Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #277226 in Books
• Published on: 1979-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780486208121
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

A Good Fun Guide to Swedish
I actually purchased this book a few years ago. As a high school student into Swedish culture, I bought this book because it looked fun and easy to read. I was very impressed with this pocket sized text.

I felt as though I started learning Swedish right away. I learned my phone number, days of the week and greetings. I taught my friends. They all borrowed the book.

I went to Sweden and Finland about a year later. I found it useful. It is not the be all and end all of the Swedish language by any means, but I loved it. I do wish it had an audio tape.

I lost the book recently and I have decided to repurchase the same book because I have found none better for the price and quick information it provided.

Rather outdated Swedish
I suspect it has been some time since the author visited Sweden or even watched a Swedish movie. A quick glance through the phrases and translations gives me the feel of reading a novel from the 1940s. Using these phrases in Sweden will make you seem either comical or positively moronic.
A few examples: Hardly anyone uses the antiquated polite form "Ni" any more. It might even be taken as an insult. This book uses it consistently. No Swede would ever say "Var så god och ge mig resväskan", which translates to something like "You had better give me that suitcase". The translation of "may I introduce miss Svensson" will sound hilarious in modern Sweden, unless you are auditioning for a part in a period movie from the second world war. If you are in search of an adaptor and ask for a "transformator" as suggested in this book, you would probably just get funny looks.
Surely it must be possible to come up with something better than this?
(For your information, I am Swedish.)

Small but powerful
A good way to get familiar with Swedish if you are a beginner. This book contains practical phrases for a variety of situations. The pronunication of every word is written underneath each phrase phonetically, which is especially helpful/needed when learning Swedish. A handy little book, and even if you end up using it as a coaster you still haven't lost at this price!