 'en gren'

  33. 33

    rot

    root

    Tip: what you trip on

  34. 34

    löv

    leaf

    Tip: 'ett löv', plural 'löv'

  35. 35

    gräs

    grass

    Tip: 'klippa gräset'

  36. 36

    blomma

    flower

    Tip: 'plocka blommor'

  37. 37

    sten

    stone

    Tip: also a common surname

  38. 38

    backe

    hill

    Tip: also a slope for sledging

  39. 39

    berg

    mountain

    Tip: 'fjäll' for the northern ones

  40. 40

    dal

    valley

    Tip: as in Dalarna

  41. 41

    älv

    river

    Tip: the big northern rivers

  42. 42

    bäck

    stream

    Tip: 'många bäckar små'

  43. 43

    myr

    bog

    Tip: where the cloudberries are

  44. 44

    skogsväg

    forest path

    Tip: wide enough for a car

  45. 45

    glänta

    clearing

    Tip: a lovely word

  46. 46

    fågel

    bird

    Tip: plural 'fåglar'

  47. 47

    älg

    elk

    Tip: the king of the forest