Swedish Titles Appropriate Usage?

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mrbicrevise Sunday 07th of August 2005 09:22:07 PM
Titles - I've finally managed to get myself a 'Teach Yourself' guide to Swedish, and, because I've never been to Sweden, was wondering if you'd use a title (Herr, Fru, etc.) by default, or whether it depends upon something like how well you know the people with whom you’re speaking?

Rikard Sunday 07th of August 2005 10:05:01 PM
- Unless it's not a very formal occation you use the second person [i]du[/i] (you - singular)

mrbicrevise Sunday 07th of August 2005 11:57:37 PM
- [quote][i]Originally posted by Hoogard[/i]

Unless it's not a very formal occation you use the second person [i]du[/i] (you - singular)[/quote]

Ah, thanks. So addressing a passer-by with something like: "Hej, tarar du engelska?" would be perfectly fine?

Psyche Monday 08th of August 2005 12:09:00 AM
- You could possibly say "unnskyld meg, talar du engelska". That`s more polite to say to a passer-by, but people would think it was odd if you were more polite than that :p

mrbicrevise Monday 08th of August 2005 12:25:01 AM
- Cheers, hopefully I'll be able to avoid a few weird looks now :)

D Monday 08th of August 2005 01:26:50 AM
- [quote][i]Originally posted by Psyche[/i]"unnskyld meg, talar du engelska".[/quote]
That'd be...Norwedish. ;) Try "[i]ursäkta mig[/i], talar du engelska?" ;) :)

Psyche Monday 08th of August 2005 01:41:58 AM
- Yes, I know :D

I didn`t remember the Swedish one, so Mrbicrevise, go for D`s version :p

Rikard Monday 08th of August 2005 03:20:08 AM
- And you could add a Hej in the beginnign as well.

[i]Hej! Ursäkta mig men talar du (möjligtvis) engelska?[/i]

D Monday 08th of August 2005 04:18:09 AM
- That too, yes. :)

In any event, it does seem like an awful lot of trouble to learn a Swedish phrase that deep down means 'could we communicate in English after all?' :D :D

Rikard Monday 08th of August 2005 05:21:17 AM
- you could also try asking them in english :D

But be careful. Most swedes would be very suprised by such an inquary and may need some time to get into flow of speaking a foreign language in their own yard :)

mrbicrevise Monday 08th of August 2005 08:43:30 PM
- [quote][i]Originally posted by Hoogard[/i]

you could also try asking them in english :D

But be careful. Most swedes would be very suprised by such an inquary and may need some time to get into flow of speaking a foreign language in their own yard :)[/quote]

Hopefully I'll be so well prepared by the time I visit that I'll never need to use it. :) Really, though, I was interested in how important addressing people in a formal way was, etc.

Rikard Monday 08th of August 2005 10:15:15 PM
- Actually is not very important at all. We are a very informal people. Often it's the other way around that a boss would like to be just "one of the team" rather than a leader giving orders etc.

mrbicrevise Tuesday 09th of August 2005 12:19:43 AM
- Still, a boss trying to be 'one of the team'? Can't help but picture David Brent...

(N.B. May not make any sense if you've never seen 'The Office')

Rikard Tuesday 09th of August 2005 02:10:30 AM
- I know of it but i've never watched it.

mrbicrevise Tuesday 09th of August 2005 03:34:00 PM
- [quote][i]Originally posted by mrbicrevise[/i]

Still, a boss trying to be 'one of the team'? Can't help but picture David Brent...

(N.B. May not make any sense if you've never seen 'The Office')[/quote]

Ah, then you should try and catch an episode at some point -- it's one of the shows that you'll either really love or [i]really[/i] hate.

Phrasebase Archive
	mrbicrevise	Sunday 07th of August 2005 09:22:07 PM
	Titles - I've finally managed to get myself a 'Teach Yourself' guide to Swedish, and, because I've never been to Sweden, was wondering if you'd use a title (Herr, Fru, etc.) by default, or whether it depends upon something like how well you know the people with whom you’re speaking?
	Rikard	Sunday 07th of August 2005 10:05:01 PM
	- Unless it's not a very formal occation you use the second person [i]du[/i] (you - singular)
	mrbicrevise	Sunday 07th of August 2005 11:57:37 PM
	- [quote][i]Originally posted by Hoogard[/i] Unless it's not a very formal occation you use the second person [i]du[/i] (you - singular)[/quote] Ah, thanks. So addressing a passer-by with something like: "Hej, tarar du engelska?" would be perfectly fine?
	Psyche	Monday 08th of August 2005 12:09:00 AM
	- You could possibly say "unnskyld meg, talar du engelska". That`s more polite to say to a passer-by, but people would think it was odd if you were more polite than that :p
	mrbicrevise	Monday 08th of August 2005 12:25:01 AM
	- Cheers, hopefully I'll be able to avoid a few weird looks now :)
	D	Monday 08th of August 2005 01:26:50 AM
	- [quote][i]Originally posted by Psyche[/i]"unnskyld meg, talar du engelska".[/quote] That'd be...Norwedish. ;) Try "[i]ursäkta mig[/i], talar du engelska?" ;) :)
	Psyche	Monday 08th of August 2005 01:41:58 AM
	- Yes, I know :D I didn`t remember the Swedish one, so Mrbicrevise, go for D`s version :p
	Rikard	Monday 08th of August 2005 03:20:08 AM
	- And you could add a Hej in the beginnign as well. [i]Hej! Ursäkta mig men talar du (möjligtvis) engelska?[/i]
	D	Monday 08th of August 2005 04:18:09 AM
	- That too, yes. :) In any event, it does seem like an awful lot of trouble to learn a Swedish phrase that deep down means 'could we communicate in English after all?' :D :D
	Rikard	Monday 08th of August 2005 05:21:17 AM
	- you could also try asking them in english :D But be careful. Most swedes would be very suprised by such an inquary and may need some time to get into flow of speaking a foreign language in their own yard :)
	mrbicrevise	Monday 08th of August 2005 08:43:30 PM
	- [quote][i]Originally posted by Hoogard[/i] you could also try asking them in english :D But be careful. Most swedes would be very suprised by such an inquary and may need some time to get into flow of speaking a foreign language in their own yard :)[/quote] Hopefully I'll be so well prepared by the time I visit that I'll never need to use it. :) Really, though, I was interested in how important addressing people in a formal way was, etc.
	Rikard	Monday 08th of August 2005 10:15:15 PM
	- Actually is not very important at all. We are a very informal people. Often it's the other way around that a boss would like to be just "one of the team" rather than a leader giving orders etc.
	mrbicrevise	Tuesday 09th of August 2005 12:19:43 AM
	- Still, a boss trying to be 'one of the team'? Can't help but picture David Brent... (N.B. May not make any sense if you've never seen 'The Office')
	Rikard	Tuesday 09th of August 2005 02:10:30 AM
	- I know of it but i've never watched it.
	mrbicrevise	Tuesday 09th of August 2005 03:34:00 PM
	- [quote][i]Originally posted by mrbicrevise[/i] Still, a boss trying to be 'one of the team'? Can't help but picture David Brent... (N.B. May not make any sense if you've never seen 'The Office')[/quote] Ah, then you should try and catch an episode at some point -- it's one of the shows that you'll either really love or [i]really[/i] hate.