Signification
To have poor chances of success in a situation.
Contexte culturel
Swedes value 'jordnära' (down-to-earth) realism. Using this phrase shows you are not 'blåögd' (blue-eyed/naive) about your chances. In sports, this phrase is used to show respect to a superior opponent. It's a form of sportsmanship to acknowledge that the other team is better. In Nordic business culture, transparency about risks is preferred over hyper-optimism. This phrase is common in internal strategy meetings. Journalists use this phrase to summarize political debates where one side was clearly more prepared than the other.
Use 'hos' for people
When you want to say someone won't give you what you want, use 'hos'. E.g., 'Hos henne har du inget att hämta.'
Don't use 'ta'
Even though 'ta' means 'take', you cannot say 'inte ha mycket att ta'. It sounds very unnatural.
Signification
To have poor chances of success in a situation.
Use 'hos' for people
When you want to say someone won't give you what you want, use 'hos'. E.g., 'Hos henne har du inget att hämta.'
Don't use 'ta'
Even though 'ta' means 'take', you cannot say 'inte ha mycket att ta'. It sounds very unnatural.
Humility is key
Using this phrase about yourself can actually make you sound humble and realistic, which is a positive trait in Sweden.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing word to complete the idiom.
Mot det här laget har vi tyvärr inte mycket att _______.
The correct verb in this idiom is always 'hämta'.
Which sentence is grammatically correct in a subordinate clause?
Jag är rädd...
In Swedish subordinate clauses, 'inte' comes before the verb (BIFF-rule).
Match the situation to the most likely use of the phrase.
Situation: A small local bakery trying to compete with a massive industrial bread factory on price.
The smaller, weaker competitor is the one who 'has nothing to fetch' against the giant.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Ska vi försöka övertala chefen att ge oss ledigt på fredag? B: Nej, det är ingen idé. ___________.
This means the boss is unlikely to agree, so there's no point in asking.
Match the Swedish phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the pairs:
These are the standard idiomatic translations.
🎉 Score : /5
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
5 exercicesMot det här laget har vi tyvärr inte mycket att _______.
The correct verb in this idiom is always 'hämta'.
Jag är rädd...
In Swedish subordinate clauses, 'inte' comes before the verb (BIFF-rule).
Situation: A small local bakery trying to compete with a massive industrial bread factory on price.
The smaller, weaker competitor is the one who 'has nothing to fetch' against the giant.
A: Ska vi försöka övertala chefen att ge oss ledigt på fredag? B: Nej, det är ingen idé. ___________.
This means the boss is unlikely to agree, so there's no point in asking.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are the standard idiomatic translations.
🎉 Score : /5
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsYes! 'Ha mycket att hämta' means there is a lot to gain or learn. 'Det finns mycket att hämta i den här kursen.'
It can be. If you say 'Du har inget att hämta här' to someone's face, it's very blunt and dismissive.
'Inget' means zero chance, while 'inte mycket' means a very small, almost negligible chance.
Absolutely. 'Vi hade inte mycket att hämta i förra årets tävling.'
Yes, very often. It's used to describe market competition and negotiations.
Literally, yes. But in idioms, it often means 'to gain' or 'to achieve'.
Yes, you could say 'Det är kört' or 'Vi är rökta', but 'inte mycket att hämta' is more common in media.
Only literally. 'Det fanns inte mycket att hämta på buffén' means the food was gone.
It's pronounced 'HEM-tah' with a short 'e' sound.
Yes, it's a perfect phrase for B1 learners to move from basic to idiomatic Swedish.
Expressions liées
vara chanslös
synonymTo be without a chance.
ha mycket att hämta
contrastTo have a lot to gain or learn.
hämta sig
similarTo recover (from illness or shock).
det är kört
similarIt's over / It's done for.
slå ur underläge
builds onTo fight from an underdog position.
