5 Fascinating Differences Between Swedish & Danish Culture
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- Опубліковано 27 чер 2024
- In this video, my friend Will and I discuss fascinating cultural differences between the two Scandinavian countries where we have lived.
Check out Will's language channel: / @goluremilanguages
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I went to high school in Denmark and moved to Sweden afterwards. I was married to a Swede. I can speak both languages, but if I have a choice I usually speak in Swedish. Swedish is so much easier to speak and to understand even though I spent more years in Denmark. I love the people of both countries and they are definitely unique in their own ways. I love watching your videos and it brings back a lot of memories. By the way, when I lived in Sweden I lived in Lidingö and when I lived in Denmark in Rungsted Kyst.
I live on Lidingö now. Where abouts here did you live?
I'm a Swede living in the UK, but spent about a year living in Copenhagen to set up an office there. There's a course in Danish for Scandinavians that's very good. I can get by in Denmark without resorting to English, but just barely. Danish is to Swedish like French is to Spanish.
So what was your native tounge?
As a Dane, I agree with you on the first 4 points you had. Danes are a little bit more outgoing and spontaneous, whether people like it or not. However, I want to add that the law of Jante also applies here in Denmark. In Sweden, it may be a little more present in the company culture. In Denmark, I think it's very visible when we meet new people. We don't hesitate to speak very directly to someone, who is maybe superior in a sense.
I think the law of Jante is more present in Jylland than in Copenhagen, at least from my experience.
@@frederikklitgaard209 I agree.
Personally, I would love it if Finland were part of Scandinavia, but they are very touchy about this subject.
So remember, Finland is a Nordic country along with Iceland, Faroe Islands & Greenland (DK) & the Scandi countries
The hierarchical structure in DK is dependant on what you do...
'people jobs' are very flat
'money jobs' are tiered (to a point)
as no jobs are as tiered, as in the Asian countries or UK & USA!!
Janteloven, originated as a Danish-Norwegian thing in 1933, by author Askel Sandemose, from Nykøbing, Mors in DK
Good to see you both! 👋
hello from Denmark 🌸🌱
Well at least Finland are part of Fennoscandia 😃 but then that leaves out Denmark 😅I don’t think it’s a matter of being touchy as much as it’s of being geographically correct. Would be cool if Iceland were part of Scandinavia as well but they just aren’t either.
Greetings from Sweden 👋🌲🫐
@@Migul011 Scania - the origin of the term Scandinavia - was Danish until 1658. Danes are the original Scandinavians ✌🏼
I worked with all the Scandinvian countries employees in the early 2000's. Mostly from the largest companies; Ikea, Erikson's, etc. The Govermnents paid to send them to other countires to learn how others do things and help improve how things are done. I wish I'd seen this then...I wouldn't know when I offended someone. I felt so welcomed and always shared/included in activities. I really felt they were genuinely interested in my perspective. My boss was originally from Sweden and trusted me to work with them and it was some of the most enjoyable times in my career. I've been a big fan of yours since the begining. Thank you. I miss those times.
I'm Danish and I think that many foreigners equal directness with rudeness. That isn't the case. We just don't want to waste words.
Janteloven is first and foremost Danish and it has a hold in everything. But it come back to the directness... We might not be as polite and polished as the Swede's, but "Jante" is still placed at the table.
Thx guys, love the discussion today and specially cause I from Skåne. I starten buy beer in Denmark when i was 13….. but many years ago.
My grandmother was danish and my mom spent a lot of summers with her cousins in Denmark growing up and we often visited when I was a kid. Her take is that Danes are friendlier and more easygoing on the surface but a lot harsher underneath. If someone hurts themselves drinking or doing drugs they just shrug and leave them to themselves. There is actually a danish film about what the kids are doing during a grown-up party while the adults drink and there is alcohol around. Danes are friendlier but less caring - according to my mom.
Depends a lot on where in Denmark you are, and also the type of situation it is.
That said I see the point. Individualism is very strong in Denmark, much more so than generally in the Nordics probably, and there is a strong sense that you should not get involved in other people's affairs, at least not unless they ask you to do so.
Hi I like discussion today. I’m from Skåne 😅 so I relate to what to everything, long time ago Såningar were danskar so the is some danish stil in me, on the other hand I’m haft finish so it’s a mix but totally understandable what you’re talking about. Tanks for doing this 🌹
Thank you guys
Janteloven is written by the Danish author Axel Sandemose. When it comes comes to planning in work life, Norway is a country of quick decisions that are often changed. When it comes to hierarchy, organizations in Norway are flat like in Sweden. When it comes to salary equaiity Sweden is ranked No 1 anx Norway No 2 .
Actually Sandemose is Norwegian. Which makes if even funnier, as it is a Norwegian, writing about a Danish village, and the law is considered Swedish.
@@_Wolfsbane_ Aksel Sandemose was born in Denmark and lived the first 30 years of his life in Denmark...
His mother was Norwegian and he moved to Norway and lived most of his life there before returning to Denmark where he died...
When he said Stig Tøfting I cackled out loud 😂😂😂 I'm old enough to remember when he played. At least his last active years. That man has a temper on him.
Yeah when he said 'In Denmark people will start shouting' that didn't sound right to me as a Dane but then he said he worked with Stig Tøfting and I went 'Oh, so that's why'
@@Iva744 Yeah, I had the same reaction. "Oh, he worked with _that_ guy. No wonder he thinks we're hot headed" 😀
@@Wishbone1977 - Maybe we are, compared to the Swedes? 😅
I heard someone else call us Danes the "Italians of the North"
Love this. I'm learning so much lol.
I've spent time in Denmark & visited Sweden. I enjoyed the chat. I would love to hear your perspective- in particular on cuisine, art, literature, film & social family/friend group culture.
That was very interesting to watch for me as a German with roots from Berlin and Northern Germany. It seems in our German directness - esoecially in Berlin - we are more similar to the Dutch and the Danes than the Swedes. There is probably more an individualist feeling in society whereas it seems to be more corporate in Sweden. I can't talk from my own experience but I do can tell you that society in Southern Germany is different to Northern Germany as well and a big city isn't the same as a small town in the way of interacting either.
If a Scandinavian person does not respond to Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, or English it has nothing to do with that he/she does not understand because he/she does.
Yes, only replaying in Norwegian might be more to do with country and not language. If someone writes to me in Swedish I ask myself if this person is in Sweden. I might not be prepared for a shopping experience abroad.
Jantelagen is basically this: we don’t like narcissists boosting themselves. It’s not a culture to make everyone keep quite. If I raise my voice and have a good point it’s regarded as such. If I raise my voice just to make everyone now I have a new car it’s frowned upon.
It was originally created as a satire over Small Town Mentality by the Danish born author Aksel Sandemose. It has it's own article on Wikipedia, just search for "Law of Jante".
Yes it's also highly exaggerated. It's what social anthropologists refer to as social control. All cultures has it, and the asians have it even tighter than ours.
Janteloven is very much alive in Denmark. And We have a flat workstructure as well. Nice reaction.
We definitely have and support flat organization structures in Denmark but it may be less prevalent in some sectors.
Many of the words that are different is present in both laguages and have a simular meaning. Like your example. A tall person being long in swedish and high in danish or the rain is comming tomorrow in swedish or it will rain tomorrow in danish. So even if the words are two different words it is easy to understand the mening.
My very anechdotal experience of Danish people is that they much quicker gets much more familiar with people/friends the many Swedes. One such thing is when it is ok to open the fridge in a friends house or ask to get something. Danish people is in my experince much much quicker to help them selves the Swedes tend to (who at times can be a bit extreme, even asking for water at their parents house when they've moved out or not take more the one thing from the fridge when host have said the can help themselves to as many as they want etc etc).
A new subscriber.. hello to everyone🤗
The Japanese have a saying, every nail that stands out should be hammered in. Which is kind of the same as the Jante law. So you find this lots of places, not just Scandinavia.
I work in an international company and we have gotten a colleague from Sweden. The first time I met him, I just started speaking danish 😂 But he didn’t want that 😂 So now we are communicating in english and for me it’s kind of weird because I think we are able to communicate in both our languages! But didn’t know that Danish can be difficult for a Swede to understand.
I think that is kind of sad. It's true that it's harder for swedes to understand danish than the other way around. But I think swedes generally speaking are lazy not even trying to understand and to learn the different words the can be keys to understand. Greetings from a friendly swede
That sounds lazy, I mean you two could have spoken a little Swedish/Danish and switch to English to explain certain words he couldn't understand. Different languages are fun to learn!
@@carina2091 No, don't use English for words that's not understood.
Use synonyms in your own language.
That helps you both with learning the differences between the languages and the structures.
That's how we deal with dialects here in Norway.
Norway, Denmark and Sweden are all in a dialect continuum.
@@Luredreier Yeah, that's a great way
Sounds like a lazy person. I’m Swedish and remember talking Swedish to Danes in Denmark, who in turn asked if we could switch to English. I think some individuals no matter the country just don’t want to put the effort in. And as mentioned above, try synonyms or other ways of explaining what you’re trying to say. That’s how I learnt Spanish in Spain, by never taking the easy way out speaking English. And that’s how we keep our Scandinavian languages in sync
As Danish I agree with the first four, but not the last. We do have a corporate structure, but everyone are allowed to speak up and they will be heard. And "Janteloven" is Danish.
We had visitors from Sweden and took a tour to Copenhagen ZOO. We brought our own lunch with us to eat outside at a table. The Sweedes made big eyes when I took a couple of beers from the bag, to enjoy with the lunch 😆
Janteloven er dansk its from a small town called Nykøbing Mors (google) 😊 hi from Odense 🇩🇰
Love Will!
Even though Jante is very much alive in Sweden, I don't relate the flat organization as much to jante as to the Swedish model, which is based on cooperation and collective agreement between management and workers, often through trade unions. And also the influence of Jan Carlzon's leadership philosophy.
It's interesting that you guys talk about hierarchical structures. As a swede I have always wondered why Sweden is so successful when it comes to innovation and I have come to realize that this is the core reason to why.
Sweden is probably the one country on this earth with the weakest hierarchical structures. The beauty with this is that all ideas are equally worth, no matter who came up with them and this drives innovation.
As an example if you compare countries with democracy vs dictatorship, then you will see that countries with democracy are far more richer and succesful.
Dictatorships are run by fear. You fear your boss. Management by fear basically. In such an environment good ideas will not flourish. You will be afraid to express your ideas. In such a culture the weight is put on who expressed the idea, not based on the idea itself, how good or bad it was.
If you give bosses to much power nothing good will come out of it. This is also why Sweden has such a good work life balance, because you are allowed to do your own thing. You have freedom to come up with new ideas and to express them.
This is true for the whole western world but it even more true in Sweden. We are a little bit extra good at this.
You know here in Sweden it's almost as if the bosses are afraid of you as an employee. I really like that because it's not the boss who should decide things, because the boss is no expert. We the employees are the experts and the boss should listen to us and our opinions. This is why swedes work so good in teams and when it comes to collaboration. I would argue that no other people work as good as swedes do in teams. This is why we are so good at engineering, etc.
Everyone gets to contribute and speak their mind no matter your hierarchical status. But I would also say that this kind of culture has created very open minded bosses here in Sweden. Our bosses are the best since they trust in us, so swedish bosses are very easy going and relaxed which is the way it should be. It makes you enjoy your work when you don't have a boss starring over your shoulder every minute. It's called micro management. We don't have a lot of that here in Sweden.
How are Swedish bosses nominated?
On which criteria do you get promoted in Sweden, if the boss is no expert?
I think a balance is the best. I do not like the development of our country right now, with parallel societies, stabbing, shooting, burning etc. There is clearly something wrong with Sweden today!
As a Dane, I can say that organizations are known internationally to be very flat and non-hierarchical. You cannot compare it to the US at all. It is also a lot less hierarchical than e.g. Germany and France. I think that Sweden stands out on this point being very consensus-based, even more so than Denmark and Norway.
as a Swede living and working in Denmark I totally disagree on the planning part.
Hey guys! Great video! Should I visit Stockholm in March. I know it's cold, but I do live in Seattle and it's 30'/40' here already, so I'm used to it.
If you can I would visit Stockholm in the spring, like late April or May. Best times.
Or around christmas, old town got an amazing market that time of the year
Stockholm is beautiful in spring. But if you come so early you will probably miss the city in it's full beauty as it has a lot of nature. It will still be very nice and you'll evade most of the other tourists and have a good time.
I would not advice anyone to visit in late october or november. And even december isn't as nice as it used to be as we don't get as much snow nowadays due to the climate change.
You are definitely correct with #2 where Danish people are more direct and Swedish people are indirect, I have seen this in my own life where I didn't know when to leave and not and probably other situations as well.
#5 are correct Swedish people don't want to stand out and do different as a rule says
Finland is not skandinavia. Its only Sweden, Denmark and Norway who is skandinavia.
To be seen as spontaneous is mind boggling. Knowing what they are doing Wednesday two weeks from now? I have plans in week 47, 48, 49,50 and 7,8 11 and 15 of next year too. Sometimes when I meet people for coffee there is a prescheduled timeframe. My best friend moved to Denmark when she was a young child almost 30 years ago, she is in her early 30's and she gets stressed out over the Danes(ours) planning regime, and I get stressed out over her southern/Eastern European mindset. I find the hierarchy fascinating because I used to live and work in Belfast and I didnt function well in a strict hierarchy organisation. I got somewhat known to be the rebel Dane, where if I had a question or an issue I took it up with the person regardless of position. I would have assumed it would be the other way around between Danes and Swedes. The language thing. I can to a great extent read swedish, understanding it is a whole other ball game. Norwegian on the other hand, when the ears get tuned in to the rhythm it is way easier to understand.
I had sort of a validating experience with working culture as a swede working in Denmark. Working there I felt like some worker's right activist compared to the danish staff, cause people were clearly more afraid of their bosses than I was used to in Sweden. What we swedish would define as "discussing" came out as "arguing" with our danish bosses. Our efforts to make the workplace more communicative and efficient through communication lead to the danish managers giving us more tasks than we could handle - perhaps as punishment.
@@Brakvash that is very surprising to me and very informative. I would just assume that swedes in general is less confrontational than Danes. So in most places I wouldn’t feel afraid of my boss and I haven’t. I know in the industry we would refer to as “lyseblå skjorte sektoren” I would expect there to be clearer boss employee segregation regardless of them trying to convey a different message.
Completely disagree with the last point: Denmark has such a flat hierarchy!
The last one. Flat structure in Denmark as well 😊
My sister lives in Sweden and the oddest experience was ordering a sandwich and a beer and saying we wanted to sit outside. The waiter said fine but he had to carry the beer for us as the seating arrangement was on the other side of the road.
@Europe is better than Apparently you may not carry alcohol in public. The road is public space so the waiter had to carry it for us to the other side
9:32 Up north in Sweden they seem very spontaneous. On a moments notice the whole family will go out a trudge for an hour in the snow to go have a picnic. Its like that every week, with no prior planning out of no where we'll go target practice shooting, rally racing, long hikes, bread baking in a hut, etc. One time I was in the US and out of nowhere the parents announced they were going to visit me, no prior talks of that, they didn't even bring my "girlfriend" they brought her little sister..?
Also up north 1/3 of women in retail want spontaneous KK after only speaking with me for a minute or two.
About the language. Reading danish, as a swede, I mostly get it. At least the context of it so it works. But If I´m texting with friends in Denmark I do it in English ´cause it much easier to understand. And the way they say numbers, not even going there. hahahaha
Jeg skriver med en dansk fyr, og det er lettere at læse, men hvis han taler langsomt, forstår jeg det meste. Men jeg kan godt lide, når han taler. præcis jeg forstår ham bedre end han forstår mig.
I write with a Danish guy and it's easier to read, but if he speaks slowly I understand most of it. But I like it when he talks. exactly I understand him better than he understands me.
Denmark has the flattest power structure in the world according to a study. Saw it in a video the other day.
This comparison is more accurate if you compare Stockholm to Köpenhamn I think. But countries in Europe and especially in Scandinavia have more in common longitude wise. My point being there are bigger differences between northern and southern Sweden than what it is in an west-east belt between Norway, Sweden and Finland.
@Europe is better than extreme in what sense?
The reason why Danish is more difficult to understand is that Danish has a lot of diphtongs. Diphtongs tend to muddle up the words. This is also the reason why southern Swedish dialects are considered more difficult to understand for people from Stockholm or the north. By the same, the same problem exists between Spanish and Portuguese (diphtongs). Portuguese understand Spanish well, but Spaniards don’t understand Portuguese.
The drinking age in Denmark used to be 15 before it was raised to 16. I can't remember the exact year they raised it, just that it was in the 2000s. It might have still been 15 back in 2008. Another crazy age limit thing is the age limit to do porn in Denmark used to be 16. The singer in Aqua was a topless model when she was 16.
I have to correct you on this, there is actually no drinking age in Denmark, what you refer to is the age to buy alcohol. There is, however, a drinking age when going to bars and such (18 years old).
Danish and Norwegian is a lot more similar than Swedish and Danish. I have had a lot of conversations with Swedes, where i was talking Danish and they were talking Swedish. I understand Swedish, and they understand me, but Norwegian is more similar. Many places Norwegian is called ''Gammel dansk'' or ''Old danish'' because until a couple of hundred years ago, Norway was a part of Denmark, and that's why the languages is more similar, than Danish and Swedish
Jante-law originates from Norway.
Find your “analysis” about hierarchy in DK vs SV vs US way off. Clearly you don’t have much knowledge about Danish companies.
Your friend, who has been playing football in Denmark, might have his knowledge from the company who owns the club. They are operating on an international market, and therefore needs to have more defined positions, but in the general Danish company, there’s not a big difference between Denmark and Sweden, when it comes to management.
Finland är inte en del av Skandinavien. Däremot är Finland en del av Norden.
864 thumbs up, that is a Solarnumber. The diameter of the Sun is 864000miles 🌞Stefan's namesday is 8640h into the year
As a Dane I agree and disagree.
I think the one I primarily disagree with is the hierarchical structure. My perception is actually the reverse, that Sweden tends towards stronger hierarchy in the work place than Denmark do. However it is of course always anecdotal, but I have some personal experiences and experiences from acquaintances in Sweden that just left me thinking Swedes were a lot less likely to speak up with their boss than Danes. Either way, both nations have much less hierarchy than most of the rest of the world though. I also suspect the issue here might be how it is done in Denmark vs Sweden, blunt and direct vs softer and more debating, being used to one the other might seem more hierarchical, in both directions.
The rest of the points I generally agree. Denmark culturally is heavily influenced by the nations south and west of Scandinavia, especially Germany. You can hear this in Danish speech, you can see it reflected in Danish laws, and you can find it reflected in Danish culture. I would say that as a Dane I felt more at home in the Netherlands when I stayed there than I have in Sweden. Not all Danes will agree with me there, but I know some do. I just find myself meshing into Dutch culture well and even the language makes me feel like home.
If I had to sum up Denmark vs the rest of Scandinavia and even the Nordics, I think it would be that it is the most individualist of the Nordics. There is a very strong sense of staying out of other people's affairs, and the individual is more often put center stage over the collective than in places like Norway and Sweden. Denmark still have the Janteloven mindset of not standing out too much, but within that framework Danes will want a great amount of individual room.
I think what I remember most Nordic visitors to Denmark I have talked to remark on most is the direct and less reserved nature of Danish people though. I particularly remember talking to a Finnish girl lamenting how horrible she found talking to Finnish guys because she had no idea what they were thinking, compared to her feeling she could really get close to and understand the guys she met in Denmark because they just told her exactly what was going on.
In regards to the alcohol laws, they were actually changed. It used to be 15 for all alcohol and was then changed to 16 for low ABV and 18 for high ABV. It is true that ID checking is rare, and Danish young people will generally know where they can go and expect ID checks and not. Denmark is obviously and clearly the most liberal Nordic nation in regards to alcohol, with the lowest prices and the most readily available alcohol, even Finland have stricter laws.
In short, the old adage of Denmark being the gateway to Scandinavia isn't far off. Denmark is strongly Nordic but with strong influences from mainland Europe as well.
interesting
Ought to be some differences, there were thirteen wars between them.
Finland is not a Scandinavian country, but a Nordic country. Had it not been ruled by Sweden for centuries, it would most likely be seen as a Baltic country, its language being related to Estonian (though not to Latvian or Lithuanian, but they're still "bundled" with one another).
They're culturaly closer to Scandinavians then they are to the baltics (being heavily influenced by Russia)
From my own experiences I disagree with the 5th point. In my experience Swedes accept hierarchies more than Danes do. That being said they're both very egalitarian societies, so on a global scale they'll pretty much be the same.
Janteloven/Jantelagen is from a 1930s Aksel Sandemose Novel; A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks.
Finland is not a Scandinavian country -you kind of know the difference since you talked about the Fnnish language being much different -Scandinavia is a language group, I think we also have quite a flat structure in Dansih workplaces , although it will always be different from place to place, maybe it's the directness that fells more like a heretical ? or maybe it's the places you have worked ?
Nordic
Finland is not in Scandinavia 🤨
In my heart and mind they are.
depends, sometimes it does, also iceland and the faroe islands
@@zymeon no, Scandinavia is Sweden, Norway (Scandinavian peninsula) and Denmark. The others are included in the Nordic countries.
Scandinavia is more of cultural term these days rather then geographical since Denmark is considered as a "scandinavian country" but doesn't have any territory on the actual geographical peninsula anymore. So I think it's fair to say that Finland, Iceland ec.t is apart.
@@vikkran401 No they´re Nordic countries. Scandinavia is the Scandinavian languages; Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. The other countries don´t speak Scandinavian languages. The definitions are very clear what Scandinavia is and what the Nordics is.
I wouldn't say swedish and danish is "on the edge of being able to communicate" naturally it depends on the dialects mostly, so a person from Scania would have it easier to understand Danish. But for me, as a västmanlänning it's mostly mutually unintelligible for me, being able to understand a few words at most. I can read Danish tho with abit of effort.
Agree, and not just Skåne (Scandia) but every province with a coast near Denmark like Halland and the Gothenburg area and southwards with ferries going from Sweden to Denmark, has a better way of understanding Danish. Though more and more young people today don´t put in the effort to learn each others Scandinavian languages so Danish and Swedish teens speak English to each other. That´s sad.
It's just about exposure - Swedes who spend some time listening to Danish and learning the few words that are different won't have much trouble understanding it. You have to get used to their "special" pronounciation ;-)
@@oskich True! But still young people needs to widen their language perspective and not just focus 100% on English.
@@sungod86 My comprehension of spoken Danish is 10 times better now compared to when I was a teenager, just because I know more Swedish vocabulary (of which 90% is shared with Danish). Speaking a lot with Norwegians also helps greatly, as you can learn the words which also are used in Danish, the difference being that the Norwegians are able to pronounce them ;-)
How did I found this?!
Regarding item 5, I'd say Denmark is very flat. If we are not as flat as Sweden I wouldn't know but at work we generally value the opinion about everyone, and everyone is almost encouraged to speak their mind and make suggestions. So the only way I see sweeden being flatter would be if they voted on everything at work.
As far as directness of Danes vs Germans I think we are the same. At least we would almost be insulted if we didn't get constructive feedback all the time. Obviously we try to phrase it nicely but we generally don't hold back.
About the alcohol laws. In Denmark its legal to drink before 16 at home in a controlled environment with your parent, the same goes for Sweden. You can drink at 16 and below in Sweden as well if you are also in a controlled environment with a legal guardian. When it comes to purchasing, that time when he saw a 15 year old girl buy vodka, they probably just looked young. The reason for that is because you are allowed to buy alcohol in Denmark from the age of 16 but to buy hard liquor like vodka you have to be 18. Also in Sweden, you don't have to be at a bar or a restaurant to drink alcohol when you are 18, it can be anywhere, at home, at parties, in the park, at midsummer etc, even though a lot of people in both of Denmark and Sweden start drinking when they are 14+ or sometimes even younger. So I would say the drinking culture is quite similar between Denmark and Sweden but the laws are the reason making the public drinking, buying alcohol etc. is a bit different since you don't have to hide that you are under 18 in Denmark and the legal age differences.
The US is very suburban and lots of high schoolers drive home after parties. In the 70's, before the drinking age was raised from 18 to 21, there were enough drunk driving deaths that MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) was formed which put political pressure on states to raise the drinking age and put harsh penalties in place for underage drinking and driving under the influence. In some states, it's legal for underage people to have half a drink at home or at a religious ceremony.
Just to clarify: Finland is not a scandinavian country. That's just Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
It is a Nordic country, though, together with the Scandis, Iceland and the Feroe Islands.
I've lived in Denmark going on 14 years. I tried to educate myself before moving here by watching Klovn. I still hate it. Yes, I was born and raised in Sweden.
Im a Dane and i hate Klovn too. Just not my brand of humor.
But does Danish classify as a languish though? Isn't it more like random throat noises?
That's so funny 😄😄😄 I had no idea you guys saw us(heard us) that way.. We need to up our language-game 😵💫😊
Yes, you are right. We need to let more people know.
Its easier for danish people to understand swedes then understanding each other!
Hum, I'd say that Norway is a bit in between those two countries in most regards.
Although I feel like Sweden is perhaps a touch more hierarchical then Norway?
I definitely know that Swedes are known for amazing customer service here and are preferred over Norwegians and Danes for jobs in restaurants, bars, hotels etc here in Norway.
Swedes can sometimes be perceived as rude because they don't seem to have the politeness in their language as we Norwegians do. At least as bosses.
@@TullaRask, I think it is the opposite. As a norwegian who lived for several years in Sweden, my more direct way of communicating were often looked upon as brodering to rude. Swedes are more polished in their style of communicating, but can on the other hand throw very underhanded insults around...
@@greteasen5816 I had a boss who was swedish and many considered her rude. It may be equal. Politeness is different in the 2 languages and such we're considered equally rude.
Danes outside Copenhagen don’t understand any swedish at all, it’s seriously like “Swedish Chef” gibberish for us who live in Mainland (West) Denmark 😁
Dutch are the most direct in my experience. Lived there two years. Swedish by birth, Texan by choice...😊
Then go to Asia.. Or the slavic countries..
@@andersnielsen6044 I give you Slavic, or in this case roman, Romania. My experience in Asia is that most countries are fairly polite, at least to your face.
@@guygrindborg7732 But the asian languages are extremely direct. You know in Denmark we use words like "Jeg vil gerne bede om" or "Vil du være sød at...", in english they use "please" in German they use "Bitte" and so on.. In Asia they do not have these "polite" words in their vocabulary at all. I would love to order a beer, please... Would be in an Asian language: "Give me a beer!".
Dear Stefan,
Can you ask your friend about his experiences with both rascism and the police in both Denmark and Sweden? I hope his experiences were positive, but if not, I would really like to know; I am also a "person of color" who is interested in travelling to these countries, you see . . . .
As a Swede with a Norwegian grandmother I must say I find certain Norwegian dialects unintelligible. Like the one around Bergen, bergensk. I used to ask my Norwegian relatives - all based in Østfold, between Oslo and Strömstad, and they admitted to having a real hard time understanding bergensk as well.
I’d say Danish and bergensk are about equally hard to understand when spoken, although I have little to no problems reading neither Danish, Nynorsk nor Bokmål.
I'm Swedish too and I was sent to Bergen for a 6 month work project. First few days I understood little to nothing, but I must say I got used to the dialect quicker than I expected. This also held true for them and my Swedish, as the people on the west coast aren't nearly as used to hearing Swedes as they are in Oslo. I would've liked it if Stefan could find a third member to this Scandinavia comparing conversation, as I found Norwegian culture more different from ours than I think many Swedes are aware of. For example, they had even less hierarchy than Sweden and almost nobody were using tobacco or drinking alcohol on a regular basis. They don't eat proper lunch and they drink weak coffee, the society relies more on bureaucracy, etc. I could make a long list of very obvious differences :)
@@carlkolthoff5402 What do you mean don't eat proper lunch? Some places in Oslo even has their own cantine? Are you thinking about the time you're allowed to take, because that might be shorter.
@@TullaRask I'm sure it does exist, but where I worked most people just had a sandwich, a fruit or a yoghurt for lunch. In Sweden most people have proper cooked food for lunch on a daily basis. "Dagens lunch" on restaurants are a big deal here and some places are lunch only, not even open during evenings and weekends. As I said, they may exist in Norway too, but I've never seen them so I guess they're not as common as in Sweden where they are everywhere.
@@carlkolthoff5402 It might depend on your field, but where I've worked many has had cantines or you go out to eat. It's not the usual thing to have a warm lunch in Norway, but some cantines might have it.
Klovn ❤
shoutout skåne
You must add Norwegian also.. I would like Americans to describe us too
You need to go to Cristiano and Copenhagen at night 🎉❤.
Finland is not a part of Scandinavia - and Janteloven is also a thing in Denmark :)
Its kind of true that swedes dont like danes but i dont think all swedes are like that. Me personally Try to listen very hard because its hard to understand them, its possible to speak swedish to a dane sure.. The dane understand 100% while the swede(above Skåne) understand 10-50%😅..it ends up speaking english, but thats kind of rude?
Det är intressant att folk från andra länder pratar hur lika och olika de skandinaviska länderna är. Men för Sveriges del så vi mest lika Finland trots språket. Finland excuderas allt för mycket. Jag säger aldrig skandinaviska - utan Norden. Skandinaviska säger jag inte heller för jag ogillar skandivanismen. Misståfå inte mig vänskap i Norden är väldigt bra men skandinaviska är politisktladdat ämne.
Svenskar är väldigt stolta och Gustaf skål sjungs fortfarande och är ihågkommen fortfarande med lyriken "den bästa kung som Norden äger".
Jantelagen men också lagom. Lagom är ett väldigt gammalt ord i svenskan. Lagom var under medeltiden en juridisk term som betyder inte mer än vad lag föreskriver, man ska i te godtyckligt straffa människor.
to be true i think the jante law is old as i see it its about the old times "when we where warioirs " bc if u stand and figth theres a rule u are no bether than your brother and in death status dosent matter
my own saying is ill rather die withe a smile than life forever but im a born dead
Denmark has the highest rate of alcohol consumption in the world amongst teenagers. They drink often and they drink a lot with the sole purpose of getting hammered. So there is really nothing postive about the relaxed and liberal attitude to teenage drinking here. So what you see of problems with alcohol in the US amongst young people is far worse here in Denmark. The binge drinking starts earlier in Denmark than in other places, which is really bad due to the teenagers' brains still developing. In Denmark we have a cultural blindness when it comes to alcohol amongst children. People refuse to acknowledge that teeangers' easy access to alcholol is part of the problem. A bit like some Americans do not acknowledge liberal gun laws leading to more gun violence.
Well Sweden has a much higher number or drug overdoses and drug use. Don't know if that is better. I know several people that spend time in jail for drugs and several people that died from it.
It's everywhere here it seems...
Nordics include Finland and Iceland, not Scandinavia as it is only Sweden, Denmark and Norway
My "sambo" has to show her ID at bolaget, 38 years old, even when our two kids are present. She gets annoyed, i just keep telling her she's hot and young looking 👍
6. As no 6 difference, prostitution is legal in Denmark. The only Nordic country that it is legal in, lol.
Prostitution is not illegal in Sweden. It is, however, illegal to BUY sex.
(There is a punishment, but only for the one who buys sex. The seller is often in a weak social and economic situation and should therefore not be punished.)
Det stämmer inte att danskar förstår svenskar bättre än svenskar förstår danskar. Jag skulle säga att det är samma, eller möjligen att danskar (i vart fall i Köpenhamn) förstår svenskar sämre. Skåningar förstår danskar särskilt bra.
Jeg personligt forstår næsten alt svensk
My family lives in Helsingborg, a city in Skane. They often take the ferry to Helsingborg, Denmark where they can buy alcohol much cheaper. They like the Danes and their more easygoing ways but often laugh about the Danish language which is more guttural. However, they also say that the Stockholm Swedes laugh at the Skane accent as well. It is kind of like the difference in regional accents in the US. I have visited Scandinavia several times. As an American whose father was an immigrant from Skane, I love all three Scandinavian countries and have always felt welcomed there-tack se mycket👍
Actually,from a bit more recent about the understanding beteween the Danes and the Swedes,shows that swedes have way less problems with understanding Danish than the other way around,but the study you are talking about,is entirely old outdated,so please do not continiue to spread that information!😊
As a Norwegian I understand both languages by default, all Norwegians has Swedish, sometimes Danish relatives, I’m
no exception, but Norwegian and Swedish are closer, and I hate both Swedes and Danes equally with a passion🤣🤣🤣 Norway is the country both Sweden and Denmark love to diss and hate on as well. We’re like the underdog and they kinda look down on us for various reasons. I call it envy and jealousy🤷🏾♀️ Then again they have both colonized Norway throughout history…
No no no, Finland is NOT a Scandinavian country. Finland is a part of the Nordic countries along with Iceland and Scandinavia..
Finland is not a Scandinavian country
This is where you lost me, why not stay with comparing US an Sweden?
SCANDINAVIAN vs NORDIC
Finland is Nordic, but not Scandinavian. 😉
Scandinavia = Denmark, Norway, Sweden (The languages are 'mutually intelligible')
Nordic = Scandinavia + Finland and Iceland
DRINKING AGE in DENMARK 🍹🍹
It's never illegal for a person of any age to drink alchol in Denmark (as long as they don't drive anywhere).
It is illegal for the stores to sell beer to anyone under 16, and hard liquor or tobacco to anyone under 18.
It's likewise illegal for restaurants, bars etc. to serve alcohol for anyone under 18 years of age.
HIEARCHIES / ORGANIZING
Danes are definitely into organizing and "flat hiearchies", but I can't tell if the Swedes are more into it.
I guess it would make sense that a country with bigger distances (Sweden) would have a bigger need for organizing. You wan't to pack everything you need, when you travel to your Swedish "ødegård". 😄
Also, Sweden is know for being the most preoccupied with feminism.
JANTE-LAW
The "Law of Jante" was formulated by a Danish author, Axel Sandemose, in the 1930ies, who described the mentality in a provincial Danish town. It must have resonated with people, since we're still talking about it.
It's often intrepreted negatively (envy / holding entrepeneural people back ) , but on a positive note, we are very egalitarian in the Nordic countries.
Finland is not a Scandinavian country.
Finland is not a scandinavian country, it is nordic ⛰️🙏🏼🙏🏻🌺
*Russian 🤫
All the different is beacuse 2-wordwar/ Sweden was on nazi side from 1933 to 1944!!
It's a long time since the war but danish and Norway 🇳🇴 never forget Sweden 🇸🇪 😉!!
Bullshit! Yes there were people in Sweden who were on Germany and the Nazi side however my grandfather was shooting down German planes in the south of Sweden just like my other grandfather and his family sent my grandfathers brother with an airoplane to defend Finland from the Soviets.
@@gaelle4328 WHAT THE F___.!
In the south of Sweden 🇸🇪 shoting down germens planes?? 1933-1945 Sweden whas on The nazi side! 15 koncentration camp chef Tage Erlander! Transisering tru Sweden/ soldiers about 100 000/heavy materials!!
SKF hade a factory in Schweinfurt Germany/ prisoners working and koncentration camps prisoners!! I can go on with much more!
@@qw49 You are heavily mangling history and mixing things up ( BTW would love to see your sources) Sweden were officially neutral during the war but was in a tight spot trying to avoid being invaded. Both from the Soviet union AND Germany. There were indeed from 1940-48 internment (small prison camps) where roughly 3000 people in total for all of the 22 camps were held including military personal from both sides who had entered Sweden without prior agreement , ordinary prisoners and people who the government were afraid could be saboteurs including a fair amount of german refugees as well as communists -the conditions in them in no way ressembled concentration camps but they were thought of as poss security risks and that there were not enough time to figure out properly whom was innocent or not. (not great) Allied aircrews who had gotten shot at by the germans and had to do emergency landnings normally recieved special treatment in that they got put in hotels and bed and breakfasts at their own or minimal recognaissance and got their regular pay forwarded to them by the Swedish Authorities. What is also true is that beginning from 1942 and onwards when the news about what was happening in Germany started coming out officially there was a public outcry from the Swedish population that forced the government to accept a large number of jewish refugees and there were several diffrent schemes to help. In 1946 there was the biggest public outcry during the war when the allies including the Sovjetunionen demanded that not only the german soldiers should be handled over to the allied forces which most considered fair but also the baltic citizens who had fought to protect and retake their countries against the sovietunion by joining german forces. To this day this is considered one of the big shameful moments in Swedish history. We DID however manage to keep the over 30 000 civilian refugees that arrived here from the baltic states. Should also be noted that there were also swedes privatly inlisting to fight on either side as well as swedes providing guerilla training to Norway and Swedes fighting for Finland as well as supplying weapons.
@@qw49 You are mangling up facts see my much longer reply which discuss your points above … In short Sweden was neutral and trying to avoid getting invaded from both Germany and the Soviets.
@@gaelle4328 Herman Göring was maried with a Swedish woman!! The Swedish government learned the nazi to put a J in the Jews passport!! Sweden got paid in gold from the nazi,this gold came from dead Jews and stolen!! Soars (SOU) 1998:96 public 1998!! 1944 10/9 the USA and England said to the Swedish government stop ✋️ the export to nazis of ball bearing if not we will not by after the war!! Birgitta Karlsson/ Martin Fritz, Ingvar Svanberg, Mattias Tyden!! I can give you more sorced if you want?? The Swedish railway company SJ made a profit during the war from nazi about 15-20% more than during peace time!!
Finland is NOT a Scandinavian country. Nordic, yes, but not Scandinavian.
Have you lost weight Stefan?
Finland is not Scandinavian
Congrats to Everyone who is early and found this Comment 🎉
NO, Jantelagen is very mutch a myth!
Try reading the book "En flygtning krydser sit spor" by Aksel Sandemose. Janteloven originates from this book.
The use of alcohol in Denmark can vary a lot.
In my family, we were allowed to try beer, wine and even alcohol from age 12 (sipping only). The idea was generally to prepare us for the exposure to alcohol as teenagers so we were generally also encouraged to get tipsy at home before starting to drink with friends etc. simply because our parents wanted us to know our limits etc.
When I was a child, it was not uncommon to be sent down to the local convenience store with money to buy a bottle of snaps. If the owner of the shop was very familiar with you and your family, you could basically buy a bottle of snaps at age 9. I doubt you can do that today. That time is long gone.
That being said, it does appear that Danish youth drink a lot more heavily than we did 40 years ago. It's almost like the youth absolutely aim at drinking themselves to the curb today.
I would say that really depends on your friends. I moved from home with 17 back in the 90s. The kids I hang out with went to bars daily. I rarely find drunk teenagers monday or tuesday night today. With J day (xmas beer day) back then on Wednesdays classes were half empty thursday and friday (the reason why j day is on a friday today)
I agree, my dad offered me to taste anything from very young age when he took his friday whiskey or something. Not that he would give me a bottle or anything.
I think that is a sound approach.
Better that people first experience alcohol in a safe environment.
I'm Swedish by the way.
If you look at the statistics, the Danish youth actually drink less than previous generations. Probably because of the relatively new restrictions on selling alchohol. - The age limit for hard liquor and tobacco is 18 in the stores, by the way.
On another subject, Finland is acutally not Scandinavian. It's Nordic or Fennoscandian.
da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janteloven