- Forum >
- Topic: Swedish >
- "Tröjan är för stor för mig."
40 Comments
1493
It's one of the most ambiguous words of the Swedish languages… it is also a noun meaning stem or prow, of a boat, a verb meaning lead, it's a preposition with a lot of different uses, an adverb meaning among other things being for something as opposed to against it, a conjunction meaning because…
1493
They did on Ukrainian and Irish. You might find this thread interesting: https://www.duolingo.com/comment/4134876
So, is this correct?
pullover = sweatshirt
jumper = sweater
It gets so confusing with certain words because, for example, in the U.S., a pullover is a type of sweater, and a jumper is a kind of dress. Language is so complicated sometimes - but also interesting and fun. Lots of room for misunderstanding between English-speakers, though.
My understanding of sweatshirt vice sweater is that what differentiates them is formality; a sweatshirt is very casual - like can be worn during exercise - and a sweater is more formal/dressy - like can be worn to a business casual meeting or dinner party. Does Swedish have words that distinguish these?
1493
Tröjan är jättestor/mycket stor means that the sweater is very big, so you can say that, but it doesn't work here, since here the sweater is too big, which isn't the same thing.
A sweatshirt is usually referred to as collegetröja if it has no zipper, collegejacka if it has a zipper. If it has a hood you can say huvtröja/huvjacka instead, or you just use the English word sweatshirt (which is often mispronounced as sweet-shirt by the way).
A heavier knitted top we call stickad tröja if the front is not dividable, otherwise it is a kofta/cardigan.
Well Sweden and the U.K. are nearer, and our jumpers seem to be too. A pullover is a jumper without sleeves, knitted, often wool and lighter material. A cardigan is similar but with sleeves and a divided front with buttons A jumper is a knitted garment with sleeves traditionally of wool. Very often quite thick. All can have colourful patterns and are made for warmth. Perhaps it is what you call a stickad tröja and a kofta is a cardigan
Well, in the U.S., we do use the term "cardigan" for the same thing as you do in the U.K. - a knitted garment with sleeves and a divided front with buttons. We consider this a type of "sweater." The other basic kind of sweater is a "pull-over" - with sleeves, no division in the front and no buttons.
What you call a jumper we call a "vest."
A "jumper" to us is a dress that requires a shirt/blouse under it. It consists of a skirt with a square of fabric attached at the top in front, sometimes a square of fabric in the back too, and wide shoulder straps. I don't think anyone wears them nowadays.
A sweater is usually made of a knitted material (though not necessarily hand-knitted). A sweatshirt is usually made from that material that's smooth on the outside but fuzzy on the inside. The thing you'd wear if you went jogging when it's cold outside. (Think of what Rocky wore while running up the steps.)
Tröja can refer it either of these, generally speaking.