Living & Vocabulary: Interesting IKEA & False Friends

My baby girl says, "Hej!"
Image from Locky's English Playground

A really quick article about my little "excursion" to IKEA in Causeway Bay (I called it an "excursion" because I don't even leave my desk these days).

"Lo Mo Sai" -- Lufsig on IKEA China on 11th Dec 2013
Image from IKEA China

I have always knew that there are lots of interesting stuff in IKEA, but do you know there are also many interesting words? Remember Lufsig?

Back in 2005 when I was studying for my Trinity CertTESOL, I had to learn a foreign language together with all my classmates, and the instructor chose Swedish because

1. she is a Swede,
2. that is the one language that none of the students knew,
3. the instructor was the only one who can speak Swedish. (There isn't a point 3, just summarizing point 1 and 2, ha!)

And what do you know, it isn't too hard to say "Hello" in Swedish because it is just "Hej"! (See photo above.)

Image from Google Translate

Anymore? Here are the funny ones I found!

Cloth hanger is boomerang? Make sense.
Image from Locky's English Playground

Image from Google Translate

Anyone thinks that cloth hangers is bumerang (= boomerang) makes sense? I do, I bet the Australians do too!

Here's my name! Kind of...
Image from Locky's English Playground

Image from Google Translate

Didn't know "lock" means "lid", "cover" or "cap" in Swedish, definitely a false friend here! So my name in Swedish means... "Liddy"? "Covery"? "Cappy?"

Istad a plastic bag?
Image from Locky's English Playground

On the Facebook page, I previously posted this photo and captioned it "Istad a plastic bag?" because "Istad" may sound like "Is that". I tried hard on this search but couldn't find anything Swedish for the word. Instead, everything came out Norwegian. Hm... I think I better consult my instructor on this.

Maria, tack? (Maria, please?)

What is Justina?
Image from Locky's English Playground

The same goes to the two girls I met that day, Justina...

Malinda
Image from Locky's English Playground

... and Malinda. They were both very soft and cuddly. (And I can say that without making my wife angry.)

Time for my Swedish revision!!

Forgot to mention, actually, the Swedish course that I learned lasted only a few lessons.


Vocabulary:
excursion -- (n)[C] a short journey usually made for pleasure, often by a group of people:


Resources:
Culture & Usage: "Lufsig", False Friends & Bad Words @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2013/12/culture-usage-lufsig-false-friends-bad.html

Learning Swedish (Lesson 1) "Basic Phrases" @ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ2xRNTeMb0

Basic Swedish phrases@ Speak Swedsih!
http://www.speakswedish.co.uk/phrases/basic_phrases

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/excursion?q=excursion