Swedish words medan (while) and sedan (since)
What the lesson covers
This lesson introduces the Swedish words for "while" and "since." "While" is expressed as medan, which is commonly pronounced medans despite its spelling, and can be used in phrases such as "eat while you are here" (Ät, medans du är här!) or "he spoke while I ate" (Han talade medans jag åt). Occasionally, när (when) can also serve a similar function. "Since" is translated as sedan, which is frequently shortened to sen, appearing in constructions like "I have been happy since I got my kid" (Jag har varit glad, sedan jag fick mitt barn) or "since you came, I have been tired" (Sedan du kom har jag varit trött). The lesson also reminds learners about switching word order when sedan begins a sentence.
Vocabulary in this lesson
31 words. Inside Lingolib each one is tappable in the transcript and saved to your library with one tap.
- medan
- while
- medans
- while
- ät
- Eat
- du
- you
- är
- am / is / are
- här
- here
- att tala
- to speak
- jag talar
- I speak
- talade
- spoke
- presenterade
- presented
- han
- he
- jag
- I
- åt
- ate
- äta
- to eat / eat
- jag äter
- I eat
- jag har ätit
- I have eaten
- hon
- she
- var
- was
- ute
- out
- när
- when
- sedan
- since
- jag har varit
- I have been
- glad
- happy
- fick
- got
- mitt
- my
- barn
- kid
- sen
- since
- hungrig
- hungry
- igår
- yesterday
- kom
- came
- trött
- tired
How the lesson starts
The opening of the lesson transcript. The rest is in the course, synced to the video.
In this lesson, we talk about using the expression to describe something while something else is happening. So essentially, what word would you use in order to say "while" in Swedish? So we're describing something happening, and then at the same time something else is happening, or something's happening while something else is going on.
To say "while" in Swedish, you would say medan.
Medan. A lot of the times it will be pronounced as medans, medans, even though there's no s there. Now luckily in Swedish, or fortunately I should say in Swedish, you don't see this a lot, so in French you have a lot of issues with pronunciation that deals with certain letters that are silent. You have the same thing in English where you have a lot of silent letters in certain words, or where you pronounce things in different ways even though it's the same spelling.
Now we've seen of course some cases of this before, but generally speaking having a silent s is not something that's extremely common.
The video plays beside a transcript that follows it line by line. Swedish words are underlined; tap one and the video pauses, the meaning appears, and the word goes into your library. At the end there is a five-question quiz written from this exact lesson, and every word can be practised out loud.