Latest / Learn Swedish with Fexingo / Swedish Shopping - Asking for Materials
Transcript
- Lucas: Welcome back to Learn Swedish with Fexingo. I am Lucas. Luna: And I am Luna. We are so happy to be here again. Lucas: Today we are going back to the store. But not just any store. Luna: We are looking at things you wear. And we need to know what they are made of. Lucas: Exactly. Sometimes a shirt looks nice, but you wonder if it is hot or scratchy. Luna: Right. Last episode we asked about prices. This time we ask about the stuff itself. Lucas: So let us start with the big question. How do you ask what something is made of? Luna: I feel like I always say 'what is this'. But that is too vague. Lucas: It is. The key word here is material. In Swedish, it is 'material'. Luna: Okay. Material. So I want to ask: Of which material is this here? Lucas: Perfect structure. Let me say it slowly. Av vilket material är den här? Luna: Av vilket material är den här? That sounds very formal. Lucas: It is polite. It shows you care about quality. Now listen to it normally. Luna: Av vilket material är den här? Got it. Lucas: Let us try it together. Imagine you pick up a scarf. Luna: Av vilket material är den här? Lucas: Yes. Exactly. Now the shopkeeper answers. Say this after me. Luna: Okay. Den är gjord av bomull. Lucas: Slowly. Den är gjord av bomull. It means 'It is made of cotton'. Luna: Den är gjord av bomull. Bomull is cotton. I like cotton. Lucas: It is soft. It breathes. Good for summer. Now try it fast. Luna: Den är gjord av bomull. Nailed it. Lucas: There you go. So you ask the question. They answer with cotton. Luna: Av vilket material är den här? Den är gjord av bomull. Lucas: Great. Now, what if it is winter? You might prefer wool. Luna: Oh yes. Wool keeps you warm. But how do you say wool? Lucas: Ull. Just two letters. Ull. Listen. Luna: Ull. Okay. So the answer would be different. Lucas: Yes. Instead of 'made of', we often use 'in' for fabric types. Luna: In? Like 'in wool'? Det feels weird in English but maybe okay in Swedish. Lucas: It is natural. Den är i ull. Listen to the full phrase. Luna: Den är i ull. Lucas: Slowly. Den är i ull. Then normal speed. Luna: Den är i ull. Ahh, yes! Lucas: You did it. So we have cotton and wool. What about synthetic stuff? Luna: Like plastic? Or shiny clothes? Lucas: Polyester. It is a long word. Poli-ester. In Swedish it is similar. Luna: Polyester. Okay. So I can say 'It is polyester'. Lucas: Yes. Det är polyester. Note the 'et' at the end. It is neuter gender. Luna: Det är polyester. Wait, hold on. Is it 'den' or 'det'? Lucas: Good catch. When talking about the material itself as a substance, we use 'det'. Luna: Det är polyester. Okay. I got that one right. Lucas: You did. So now you know the three main answers. Cotton, wool, polyester. Luna: Bomull, ull, polyester. Let me repeat the whole exchange. Lucas: Please do. Start with the question. Luna: Av vilket material är den här? Den är gjord av bomull. Lucas: Perfect. Now change the answer to wool. Luna: Av vilket material är den här? Den är i ull. Lucas: And now to polyester. Luna: Av vilket material är den här? Det är polyester. Lucas: Excellent. You are speaking clearly. But wait. There is one more thing. Luna: Oh no. More words? Lucas: Just one useful opinion. Sometimes you don't like synthetics. Luna: Me neither. I hate itchy shirts. I want real stuff. Lucas: Natural stuff. Here is how you say that. Jag vill ha något naturligt. Luna: Jag vill ha något naturligt. That is a mouthful. Lucas: Break it down. Jag vill ha. Something natural. Slowly. Luna: Jag vill ha något... naturligt. Lucas: Together. Jag vill ha något naturligt. Luna: Jag vill ha något naturligt. Oh, that's so good. I love that. Lucas: It tells the shop assistant exactly what you need. No plastic please. Luna: Yeah. Just give me the soft stuff. Can we practice that one more time? Lucas: Sure. Say the sentence. Luna: Jag vill ha något naturligt. Lucas: There it is. Perfect pronunciation. Luna: I think I could actually buy a sweater now. Lucas: That is the goal. Ask the question. Get the answer. Make your choice. Luna: Av vilket material är den här? Jag tar den här, tack. Lucas: Brilliant. You combined our old phrase with our new one. Luna: It feels easy when you break it down. Thank you, Lucas. Lucas: Thank you, Luna. Before we go, we have a small request. Luna: Oh? What is it? Lucas: If Fexingo has been helping you make actual progress with this language, consider supporting us. Luna: It really helps keep the show ad-free and consistent. Lucas: You can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Even a small cup makes a big difference. Thanks for listening. Lucas: Back to the store. What else might you see? Luna: Maybe silk? Or linen? Those are other natural materials. Lucas: Silk is 'siden'. Linen is 'linne'. We can save those for later. Luna: Okay. For now, I am sticking with cotton and wool. Lucas: Smart choice. Let us review the main phrase one last time. Luna: Av vilket material är den här? Lucas: Repeat it. Slowly. Luna: Av vilket material är den här? Lucas: And the cotton answer. Luna: Den är gjord av bomull. Lucas: And the wool answer. Luna: Den är i ull. Lucas: And the preference. Luna: Jag vill ha något naturligt. Lucas: You are doing great. Keep practicing these until we chat again. Luna: See you next time. Hejdå! Lucas: Hejdå.