I moved to Sweden recently and am discovering just how embarrassing this is for me. People will be chattering in Swedish and I don’t know if there’s a good time for me to jump in if I have to ask someone about something and I feel like an asshole just wandering in possibly mid sentence. Or someone sees me trying to pay attention and they all switch to English. I’m trying to learn Swedish but I’ve only ever known English and it’s difficult getting my brain to hold on to all the new words
We swedes do have that annoying habit of just switching to English because its easier. Feel free to remind people that you’re trying to learn Swedish and most people will understand and be helpful.
Most the yuros do. And then they’ll blast you for it behind your back. It’s a continent problem. Y’all lack the context of not needing a common language and it being the default. There is simply little value here beyond academics and arguably some added cultural context. And them of course politeness gets in the way of practice.
Hi! I moved to Denmark in 2024, and have some similar experience with this as Danes are quick to switch to English too. I’m hard at work language learning as I’m sure you are. Scandinavians have great English and also like to have even social ground rather than the high ground of being better in their language. Good recipe for them switching to English.
I guess what little advice I have is try all the time in Swedish, tell friends and coworkers and such that you wanna practice. be comfy failing :) good luck!
Norwegian in Denmark here, I mostly understand Danish and they mostly understand me but my impression is that even the Danes appreciate getting a break from Danish now and then.
The most common expression you’ll hear on the streets of Denmark is “hva sier du?” - “what are you saying”. Because they don’t even understand each other.
I moved to Sweden recently and am discovering just how embarrassing this is for me. People will be chattering in Swedish and I don’t know if there’s a good time for me to jump in if I have to ask someone about something and I feel like an asshole just wandering in possibly mid sentence. Or someone sees me trying to pay attention and they all switch to English. I’m trying to learn Swedish but I’ve only ever known English and it’s difficult getting my brain to hold on to all the new words
We swedes do have that annoying habit of just switching to English because its easier. Feel free to remind people that you’re trying to learn Swedish and most people will understand and be helpful.
Most the yuros do. And then they’ll blast you for it behind your back. It’s a continent problem. Y’all lack the context of not needing a common language and it being the default. There is simply little value here beyond academics and arguably some added cultural context. And them of course politeness gets in the way of practice.
No worries it also happens to us while speaking our third language in another country.
Hi! I moved to Denmark in 2024, and have some similar experience with this as Danes are quick to switch to English too. I’m hard at work language learning as I’m sure you are. Scandinavians have great English and also like to have even social ground rather than the high ground of being better in their language. Good recipe for them switching to English.
I guess what little advice I have is try all the time in Swedish, tell friends and coworkers and such that you wanna practice. be comfy failing :) good luck!
I’m swedish and the danes switch to English with me too 😖
That’s just cause they forgot how to say kamelåså
Norwegian in Denmark here, I mostly understand Danish and they mostly understand me but my impression is that even the Danes appreciate getting a break from Danish now and then.
The most common expression you’ll hear on the streets of Denmark is “hva sier du?” - “what are you saying”. Because they don’t even understand each other.
Finn here: just because Danes switch to English, doesn’t mean they’re easier to understand /j