Signification
Something stops working.
Contexte culturel
Swedes value 'lagom' (just the right amount) and sustainability. If something 'går sönder', the first instinct is often to see if it can be 'lagad' (fixed) rather than replaced immediately. The phrase is a staple in 'Svensk pop'. It's used to express emotional vulnerability and the feeling of being overwhelmed by life. Using 'den gick sönder' (it broke) instead of 'jag tog sönder den' (I broke it) is a common way to soften the blow of an accident in a Swedish office. In Swedish noir and drama, 'gå sönder' often describes the slow decay of a family or a person's mental state.
The 'Particle' Secret
In Swedish, the particle 'sönder' stays after the verb even in questions. 'Gick den sönder?' (Did it break?)
Don't 'Break' Your Arm
Never say 'min arm gick sönder' unless you are a robot. Use 'jag bröt armen'.
Signification
Something stops working.
The 'Particle' Secret
In Swedish, the particle 'sönder' stays after the verb even in questions. 'Gick den sönder?' (Did it break?)
Don't 'Break' Your Arm
Never say 'min arm gick sönder' unless you are a robot. Use 'jag bröt armen'.
Teste-toi
Fill in the correct form of 'gå sönder'.
Min gamla klocka ______ igår.
'Igår' (yesterday) requires the past tense (preterite).
Which sentence is correct?
You want to say your phone is broken.
'Gått sönder' is the standard way to say a phone is broken.
Match the Swedish phrase with its English meaning.
Match the following:
These are the standard tense mappings for the phrase.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Varför gråter barnet? B: Hans leksak ______.
The toy already broke, causing the child to cry now.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesMin gamla klocka ______ igår.
'Igår' (yesterday) requires the past tense (preterite).
You want to say your phone is broken.
'Gått sönder' is the standard way to say a phone is broken.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are the standard tense mappings for the phrase.
A: Varför gråter barnet? B: Hans leksak ______.
The toy already broke, causing the child to cry now.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsOnly figuratively, to mean they are emotionally broken. Literally, it sounds like they are a mannequin.
'Gå sönder' is neutral and safe for all situations. 'Paja' is slang and best for casual talk with friends.
Use 'Jag hade sönder den' or 'Jag tog sönder den'.
No, for food going bad, use 'bli gammal' or 'rutna'.
Yes, it is a common way to describe a marriage or friendship failing.
Technically it's an adverb/particle here. The adjective for 'broken' is 'trasig'.
Swedish uses 'go' to describe many changes of state, like 'gå i pension' (retire).
Yes, it's very common in spoken Swedish, though 'trasig' is more 'correct' as an adjective.
You can say 'den gick i tusen bitar' (it went into a thousand pieces).
Yes, you can say 'programmet gick sönder' if it crashes, though 'kraschade' is more common.
Expressions liées
gå itu
similarTo break in two.
paja
synonymTo break (slang).
krossa
specialized formTo crush or shatter.
bryta
contrastTo break (snapping).
