"Det är inte svårt att prata svenska."
Translation:It is not difficult to speak Swedish.
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2776
Compared to German, with three genders and four cases, I'll take Swedish any day :P. (It's also a much prettier language)
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Allow me to disagree. This sentence is about speaking. Though German grammar may be sometimes more complicated, the pronunciation is quite straightforward, compared to other languages I know (like English, French or Breton) or am currently learning (eg Swedish). Of course, if you compare to Danisch, speaking Swedish seems quite easy ;-)
But if you know Swedish then German will be easier and a lot of fun because of all the interesting similarities. Besides - German is a really nice language, too. It is sad that people only tend to think of it as harsh or angry when it can be completely different too. Why not give it a try here? :)
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The grammar is relatively straightforward for an English speaker, but the pronunciation can be tricky. Trying to navigate those vowels can feel like a tongue-twister.
A friend of mine who is fluent and lived in Sweden for a while was helping me with sjuksköterska. At one point she said to me that I could always tell people I studied Stockholm Swedish. Apparently the pronunciation there is easier for english speakers.
And that's a filthy, filthy lie! :p Though the language isn't difficult, I don't think, speaking it (at least for my portuguese-speaking self) is not so easy...
just, men det är svårt att förstå språket; orden är alla korta och lika varandra
Is there some kind of semantic nuance that makes this "att prata" rather than "att tala", or are they interchangable here?
I disagree. The speaking is difficult. It's a great shame there isn't a slow version here, as that would give me a chance with those vowels.
At the moment there are sounds I coudn't pronounce if my life depended on it. :D As a German, who has learned quite some French, is fluent in English I'd say more than 80 per cent of the sounds one has to make in order to speak Swedish are perfectly fine and doable =)
In terms of languages my rule of thumb is the following: If it sounds wrong to you ... it's probably correct :D Single words may be the same in quite a few cases ... but one whole sentence should never ever have the same sound and rythm as a German sentence. There's a 99 per cent chance you've done something wrong^^
So what are the circumstances for needing the 'att'. Also if you were to forget it would it still make sense
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There is a fundamental error in the sentence. It should read 'Det är MYCKET svårt att prata svenska.'
Such different attitude: German course – "Deutsche Sprache, schwere Sprache." Swedish course – "Det är inte svårt att prata svenska."
Det stämmer inte, at least for me for now, but thank you for encouragement, I'll keep working on it :)
To be fair, though, the German phrase is an idiom mainly used ironically. :)
Agreed, that IS how the German idiom is used, usually with a twinkle in the eye!
Hmm... As a German we use "Deutsche Sprache, schwere Sprache" rather as it is, not so much ironically. We use it when someone (a native German) speaks or writes incorrect German (which happens often). Jokingly, but not ironically. I don't know many Germans with near-perfect German usage ability. I am pretty good and still have to check with the Duden often. ;-)
Exactly - a native making an error is ironic in one of the common definitions of irony. As per wiktionary:
Contrary or opposite to what may be expected.
So that's the sense Harold and I mean. :)
I tend to differ. It is very much expected. Not unexpected at all. :)
(I thought you mean by ironic, that the German language is not difficult, when using the idiom.)
In that context it is meant to be that it is difficult.
I'll admit it's not really a clear-cut case, but to me, prata på svenska can have a connotation of just saying things in Swedish rather than using words carrying meaning in a dialogue.
Well, if you're used to speaking Afrikaans with hard and clear sounds and no singing, then it is very difficult to speak this mumbling language called Svenska.
We need to remember that everyone is different and what may seem easy to one person is difficult for another. Everyone has different experiences with different languages and how they have originally learnt a language. Also, everyones brain is different. I personally find it hard with the knowing when to use Att and not and understanding them is so hard. I have been listening to my wife who is native swedish for years and only now am I starting to understand her in Swedish. The key is persisitence, practice and never give up attitude.
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Yes, it is not difficult to speak Swedish with yourself. Getting Swedes to speak Swedish with you, on the other hand, is nearly impossible. (:
I wrote "speaking Swedish is not difficult" but it was rejected... Can someone please tell me why?