17 Comments
Damn, I hate it when as a german speaker I translate "öl" to "oil", from time to time instead to "beer". :-D
I keep mixing those up too! (English speaker, just not that smart lol) You'd think the context would make it clear, but then they say things like "He drinks oil..."
In another thread someone pointed out that Swedes also use the word ale when being specific about the type of beer.
I'd say vodka and snaps, as far as tradition goes and in terms of what Sweden has produced historically. But when I visited, it seemed like beer (especially the big Swedish and Danish brands) and wine were definitely the most popular. One must buy any bottled beverage over 3.5% ABV at the government-run Systembolaget stores, but it's a pretty good monopoly in the sense that there's a very wide selection and a usually very attentive staff, and word is they'll special order almost anything if they don't have it in stock. Also, craft beer seemed to be really catching on, so, at least from my experience, the Swedes are very open to beer from all over the world. I was super-happy finding good Michigan beer in Sweden!
In English, the majority would (collectively) want beer. In Swedish are collective nouns treated as singular? Or is the majority being treated as a concept rather than as multiple people?
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Automatically I wrote The majority wants beer, so I guess that I treated the majority as a singular, 1 collection (of people).
I know that's not how it is, but my brain automatically translates this as "the majority will have beer", as if a politician is making promises to the people in order to get elected!
