B2Swedish·50 cards

Swedish Design

Funktionalism, formgivning, ljust och luftigt — the look and the ideas behind it.

Swedish design's whole story: funkis and skönhet åt alla, Glasriket and falu red, the flat-pack and its leftover screw — hållbarhet som den riktiga traditionen.

Photo: Taha Yasir Yöney on Pexels

1
formgivning
design
Tip: lit. 'form-giving' — the Swedish word.
2
en formgivare
a designer
Tip: lit. the same.
3
funktionalism
functionalism
Tip: lit. the same — 'funkis' for short.
4
form följer funktion
form follows function
Tip: lit. the same.
5
skönhet åt alla
beauty for all
Tip: lit. the same — Ellen Key, 1899, the founding idea.
6
vackrare vardagsvara
more beautiful everyday things
Tip: lit. the same — the 1919 slogan.
7
god formgivning ska vara överkomlig
good design should be affordable
Tip: lit. the same.
8
en demokratisk design
a democratic design
Tip: lit. the same.
9
ljust och luftigt
light and airy
Tip: lit. the same — the estate-agent phrase and the aesthetic.
10
ett ljust träslag
a light wood
Tip: lit. the same — birch, pine, ash.
11
en vit vägg
a white wall
Tip: lit. the same.
12
ett stort fönster
a large window
Tip: lit. the same — because the light is scarce.
13
ett ljus i fönstret
a candle in the window
Tip: lit. the same.
14
en adventsstjärna
an advent star
Tip: lit. the same — in every window in December.
15
rena linjer
clean lines
Tip: lit. the same.
16
ingen utsmyckning
no ornament
Tip: lit. the same.
17
naturmaterial
natural materials
Tip: lit. the same.
18
obehandlat trä
untreated wood
Tip: lit. the same.
19
linne och ull
linen and wool
Tip: lit. the same.
20
en dämpad färgskala
a muted palette
Tip: lit. the same.
21
en färgklick
a splash of colour
Tip: lit. the same — one, carefully placed.
22
ett platt paket
a flat-pack
Tip: lit. the same.
23
en insexnyckel
an allen key
Tip: lit. the same.
24
instruktioner utan ord
instructions without words
Tip: lit. the same.
25
en skruv över
one screw left over
Tip: lit. the same — always.
26
ett glasbruk
a glassworks
Tip: lit. the same — Orrefors, Kosta Boda.
27
Glasriket
the kingdom of crystal
Tip: lit. the same — the glass district in Småland.
28
ett munblåst glas
a mouth-blown glass
Tip: lit. the same.
29
en porslinsfabrik
a porcelain factory
Tip: lit. the same — Gustavsberg, Rörstrand.
30
en klassisk servis
a classic dinner service
Tip: lit. the same.
31
ärvd av en mormor
inherited from a grandmother
Tip: lit. the same.
32
ett textiltryck
a textile print
Tip: lit. the same.
33
ett djärvt blommönster
a bold floral pattern
Tip: lit. the same.
34
en dalahäst
a wooden horse
Tip: lit. 'a Dala horse' — painted red, from Dalarna.
35
en nationalsymbol av en slump
a national symbol by accident
Tip: lit. the same.
36
en röd stuga med vita knutar
a red cottage with white trim
Tip: lit. the same — the image of Sweden.
37
falu rödfärg
falu red paint
Tip: lit. the same — a by-product of the copper mine.
38
en sommarstugekänsla
a summer house look
Tip: lit. the same.
39
ett konstnärshem
a painter's home
Tip: lit. the same — Carl and Karin Larsson's, at Sundborn.
40
som formade hela idealet
which shaped the whole ideal
Tip: lit. the same.
41
en modern klassiker
a modern classic
Tip: lit. the same.
42
fortfarande i produktion
still in production
Tip: lit. the same — after seventy years.
43
en fåtölj från 1949
an armchair from 1949
Tip: lit. the same.
44
en lampa alla känner igen
a lamp everyone recognises
Tip: lit. the same.
45
hållbarhet som design
sustainability as design
Tip: lit. the same.
46
köpa en gång
to buy once
Tip: lit. the same.
47
och behålla i trettio år
and keep for thirty years
Tip: lit. the same.
48
vilket är den riktiga traditionen
which is the real tradition
Tip: lit. the same.
49
inte det platta paketet
not the flat-pack
Tip: lit. the same.
50
även om det också är Sverige
though that is also Sweden
Tip: lit. the same.