avliden
This is the word used to report that someone is dead. Avlidna in the plural, as this is a perfect participle from the verb avlider (decease). (avlid! – avlida – avlider – avled – avlidit). Don’t confuse this with avlivar (euthanize).
en bacill
Bug. That is, not a medical term per se, but what you would use when speaking to children.
(en) cellskräck
Cabin fever. Klaustrofobi also works.
Danmarksfärja
A thing of the past. ‘Denmark ferries’ used to save many parties in the south of Sweden, as they gave bad planners the opportunity to purchase alcohol outside the opening hours of Systembolaget.
egenföretagare
Owners of small companies may not survive the next few months.
förkyld
An adjective to say you have a cold: Jag är förkyld. Now a reason not to interact with others.
galen
It is not unlikely that you may feel a little crazy these days.
hamstrar (hamstra! – att hamstra – hamstrar – hamstrade – har hamstrat)
A verb derived from ‘hamster’ (the animal) ‘hamstrar’ means to hoard or stockpile.
(en) influensa
Who knows what you have.
jobbar hemifrån
An excellent opportunity for those who can. Working from home. Please note the am amazing adverb hemifrån, who is a close friend to hemma (at home), hem (to home), and hemåt (in the direction of home). See also cellskräck.
(en) karensdag
The first day you are off sick from work. Normally, there would be no financial compensation, but this has been temporarily abolished as a measure to encourage people to stay at home if they are not going to work.
en ljuspunkt
The little moments when we can see light in the dark. Sweden is one of the world’s leading producers in toilet paper. There will not be a shortage.
ett munskydd
A face mask. Don’t use en mask, that is either the type of mask you would use to cover your face (for Halloween, or as part of a theatre play) — or a worm.
nyser
To sneeze. God forbid.
orkar
To have the energy for something. Will we make it to the summer without losing our minds and our partners?
en preppare
Prepper. Please not that most nouns used to describe a person or thing with a function ends with -are, like the English equivalent -er.
regeringen
The government. And by the way, the Swedish constitution says the government can’t influence the implementation of laws. This is the job of public authorities (myndigheter). We are in the hands of Folkhälsomyndigheten, The Public Health Agency of Sweden.
ställer in
To cancel. This is a phrasal verb (partikelverb) meaning the perfect participle is inställd (cancelled). Konserten är inställd. Mötet är inställt. Flygen är inställda.
(en) tvål
Soap. For your hands. Not to be confused with såpa, that is soap for scrubbing the floors or furniture.
varslar
This verb is used when a company communicates that they will have to let a certain number of employees go, although it is not confirmed what individuals this may concern.
UD
UD is short for Utrikesdepartementet, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Their current recommendation says we shouldn’t travel abroad, although their is no ban.
VAB
Vård av barn. Care of child. If your child is sick, stay at home and you will be reimbursed by Försäkringskassan for the lack of income.
en yta
A surface. Whether the virus can spread this way or not is still not clear.
åka utomlands
Travelling abroad. Not an option at the moment.
äldre
The elderly. Risk groups such as individuals over the age of 70 are recommended to avoid others.
Överbelastning i vården
The scenario we want to avoid, that is, that healthcare centres and hospitals are overloaded and can’t take care of its patients.
Thanks for reading this. Small businesses are hit hard by the Corona crisis. One way to help one is to buy something from our book shop, or share this link with others.
