Here is your chance to dive deep into the Swedish spirit. Don't think that this is a long list - it could easily have been twice as long, since Swedes quite often use different sayings and expressions such as these in their everyday communication - and you'll get confused if you haven't at least some idea of their existence. 

  Some of them are moral lessons, some are very old and people have forgotten where they came from but still say them, and some are humourous while also kind of lecturing. You'll recognize many from English sayings and idioms, but some are very local and refers to old folklore from the Nordic/Scandinavian culture and history. You'll learn a lot about the Swedish, underlying mentality. If Finland has sisu, Sweden's "it"-thing would be "don't argue with people - find another way on the side"... and also "stay silent, maybe mutter a little here and there, until you've had enough - then let everybody everywhere know what you think and don't stop until things change".

 

Please note that it is not always appropriate to use these expressions, as they could easily be considered as "inconsiderate" if used in a more serious situation, and be interpreted as if you are not really invested in the outcome for the people involved in the situation. But this goes in any language, so simply use your common sense and normal empathy.

 

Also, sayings, or idioms, in Swedish are not tossed around in every conversation, but during a year you will still have heard and read a lot of them - the trick is to say them with such a sense of nuance and accuracy for the actual situation, that others hardly notice you just used a saying, it just found its place seamlessly. It is easy to use them in a bit of a clonky way, if not knowing both them and the Swedish ways to communicate well enough. And many young ones are not using most of these sayings, or are even much aware of them. They will be as surprised as you when hearing them from someone, unless you get yourself a head-start here!

 

Please note that when there is a parantheses around the other half of the expression, people often (but not always) just say the first part, and the rest is implicated.

 

Det knallar och går - (As a reply to "How are things going/Hur är det?", from two Swedish expressions for "going/walking")

Ta i trä - Knock on wood

Peppar peppar - (From an old superstitious belief that you had to throw salt or pepper over your shoulder to prevent bad luck), also "Peppar peppar, ta i trä"

Den som lever får se - Those who live /long enough/ will find out

Mycket vill ha mer - /Those who have /much wants more

Lika barn leka bäst - You get along better with people similar to you (Children alike play the best)

Tala är silver (men tiga är guld) - Speaking is silver, but being silent is gold

Ingen rök utan eld - No smoke without a fire

Bättre fria än fälla - It is better to see someone as not guilty (until proven otherwise)

Den som gapar efter mycket mister ofta hela stycket - If you try to get too much, you could easily lose it all

Surt, sade räven (om rönnbären) - Old fable, The fox couldn't reach the rowanberries, so he called them sour

Rik som ett troll - Rich as a troll/ogre, from old folklore tales

När man talar om trollen (så står de i farstun) - When speaking of the trolls, they show up in the doorway

Har man tagit fan i båten (får man ro honom i land) - If you've taken the devil in your boat, you have to row him to land

Först till kvarn (får först mala) - The ones coming first to the mill are the first to do the milling

Ju fler kockar (desto sämre soppa) - The more chefs, the worse the soup

Det är ingen ko på isen (så länge rumpan är på land) - There's no cow on the ice, as long as its butt is still on land (basically meaning, you need some more progress done before you can begin calling it progress)

Tomma tunnor skramlar mest - Empty barrels make the most noise

En ulv i fårakläder - A wolf in sheep's clothing

Bergtagen - To be enchanted, under a spell (from old folklore tales with trolls, literally "taken to the mountain")

Den som sade det var det - Young children's comeback to someone calling them something mean (The one who said it is it)

Trägen vinner - Stubbornness/Stoicity wins

Gå inte över ån efter vatten - Do not cross the river to get water

Hellre be om förlåtelse än om tillåtelse - Rather say sorry than ask for permission

Upp som en sol, ner som en pannkaka - Up like a sun, down like a pancake

Där vinet går, in går vettet ut - Where wine enters, wisdom exits

Spill inte krut på döda kråkor - Don't use gunpowder on dead crows

Bättre att stämma i bäcken än i ån - Rather try things out small than big

Ärlighet varar längst - Honesty lasts longer

Skam den som ger sig - Shame on those who give up

Den enes död är den andres /leve/bröd - One person's death is the other one's bread (livelihood, possiblity)

Så länge det finns liv finns det hopp - As long as there is life, there is hope

Bara döda fiskar följer med strömmen - Only dead fish follow the stream

I krig och kärlek är allt tillåtet - In war and love, all is allowed

Alla är vi barn i början - We are all children in the beginning

Smid medan järnet är varmt - Forge while the iron is hot

Nöden har ingen lag - Emergency has no laws

Ett gott samvete är bästa huvudkudden - A good conscience is the best pillow to sleep on

Man lär så länge man lever - You learn as long as you live

Gräset är alltid grönare på andra sidan staketet - The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence

Det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder - There is no bad weather, only bad clothing

Alla kan vara kapten i lugna vatten - It is easy to be a captain in calm waters

Alla sätt är bra utom de dåliga - All ways are good except the bad ones

Kärt barn har många namn - Loved child has many names

Bättre sent än aldrig - Better late then never

Alla känner apan, apan känner ingen - Everybody knows the monkey, the monkey knows noone

Bra karl reder sig själv - A good man manages his own doings

Man kan inte lära gamla hundar sitta - You can't teach an old dog to sit

Bättre lyss till den sträng som brast, än aldrig spänna en båge - Rather hear a string that breaks, than to never draw a bow

På rullande sten växer ingen mossa - On rolling stones there grows no moss

Många bäckar små blir en stor å - Many small streams will become a large river

Rom byggdes inte på en dag - Rome wasn't built in one day

Alla vägar leder till Rom - All ways lead to Rome

Kasta inte ut barnet med badvattnet - Don't throw out the baby with the bathing water

Girigheten har ingen botten - Greedyness has no bottom

Den som viskar han ljuger - Those who whisper lies

Man kan inte både ha och äta kakan - You can't both eat and have the cake

Gråt inte över spilld mjölk - Don't cry over spilled milk

Finns det hjärterum så finns det stjärterum - If there's room in your heart, there is room in your house

Den illa gör han illa far - The one that do bad will experience bad

Skadeglädjen är den enda sanna glädjen - Gloat/schadenfreude is the only true joy

Genvägar är senvägar - Shortcuts will take longer

Hellre brödlös än rådlös - Rather without bread than without good ideas

Äpplet faller inte långt från trädet - The apple does not fall far from the tree

Av barn och dårar får man höra sanningen - From children and fools one hears the truth

Allting har en ände utom korven som har två - Everything has an end, except the sausage that has two

Stor i orden, liten på jorden - Big in words, small on Earth

Undantaget som bekräftar regeln - The exception that confirms the rule

Hellre förekomma än förekommas - Rather forestall than be forestalled

En fågel i handel är bättre än tio i skogen - A bird in the hand is better than ten in the forest

Sent ska syndaren vakna - Late the sinner realizes his sins

Man blir inte profet i sitt hemland - You don't become a prophet in your own home country

Äras den som äras bör - Give credits to the one who did it

Hoppet är det sista som lämnar människan - Hope is the last thing that leaves a human

Den fege dör tusen gånger, den modige bara en - The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once

Allt är lätt när man kan det - Everything is easy when you know it

Inget ont som inte har något gott med sig - Nothing bad that does not bring something good with it

Alla sätt är bra utom de dåliga - All ways are good except for the bad ones

Delad glädje är dubbel glädje (delad sorg är halv sorg) - Shared joy is double joy, shared grief is half the grief

Vägen till mannens hjärta går genom magen - You reach a man's heart through the belly

I de blindas rike är den enögde kung - In the kingdom of blind people, the one-eyed person rules

Kommer tid, kommer råd - As time goes, we will know what to do

Allt är inte guld som glimmar - All is not gold that glimmers

Droppen urholkar stenen - Drips will make a hole in the stone

Alla är sin egen lyckas smed - Each one forges their own happiness

Efter regn kommer solsken - After rain comes sunshine

Av skadan blir man vis - You get hurt, you get wise

Snålheten bedrar visheten - Stinginess betrays wisdom

Morgonstund har guld i mund - The morning moment has gold in its mouth

Det är mänskligt att fela (och gudomligt att förlåta) - It is human to make mistakes, and divine to forgive them

Köp inte grisen i säcken (Don't buy a pig if it is still in the bag/unseen)

Titta inte given häst i mun (If you are gifted a horse, don't be picky about it's teeth)

Det börjar med en knappnål och slutar med en silverskål (It starts with a needle and ends with a silver bowl, meaning, if you start stealing little, you will soon steal big)