Bedeutung
To stop being friends with someone
Kultureller Hintergrund
Swedes value their privacy and social 'peace'. Ending a friendship formally is seen as a way to restore order to one's personal life. In the US, friendships are often more fluid. People might 'ghost' or just drift apart. 'Säga upp bekantskapen' sounds much more formal than typical American social endings. Like Sweden, Japan has a formal term (Zekkō) for ending friendships, reflecting a shared cultural emphasis on social harmony and formal boundaries. In cultures where emotional expression is more overt, a friendship might end with a loud argument but without the formal 'termination' status found in Sweden.
The 'Med' Rule
Always remember to use 'med' if you mention the person. 'Jag sa upp bekantskapen MED honom.'
Don't use for partners!
Using this for a boyfriend/girlfriend makes you sound like a robot or a lawyer.
Bedeutung
To stop being friends with someone
The 'Med' Rule
Always remember to use 'med' if you mention the person. 'Jag sa upp bekantskapen MED honom.'
Don't use for partners!
Using this for a boyfriend/girlfriend makes you sound like a robot or a lawyer.
Stress the Particle
If you don't stress 'UPP', the phrase loses its meaning. It's a particle verb!
The Nuclear Option
In Sweden, this is a very strong statement. Use it only for serious situations.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing words to complete the phrase.
Efter sveket valde hon att säga ___ bekantskapen ___ honom.
The correct particle is 'upp' and the correct preposition is 'med'.
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose the correct sentence:
Option B is correct. A is wrong because it's a romantic partner. C uses the wrong preposition. D uses the wrong object (should be 'säga upp prenumerationen').
Match the Swedish phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
All pairs are correctly matched to show the different uses of 'säga upp'.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the phrase.
A: Varför pratar du inte med Maria längre? B: Jag har ________ bekantskapen med henne.
The present perfect 'har sagt upp' is needed here.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Ending Relationships
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenEfter sveket valde hon att säga ___ bekantskapen ___ honom.
The correct particle is 'upp' and the correct preposition is 'med'.
Choose the correct sentence:
Option B is correct. A is wrong because it's a romantic partner. C uses the wrong preposition. D uses the wrong object (should be 'säga upp prenumerationen').
Ordne jedem Element links seinen Partner rechts zu:
All pairs are correctly matched to show the different uses of 'säga upp'.
A: Varför pratar du inte med Maria längre? B: Jag har ________ bekantskapen med henne.
The present perfect 'har sagt upp' is needed here.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
14 FragenNo. Ghosting is disappearing without a word. 'Säga upp bekantskapen' implies a decision, and often (though not always) a communication of that decision.
No, if you want to quit your job, you say 'säga upp mig'. If you want to stop being friends with your boss after you've both left the company, then you can use it.
'Sade' is more formal and common in writing. 'Sa' is what everyone says when they speak. Both are correct.
Yes, it is possible and means the same thing, but 'bekantskapen' is the more common idiomatic form.
There isn't one single phrase, but 'ta upp bekantskapen igen' means to start being friends again after a break.
Yes, it is standard Swedish and understood everywhere.
Yes, it is common for serious family rifts.
In Swedish, 'upp' often signifies completion or termination in particle verbs.
It's not rude, but it is very serious. It's a clear way to state a boundary.
Yes, if you are having a serious conversation about relationships.
That is 'Jag blev uppsagd'. It uses the same verb 'säga upp'.
'Bryta kontakten' is more common in modern, casual Swedish, but 'säga upp bekantskapen' is more descriptive of the social act.
Usually, yes, or at least a significant disagreement or loss of respect.
No, that is a common mistake. Always use 'med'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Bryta med någon
synonymTo break with someone
Göra slut
similarTo break up
Säga upp sig
builds onTo resign
Vända ryggen åt
figurativeTo turn one's back on
Gå skilda vägar
contrastTo go separate ways
