Latest / Learn Swedish with Fexingo / Swedish Home Decor - Buying a Vase
Transcript
- Lucas: Welcome back to another episode of Learn Swedish with Fexingo. I am Lucas. Luna: And I am Luna. It is so good to be back with you, Lucas. Lucas: It really is. We have been doing a lot of practical shopping lately, haven't we? Luna: Yes. We bought watches, lamps, backpacks, and even a desk chair recently. Lucas: That is true. And today, we are going to keep that momentum going. Luna: Oh, I love shopping topics. What are we buying today? Lucas: We are going to a home goods store. Specifically, we want to buy a vase. Luna: A vase? That sounds lovely. Do Swedes like buying vases often? Lucas: They do. Interior design is very important in Swedish culture. A nice flower in a beautiful vase makes a room feel cozy. Luna: That is such a nice idea. I want to buy a vase too. Let's start the scene. Lucas: Okay. Imagine we are standing in front of a shelf with many different vases. Luna: I see them. They are all so pretty. How do I tell the shop assistant what I want? Lucas: We use the same polite structure we used for the watch and the lamp. Luna: Right. 'Jag skulle vilja ha...' means 'I would like to have'. Lucas: Exactly. And for a vase, the word is 'en vas'. So, let's try the full phrase. Lucas: Jag skulle vilja ha en vas. Luna: Jag skulle vilja ha en vas. Lucas: Perfect. That is very polite. Now, you might want to ask about the material. Luna: Yes, I prefer glass vases. They look elegant. How do I ask if they have one in glass? Lucas: You can ask: 'Har ni den i glas?' This means 'Do you have it in glass?'. Luna: Let me try. Har ni den i glas? Lucas: Very good pronunciation. The 'g' in glas is soft, just like in English. Luna: Great. Now, what if I don't care about the material, but I care about the color? Lucas: That is a common question. You can ask: 'Vilken färg har ni?'. Luna: Vilken färg har ni? That asks 'Which color do you have?'. Lucas: Correct. Or if you see a specific vase and want to know its price. Luna: I remember this one from the watch episode. 'Hur mycket kostar...?' Lucas: Yes. But remember, 'vas' is neuter gender when talking about the object itself in this context, or rather, we refer to the specific item on the shelf. Luna: Wait, let me check. Is it 'den här vasen' or 'det här vaset'? Lucas: Good catch. Since 'en vas' is an en-word, the definite form is 'vasen'. So we say 'den här vasen'. Luna: Ah, okay. So the phrase is: 'Hur mycket kostar den här vasen?'. Lucas: Exactly. 'How much does this vase cost?'. Luna: Let me repeat that slowly. Hur mycket kostar den här vasen? Lucas: Spot on. Now, once you find the perfect vase, how do you decide to buy it? Luna: I think I use the same phrase again. 'Jag tar den här, tack.'. Lucas: Usually, yes. But since 'vas' ends in -s, sometimes people treat the specific object with 'det' if they view it as a neutral item, though 'den' is grammatically safer for 'en vas'. Luna: Let's stick to 'den här' to be safe. Or actually, let's look at our target list. Lucas: Our last phrase is 'Jag tar det här, tack.'. Luna: Why did we switch to 'det här'? Isn't it 'en vas'? Lucas: In spoken Swedish, when pointing at a specific item on a counter, 'det här' is extremely common regardless of gender. It feels more natural to point and say 'this one here'. Luna: I see. So 'Jag tar det här, tack' is very natural. Let's practice it. Luna: Jag tar det här, tack. Lucas: Excellent. Let's review all five phrases together now. Lucas: First: Jag skulle vilja ha en vas. Luna: Jag skulle vilja ha en vas. Lucas: Second: Har ni den i glas? Luna: Har ni den i glas? Lucas: Third: Vilken färg har ni? Luna: Vilken färg har ni? Lucas: Fourth: Hur mycket kostar den här vasen? Luna: Hur mycket kostar den här vasen? Lucas: And fifth: Jag tar det här, tack. Luna: Jag tar det här, tack. Lucas: You are getting so fast at these. I love hearing you say them. Luna: Thanks, Lucas. It feels like I could actually walk into a store in Stockholm tomorrow. Lucas: That is exactly what we want. To make real progress with this language, you need to hear these patterns. Luna: Speaking of progress, I have to mention something important about how we make this show. Lucas: Yes, Luna. We have a special mission with Fexingo. Luna: We deliberately choose not to run ads on these episodes. Lucas: It keeps the listening experience clean and focused for you. Luna: If you want to support that choice directly, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Lucas: Your support helps us keep making these ad-free lessons available. Luna: Thank you for caring about the show. Now, let's go back to the store. Lucas: Back to the store. Okay, you found a blue glass vase. Luna: It is beautiful. I want to buy it. Let's do the final conversation. Luna: Excuse me. Jag skulle vilja ha en vas. Luna: Jag tittar på denna. Har ni den i glas? Luna: Perfekt. Vilken färg har ni? Luna: Den blå är fin. Hur mycket kostar den här vasen? Luna: Okej. Jag tar det här, tack. Lucas: Did you see how smooth that was? You asked for the material, checked the color, asked the price, and bought it. Luna: I felt so confident. Especially with 'Jag skulle vilja ha en vas' at the start. Lucas: It sets a polite tone immediately. And 'Har ni den i glas?' is very specific. Luna: And 'Vilken färg har ni?' helped me narrow down my choices. Lucas: Exactly. You didn't just guess. You communicated clearly. Luna: I am glad I practiced 'Hur mycket kostar den här vasen?' before. It saved me from being surprised by the price. Lucas: Always good to know the price before you commit. 'Jag tar det här, tack' is the perfect ending. Luna: It sounds decisive. Like I know what I want. Lucas: That is the goal. Confidence in speaking leads to confidence in living. Luna: I can't wait to decorate my apartment with some Swedish vases. Lucas: Or maybe just buy one vase as a gift. Either way, you have the words. Luna: Yes. These five phrases cover the whole process. Lucas: Let's say them one last time to lock them in. Lucas: Jag skulle vilja ha en vas. Luna: Jag skulle vilja ha en vas. Lucas: Har ni den i glas? Luna: Har ni den i glas? Lucas: Vilken färg har ni? Luna: Vilken färg har ni? Lucas: Hur mycket kostar den här vasen? Luna: Hur mycket kostar den här vasen? Lucas: Jag tar det här, tack. Luna: Jag tar det här, tack. Lucas: Fantastic work today, Luna. Luna: Thanks, Lucas. I feel ready for any home decor store. Lucas: I hope you do too. Practice these phrases until they feel easy. Luna: I will. See you next time! Lucas: See you next time. Hejdå.