Konstig means “strange/weird/odd” and has existed in the Swedish language since 1621.
You can use it in similar contexts to how you would use its English equivalents, for example by referring to en konstig person (a strange person) or in general det är konstigt (it is strange). Similar Swedish words are märklig and udda.
A relatively recent Swedish expression, which has gained popularity since the turn of the millennium and which you may hear a lot in conversation, is det är inga konstigheter.
Literally, inga konstigheter means “no oddities”, but maybe more accurately “no big deal”.
A Swede might also use it in the same way an English-speaking person would say “no worries” in, for example, a response to a request. Say your neighbour looked after your house while you were on holiday, and when you ask them how it went, they respond inga konstigheter.
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It means that nothing eventful happened while you were away, the key you gave them to the house worked just fine, and it was no bother at all for them to collect your post and water your plants.
Perhaps we’re reading too much into it, but the expression has a certain reassuring, easy-going quality and the person who says it is likely trying to sound friendly, accommodating and relaxed.
You can also use it to describe a simple, uncomplicated task. For example, jag deklarerade i måndags, det var inga konstigheter (I declared my taxes on Monday, it was straightforward).
You may be wondering if konstig is related to konst, the Swedish word for art.
The answer is yes and no. According to the Institute for Language and Folklore, the word konstig originally had four meanings: artful/skilful, witty/excellent, difficult to understand, and artificial.
The way Swedes use the word today is derived from the third meaning, difficult to understand, while the other three meanings are no longer associated with konstig in modern Swedish.
So although art can certainly be weird, if you want to politely describe an artsy person and not have them offended at you calling them bizarre, you should instead say that he or she is konstnärlig.
The fourth original meaning still lives on in Danish and Norwegian, where a false friend for Swedish speakers is kunstige blomster (artificial flowers). In Swedish, konstiga blommor means weird flowers, so if you talk about artificial flowers you should say konstgjorda blommor.
Example sentences:
Jag tycker att hennes konst är konstig.
I think her art is weird.
Det var inga konstigheter att starta bilen i morse, trots kylan.
Starting the car this morning was no problem, despite the cold.
Villa, Volvo, Vovve: The Local’s Word Guide to Swedish Life, written by The Local’s journalists, is 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.
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