Idioms About Growing Up
Swedish idioms for maturing, rebelling and finding your feet.
Growing-up idioms, both generations covered: flyga ut and testa gränserna, the sulk-and-repair cycle — njut medan de är små.
- 1
växa upp
to grow up
Tip: lit. the same.
- 2
bli myndig
to come of age
Tip: lit. 'become legally competent' — at eighteen.
- 3
stå på egna ben
to stand on your own two feet
Tip: lit. the same.
- 4
flyga ut
to leave the nest
Tip: lit. 'to fly out'.
- 5
klippa navelsträngen
to cut the apron strings
Tip: lit. 'cut the umbilical cord'.
- 6
vara mammas gosse
to be tied to the apron strings
Tip: lit. 'be mummy's boy'.
- 7
pröva vingarna
to spread your wings
Tip: lit. 'test your wings'.
- 8
finna sig till rätta
to find your feet
Tip: lit. the same.
- 9
veta vad man vill
to know your own mind
Tip: lit. the same.
- 10
vara sin egen
to be your own person
Tip: lit. the same.
- 11
gå sin egen väg
to go your own way
Tip: lit. the same.
- 12
följa strömmen
to follow the crowd
Tip: lit. 'follow the current'.
- 13
simma mot strömmen
to swim against the tide
Tip: lit. the same.
- 14
sticka ut
to stick out
Tip: lit. the same.
- 15
passa in
to fit in
Tip: lit. the same.
- 16
grupptryck
peer pressure
Tip: lit. 'group pressure'.
- 17
komma på villovägar
to be led astray
Tip: lit. 'come onto wrong paths'.
- 18
testa gränserna
to test the boundaries
Tip: lit. the same.
- 19
tänja på gränsen
to push your luck
Tip: lit. 'stretch the boundary'.
- 20
komma undan med det
to get away with it
Tip: lit. the same.
- 21
ta konsekvenserna
to face the music
Tip: lit. 'take the consequences'.
- 22
lära sig den hårda vägen
to learn the hard way
Tip: lit. the same.
- 23
bränna sig
to burn your fingers
Tip: lit. 'to burn oneself'.
- 24
bränt barn skyr elden
once bitten twice shy
Tip: lit. 'a burnt child avoids the fire'.
- 25
vara ung och dum
to be young and foolish
Tip: lit. the same.
- 26
ungdomen slösas på de unga
youth is wasted on the young
Tip: lit. the same.
- 27
vara full av sig själv
to be full of yourself
Tip: lit. the same.
- 28
landa på jorden
to come down to earth
Tip: lit. the same.
- 29
gå omkring och tycka synd om sig
to have a chip on your shoulder
Tip: lit. 'walk around feeling sorry for oneself'.
- 30
tjura
to sulk
Tip: lit. the same.
- 31
ge någon tyst behandling
to give someone the silent treatment
Tip: lit. the same.
- 32
göra en scen
to make a scene
Tip: lit. the same.
- 33
brusa upp
to blow up
Tip: lit. the same.
- 34
lugna ner sig
to calm down
Tip: lit. the same.
- 35
reda ut det
to clear the air
Tip: lit. 'sort it out'.
- 36
be om ursäkt först
to say sorry first
Tip: lit. the same.
- 37
begrava stridsyxan
to bury the hatchet
Tip: lit. the same.
- 38
vända blad
to turn over a new leaf
Tip: lit. 'turn a page'.
- 39
skärpa till sig
to knuckle down
Tip: lit. 'sharpen oneself up'.
- 40
ta sig i kragen
to pull your socks up
Tip: lit. 'take oneself by the collar'.
- 41
få ordning på sitt liv
to get your act together
Tip: lit. the same.
- 42
växa in i det
to grow into it
Tip: lit. the same.
- 43
bli sig själv
to become yourself
Tip: lit. the same.
- 44
lik sin far
a chip off the old block
Tip: lit. 'like his father'.
- 45
äpplet faller inte långt från trädet
the apple doesn't fall far
Tip: lit. the same.
- 46
känna igen sig
to see yourself in them
Tip: lit. 'to recognise oneself'.
- 47
vilket är skrämmande
which is frightening
Tip: lit. the same.
- 48
och ganska fantastiskt
and rather wonderful
Tip: lit. the same.
- 49
tiden går fort
time flies
Tip: lit. the same.
- 50
njut medan de är små
enjoy them while they're small
Tip: lit. the same — what everyone says.