Swedish word of the day: våryra
Valborg celebrations on April 30th officially marked the end of the winter season in Sweden, meaning that spring has begun, and summer is just a few short months away. Today's word of the day is a feeling you may have experienced in the last few days.
Today's word of the day, våryra, is made up of the word var ("spring") and yra ("happiness", "jolliness", "giddiness", also "dizziness"). It can be roughly translated as "the joys of spring", and is often used to describe the giddy feeling Swedes get when spring finally comes around and they can finally come out of their winter hibernation.
Another kind of yra is segeryra (literally: "winning joy" or "joy of victory"), which can describe the giddy feeling you get when your sports team wins a match or tournament, or the joy a country can experience following a military victory.
Våryra events are often held in early spring to welcome in the new season, featuring loppisar (flea markets), music, and games and events for children. Schools may also hold a våryra, often an event somewhat similar to a school fête or festival, usually in order to fundraise for the class to go on trips.
You might also see the term våryra in advertisements, implying that the company in question have gone "spring crazy" and are selling items at an unusually low price.
Depending on where you live in Sweden, våryra might seem a way off yet, with snow still covering much of the country.
Here where I live in the southern city of Malmö, the trees are blossoming, seedlings have sprouted, and we're almost past the crucial last frost date needed to ensure plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers can survive outdoors - meaning I can definitely feel the våryra in the air.
Example sentences:
Det är så skönt att se alla människor ute i vårvädret nu, man känner verkligen våryran i luften!
It's so nice to see all the people out in the spring weather now, you can really feel the joys of spring in the air!
Det är våryra på börsen idag, Stockholmsbörsen har stigit med över två procent.
There's a spring rush on the stock market today, the Stockholm exchange has risen by over two percent.
Villa, Volvo, Vovve: The Local’s Word Guide to Swedish Life, written by The Local’s journalists, is now available to order. Head to lysforlag.com/vvv to read more about it. It is also possible to buy your copy from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Bokus or Adlibris.
Comments
See Also
Today's word of the day, våryra, is made up of the word var ("spring") and yra ("happiness", "jolliness", "giddiness", also "dizziness"). It can be roughly translated as "the joys of spring", and is often used to describe the giddy feeling Swedes get when spring finally comes around and they can finally come out of their winter hibernation.
Another kind of yra is segeryra (literally: "winning joy" or "joy of victory"), which can describe the giddy feeling you get when your sports team wins a match or tournament, or the joy a country can experience following a military victory.
Våryra events are often held in early spring to welcome in the new season, featuring loppisar (flea markets), music, and games and events for children. Schools may also hold a våryra, often an event somewhat similar to a school fête or festival, usually in order to fundraise for the class to go on trips.
You might also see the term våryra in advertisements, implying that the company in question have gone "spring crazy" and are selling items at an unusually low price.
Depending on where you live in Sweden, våryra might seem a way off yet, with snow still covering much of the country.
Here where I live in the southern city of Malmö, the trees are blossoming, seedlings have sprouted, and we're almost past the crucial last frost date needed to ensure plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers can survive outdoors - meaning I can definitely feel the våryra in the air.
Example sentences:
Det är så skönt att se alla människor ute i vårvädret nu, man känner verkligen våryran i luften!
It's so nice to see all the people out in the spring weather now, you can really feel the joys of spring in the air!
Det är våryra på börsen idag, Stockholmsbörsen har stigit med över två procent.
There's a spring rush on the stock market today, the Stockholm exchange has risen by over two percent.
Villa, Volvo, Vovve: The Local’s Word Guide to Swedish Life, written by The Local’s journalists, is now available to order. Head to lysforlag.com/vvv to read more about it. It is also possible to buy your copy from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Bokus or Adlibris.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.