Casual Outdoors Slang
How Swedes actually talk about a day in the forest — käk, ryggan, dyngsur, vischan.
How Swedes actually talk outdoors: vischan and ryggan, käk and brygg, dyngsur and helt körd — trött men nöjd, vi gör om det snart.
- 1
vischan
the middle of nowhere
Tip: casual, affectionate; nobody says this in writing
- 2
dra ut på landet
to head out to the countryside
Tip: casual, universal
- 3
en tur
a walk / a trip out
Tip: casual; covers everything from a stroll to a day hike
- 4
tälta över
to camp overnight
Tip: casual
- 5
ett dopp
a quick dip
Tip: casual; the national summer verb
- 6
prylar
gear and stuff
Tip: casual; mildly dismissive of equipment
- 7
ryggan
a rucksack
Tip: youth, casual; short for ryggsäck
- 8
käk
food / grub
Tip: casual, all ages
- 9
käka
to eat
Tip: casual, extremely common
- 10
brygg
brewed coffee
Tip: casual; the thermos kind
- 11
myggen
the mosquitoes
Tip: casual; always plural, always complained about
- 12
knott
midges
Tip: neutral-casual; worse than mosquitoes, ask any Norrlänning
- 13
dyngsur
soaked to the skin
Tip: casual, mildly crude (dynga = dung)
- 14
skitkallt
freezing cold
Tip: casual, mildly vulgar prefix skit-
- 15
helt körd
absolutely knackered
Tip: casual
- 16
mysigt
cosy
Tip: neutral-casual; the most Swedish word there is
- 17
en brasa
an open fire
Tip: neutral-casual
- 18
chilla
to chill out
Tip: youth, casual; English loan
- 19
grymt
awesome
Tip: casual; literally 'cruel'
- 20
asnajs
super nice
Tip: youth, casual
- 21
landet
the countryside
Tip: casual; 'ute på landet'
- 22
en genväg
a shortcut
Tip: neutral-casual
- 23
packa lätt
to pack light
Tip: casual
- 24
kängorna
boots
Tip: casual
- 25
en fästing
a tick
Tip: neutral; checked for every evening in summer
- 26
bränd
sunburnt
Tip: casual; short for solbränd in this sense
- 27
ha det asbra
to have a blast
Tip: youth, casual
- 28
en koja
a hut
Tip: casual; also a child's den
- 29
skogen
the woods
Tip: neutral; where Swedes go to be alone
- 30
en rejäl vandring
a proper hike
Tip: casual
- 31
en sväng
a stroll
Tip: casual; lit. 'a turn'
- 32
prylgalen
gear-obsessed
Tip: casual, teasing
- 33
en vindtygsjacka
a windproof jacket
Tip: neutral-casual
- 34
regnbyxor
rain trousers
Tip: neutral; nobody in Sweden mocks them
- 35
stövlar
wellies
Tip: casual
- 36
ullstrumpor
woolly socks
Tip: casual; the real luxury
- 37
en kaffetermos
a flask of coffee
Tip: casual
- 38
en macka
a sandwich
Tip: casual, universal
- 39
studentmat
trail mix
Tip: casual; lit. 'student food'
- 40
käka nåt snabbt
to grab a bite
Tip: casual
- 41
stekhett
boiling hot
Tip: casual
- 42
blöt in på bara skinnet
drenched
Tip: casual; lit. 'wet in to the bare skin'
- 43
lerig
muddy
Tip: neutral-casual
- 44
en genväg som blev en senväg
a shortcut that wasn't
Tip: casual; a Swedish pun — 'short way' became 'late way'
- 45
trött men nöjd
knackered but happy
Tip: casual
- 46
en riktigt bra dag
a proper day out
Tip: casual
- 47
vi gör om det snart
same again soon
Tip: casual