Significado
If you look for it, you'll find it.
Contexto cultural
In Sweden, this proverb is often associated with the 'Lutheran work ethic,' where persistence and individual effort are highly valued. The phrase is equally common in Finland-Swedish and carries the same biblical weight and encouraging tone. Despite its religious origins, the phrase is now used by atheists and secular people as a general motivational quote without any religious connotation. The phrase is sometimes used ironically by university students when they finally find a source in the library after hours of searching.
Use it for encouragement
This is the best phrase to use when someone is about to give up looking for something. It makes you sound like a supportive native speaker.
Don't modernize the 'han'
Even though 'hen' is a popular gender-neutral pronoun in Sweden now, don't use it in this proverb. It will sound like a political statement rather than a piece of wisdom.
Significado
If you look for it, you'll find it.
Use it for encouragement
This is the best phrase to use when someone is about to give up looking for something. It makes you sound like a supportive native speaker.
Don't modernize the 'han'
Even though 'hen' is a popular gender-neutral pronoun in Sweden now, don't use it in this proverb. It will sound like a political statement rather than a piece of wisdom.
The 'Leta' vs 'Söka' distinction
Remember that 'söka' is more formal/abstract. If you are just looking for your socks, you 'letar', but the proverb always uses 'söker'.
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the missing words to complete the proverb.
Den som ______, han ______.
The canonical proverb uses the verbs 'söker' and 'finner'.
Which pronoun is traditionally used in this proverb?
Den som söker, ___ finner.
The proverb traditionally uses the generic 'han' (he).
In which situation is it MOST appropriate to use this proverb?
Situation: Your friend is sad because they lost their cat and have been looking for two days.
The proverb is used to motivate someone to continue their search.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Jag har letat efter min bok i en timme! B: Ge inte upp. ________________.
'Den som söker, han finner' is the perfect response to someone searching for a lost object.
Match the Swedish words with their English meanings.
Match the following:
These are the core components of the phrase.
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Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
5 ejerciciosDen som ______, han ______.
The canonical proverb uses the verbs 'söker' and 'finner'.
Den som söker, ___ finner.
The proverb traditionally uses the generic 'han' (he).
Situation: Your friend is sad because they lost their cat and have been looking for two days.
The proverb is used to motivate someone to continue their search.
A: Jag har letat efter min bok i en timme! B: Ge inte upp. ________________.
'Den som söker, han finner' is the perfect response to someone searching for a lost object.
Empareja cada elemento de la izquierda con su par de la derecha:
These are the core components of the phrase.
🎉 Puntuación: /5
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasIt has religious origins (the Bible), but today it is used by everyone in a secular way.
Technically yes, but it's not the standard proverb. People will think you are intentionally changing it.
'Söka' is more formal or for abstract things (seeking truth). 'Leta' is for physical things (looking for keys).
It's an old grammatical style called a resumptive pronoun. It points back to 'Den som söker'.
Yes, very! You will hear it in movies, read it in books, and hear it in daily conversation.
Yes, it's great for motivating a team that is looking for a solution to a problem.
The vocabulary is simple enough for A1, but the grammar ('Den som... han...') is slightly more advanced.
Not a standard one, but people might jokingly say 'Den som söker, han letar' to mean they haven't found anything yet.
The 'ö' is like the 'i' in 'bird'. Round your lips and say 'suh-ker'.
The closest is 'Seek and you shall find'.
Frases relacionadas
Sök och du skall finna
similarSeek and you shall find.
Den som spar han har
builds onThe one who saves, he has.
Leta med ljus och lykta
specialized formTo search with light and lantern.
Hitta nålen i en höstack
contrastFind a needle in a haystack.
Den som väntar på något gott väntar aldrig för länge
similarThe one who waits for something good never waits too long.
