Bedeutung
Taking the wrong direction.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Swedes value punctuality. If you 'går fel' and will be late, it is culturally mandatory to text and inform the other person immediately. In the Swedish woods, 'gå fel' is common because trails aren't always perfectly marked. Carrying a physical map is still respected. In meetings, 'Var gick det fel?' is a standard, non-aggressive way to start a problem-solving discussion without blaming individuals. Sweden is highly digitized. Error messages in Swedish apps almost always use 'Något gick fel' (Something went wrong).
The 'Mode' Rule
Always match the verb to your transport: Gå (walk), Köra (drive), Cykla (bike), Rida (ride a horse).
Don't say 'Jag är fel'
English speakers often say 'I am wrong' as 'Jag är fel'. In Swedish, this sounds like you are a 'wrong person'. Say 'Jag har fel' or 'Jag gick fel'.
Bedeutung
Taking the wrong direction.
The 'Mode' Rule
Always match the verb to your transport: Gå (walk), Köra (drive), Cykla (bike), Rida (ride a horse).
Don't say 'Jag är fel'
English speakers often say 'I am wrong' as 'Jag är fel'. In Swedish, this sounds like you are a 'wrong person'. Say 'Jag har fel' or 'Jag gick fel'.
Soft Blame
Use 'Det gick fel' to avoid sounding like you are accusing someone directly. It's very Swedish!
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the correct form of 'gå' (går, gick, gått).
Vi _____ fel igår när vi letade efter restaurangen.
'Igår' (yesterday) requires the past tense 'gick'.
Which sentence is correct if you are driving a car?
Vad säger du om du kör åt fel håll?
Use 'köra' for driving.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Situation: Your computer suddenly restarts and loses your work.
'Något gick fel' is the standard way to describe a technical error.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Varför är du sen? B: Förlåt, jag ______ vid tunnelbanan.
'Gick fel' explains that you took the wrong path.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenVi _____ fel igår när vi letade efter restaurangen.
'Igår' (yesterday) requires the past tense 'gick'.
Vad säger du om du kör åt fel håll?
Use 'köra' for driving.
Situation: Your computer suddenly restarts and loses your work.
'Något gick fel' is the standard way to describe a technical error.
A: Varför är du sen? B: Förlåt, jag ______ vid tunnelbanan.
'Gick fel' explains that you took the wrong path.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNo, for a bus you would say 'åka fel' (travel wrong).
Yes, it implies an error, though it can be used lightheartedly.
The opposite is 'gå rätt' (go right/correctly).
Yes, 'Han har gått fel i livet' means he has made bad life choices.
You say 'Jag gick fel' or 'Jag tog fel väg'.
It functions as an adverb describing the action of going.
It can mean a process failed ('det gick fel'), but for a person failing an exam, use 'misslyckas'.
Yes! 'Klockan går fel' means the clock is showing the wrong time.
Yes, but 'fela' or 'brist' might be used for more technical precision.
You can say 'Jag gick fel' as you apologize and leave.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Gå vilse
similarTo get lost completely
Köra fel
specialized formTo drive the wrong way
Gå snett
synonymTo go wrong/crooked
Räkna fel
specialized formTo miscalculate
Hamna fel
similarTo end up in the wrong place
