When you leave your home country you suddenly realise how different various aspects of life in other places can be. The food can look or taste weird, the signs on the road have interesting icons, the toilets flush in funny ways and the people may behave a little quirky.
But also, you notice how weird or special the customs and culture of your home country might be, from an outside perspective.
I love Sweden and talking to the Swedes. After many years in this beautiful country, I have collected a few “things” that Swedes like to say or mention when we chat, usually soon after I mentioned that I am originally from Germany.
What Swedes associate with Germans and Germany
Here is a list Swedes typically express they associate with Germany.
(Disclaimer: I leave out all the associations that have to do with certain 20th century historical events. ;) )
Bratwurst
Already before moving to Sweden I noticed that people worldwide associate sausages with German food culture. Now that I live in Sweden, it is a regular question whether we actually eat a lot of sausage in Germany. And, we do (here the stats).
Confirming the strong connection Swedes make with Germany and sausages: a Swedish friend jokingly gave me the nickname Bratwurst. Funny, right?! I need to say that she smiled a little more when calling me Bratwurst than when I called her Meatball in return. ;)
German language
Somehow it seems like Swedes find the German language and our pronunciation rather amusing. Admittedly, I still do have a strong German accent, and it seems difficult for Swedes, sometimes, to not speak back to me with an impression of it.
Common phrases or words Swedes like to say in German (with a slightly exaggerated pronunciation)
- Über, unter, neben, auf … (and the list of German prepositions the Swede is proud of having learned at school goes on for the lengths of a midsummers evening) :D
- Nein! Nein! Nein! (Okay, I admit, here a litte hint of a historical event might have slipped into the list.)
- Instead of answering with “ja”, when I ask a question, Swedes love to say Jawohl! instead; a stronger more confirming “yes” which is mainly used in military contexts. Movies playing in the time period that I purposefully try to leave out in this post are very popular in Sweden, too.
Oktoberfest
Har du varit på Oktoberfest? (Have you been to Oktoberfest?). No, I actually haven’t.
Autobahn
Swedes love to travel and talk about their journeys of the recent years. Many times, in order to reach their vacation destination in Spain or Italy, Swedes make use of the speedy German Autobahn. Going “to the continent” by car over plane has the additional benefit of being able to stop by at Puttgarden’s Bordershop for a annual ration of duty free alcohol on their back to Sweden.
That said I need to say that I really enjoy it every time Swedes talk these associations they have with Germany. I also regularly enjoy their facial expression resisting their urge to “(don’t) mention the …” ;)
Here is a list of what I consider typically Swedish on HejSweden.com and in my book How to be Swedish.