"We eat dinner."
Translation:Vi äter middag.
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Middag sounds very much like midday so I wonder, if it really means dinner and not lunch. Or is it a meal in general ?
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"middag" is literally the Dutch word for "afternoon". As a native Dutch speaker, this Swedish meaning is mighty confusing.
I'm learning Dutch on DL, and i too was like, wait, midday? That can't be right...
Language is so amazing, and has a sense of irony to it sometimes.
Peace!
- 665
"Middag" used to be the meal you had at midday (and still is in some areas away from Stockholm) and in the evening you had "kvällsmat" or "kvällsvard". I think it changed when they removed Saturday school, so that you only had 5 school days per week (and so the newly borrowed English word lunch fit with on letter for each day on the school schedules instead of the six-letter middag which was used for the schedules with sixs days) back in the 50s. I still use "middag" as the meal at midday.
middag is used for dinner. while lunch is used for lunch (as in the afternoon meal). it can be confusing but that's how they use these words now (as in modern standards) if you need more info you can use this article: https://forum.duolingo.com/comment/6176753
Think of the English word "meal" for "måltid", they both contain an L. Middag doesn't.
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I wrote down "Vi äter kvällsmat", but Duolingo thought it to be wrong. From the link in the top comment in this discussion 'kvällsmat' should be correct. Or is there something missing in my logic?
- 665
I agree with you - "Vi äter kvällsmat" ought to be a valid translation, as "kvällsmat" is what I (as a Swede) eat in the evening (and I use it even if I have a three dish meal in the evening). I eat "middag" at noon, and I never eat "lunch". Some Swedes eat "lunch" at noon and "middag" in the evening (which I always find completely absurd, but I know the concept exists), so both "middag" and "kvällsmat" ought to be accepted translations of "dinner".
ät is the imperative. Ät upp maten! 'Eat your food!'
äta is the infinitive. Jag tycker om att äta 'I like to eat'.
Middagen = the dinner. Here it's in the indefinite, and should be translated as such.
"Dinner" is eaten in the evening. In English English, the midday meal is lunch.
- 665
Indeed, and "kvällsmat" ought to be accepted as translation of "dinner" as some Swedes (myself included) use "kvällsmat" for the big meal eaten in the evening (and "middag" for the meal eaten at noon). Some Swedes use "lunch" for what they eat at noon and "middag" for the meal they have in the evening (absurd concept from my point of view, but definitely used), which is probably the reason why they have "middag" as the translation of "dinner" here.
Sometimes people ask me "Ska vi äta middag nu?" ("Are we going to have dinner now?") and I answer "Nej, det åt jag för sex timmar sen." ("No, I had that six hours ago."). Those people usually give me a scowl and add "Äh, skärp dig - du vet vad vi menar!" (Oh, come on - you know what we meant!), and all this confusion because some people moved "middag" to the evening... :-)
It sounds OK to me, but here's a pronunciation by a native speaker: http://sv.forvo.com/search-sv/%C3%A4ter/
It varies a lot of course, but maybe in general an hour or so after they get home from work.
I see why you ask, I get that idea too... But I am guessing is not in "the middle of the day". ;)
Lol "when do swidish people eat the middag? Swedish and eat middag im pretty sure :)
