Booze Slang: Bärs, Bakis & Förfest
The unofficial vocabulary of a Swedish Friday — systemet, bärs, förfest and everything after.
Booze slang, förfest to bakisfrukost: bärs and boxen, the helicopter, the regretted texts — en läsk istället, sometimes.
- 1
en bärs
a beer
Tip: casual, all ages; the default informal word for beer
- 2
en starkis
a strong beer
Tip: casual; anything above the supermarket 3.5%
- 3
boxen
boxed wine
Tip: casual, extremely common in Swedish homes
- 4
sprit
hard liquor
Tip: neutral-casual; covers everything strong
- 5
en shot
a shot
Tip: youth, casual; 'en snaps' is the traditional alternative
- 6
bli packad
to get drunk
Tip: casual; literally 'get packed'
- 7
full
drunk
Tip: neutral-casual; the base word
- 8
asfull
completely hammered
Tip: casual, mildly vulgar prefix as-
- 9
bakis
hungover
Tip: casual, universal
- 10
förfesta
to have pre-drinks
Tip: youth, casual; drinking at home before going out
- 11
förfest
pre-drinks
Tip: youth, casual; a fixture of Swedish nightlife
- 12
efterfest
the after-party
Tip: youth, casual
- 13
en festprisse
a party animal
Tip: casual, slightly teasing
- 14
festa loss
to party hard
Tip: casual
- 15
fredagsmys
cosy Friday night in
Tip: casual, universal; snacks, sofa, TV
- 16
en billig fylla
a cheap drunk
Tip: casual, teasing between friends
- 17
systemet
the state liquor store
Tip: casual; nobody says the full name Systembolaget
- 18
sticka till systemet
to nip out to the liquor store
Tip: casual
- 19
leg-koll
an ID check
Tip: casual; 'leg' is short for legitimation
- 20
Har du leg?
Have you got ID?
Tip: casual; what you'll be asked if you look under 25
- 21
hembränt
moonshine
Tip: casual; home-distilled, illegal but well known
- 22
smuggelsprit
smuggled booze
Tip: neutral-casual
- 23
en burk
a can
Tip: casual
- 24
pant
deposit on cans and bottles
Tip: neutral; universal in Sweden
- 25
nykter
sober
Tip: neutral
- 26
helt borta
totally out of it
Tip: casual
- 27
bakisfrukost
a hangover breakfast
Tip: youth, casual
- 28
en drink
a cocktail
Tip: neutral-casual; 'drink' only means a mixed drink
- 29
rödtjut
red wine
Tip: casual, jokey
- 30
lådvin
boxed wine
Tip: casual, universal
- 31
en fyra
a four-centilitre measure
Tip: casual; how spirits are ordered
- 32
salongsberusad
pleasantly tipsy
Tip: casual; lit. 'salon-drunk', charmingly polite
- 33
kanonfull
absolutely hammered
Tip: casual; lit. 'cannon-drunk'
- 34
utslagen
wrecked
Tip: casual
- 35
spy
to throw up
Tip: casual, blunt
- 36
helikoptern
the spins
Tip: casual; lit. 'the helicopter'
- 37
bakisbot
a hangover cure
Tip: casual
- 38
fet mat
greasy food
Tip: casual; the cure, allegedly
- 39
en kebab klockan tre
a kebab at three in the morning
Tip: casual; a Swedish night out has a fixed ending
- 40
nattbussen
the night bus
Tip: neutral-casual
- 41
nyktra till i taxin
to sober up in the taxi
Tip: casual
- 42
meddelandena från i går
the messages you sent last night
Tip: casual, ominous
- 43
ångra sina sms
to regret your texts
Tip: casual
- 44
lova att aldrig mer
to swear off it forever
Tip: casual; lasts until Friday
- 45
vit månad
an alcohol-free month
Tip: neutral-casual; lit. 'white month', the Swedish dry January
- 46
ta en paus från spriten
to take a break from booze
Tip: casual
- 47
en läsk istället
a soft drink instead
Tip: casual