Meaning
To learn through doing
Cultural Background
Swedes value 'life experience' (livserfarenhet) highly. It is often seen as more important than 'book smarts' in social situations. The concept of 'erfarenhetsåterföring' (feedback of experience) is common in Swedish companies to improve processes. In Swedish universities, 'beprövad erfarenhet' (proven experience) is a legal term used alongside 'science' to validate methods. When someone makes a mistake, a common Swedish comfort is to say 'Då har du gjort en erfarenhet rikare' (Then you are one experience richer).
Use it in your CV
Instead of just listing skills, use 'Jag har gjort värdefulla erfarenheter inom...' to sound more reflective.
Don't say 'Hade'
Avoid saying 'Jag hade en erfarenhet'. It's the most common mistake for English speakers.
Meaning
To learn through doing
Use it in your CV
Instead of just listing skills, use 'Jag har gjort värdefulla erfarenheter inom...' to sound more reflective.
Don't say 'Hade'
Avoid saying 'Jag hade en erfarenhet'. It's the most common mistake for English speakers.
The 'Rich' Metaphor
If you want to sound very native, say 'Jag blev en erfarenhet rikare' (I became one experience richer).
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'göra'.
Förra året _______ jag en viktig erfarenhet i skolan.
The sentence refers to 'last year' (förra året), so we need the past tense 'gjorde'.
Which sentence is most natural for a job interview?
How would you describe what you learned at your last job?
'Gjorde erfarenheten att...' is a professional way to introduce a lesson learned.
Match the adjective with the type of experience.
Match the pairs:
These are common collocations used with 'erfarenhet'.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Hur var din första dag på nya jobbet? B: Det var stressigt, men jag _______ _______ _______ att jag måste fråga om hjälp.
In this context, 'gjorde erfarenheten' (followed by 'att') is the most natural fit.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Where would you use 'Jag har gjort många värdefulla erfarenheter'?
This is a formal, reflective phrase perfect for professional summaries.
🎉 Score: /5
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
5 exercisesFörra året _______ jag en viktig erfarenhet i skolan.
The sentence refers to 'last year' (förra året), so we need the past tense 'gjorde'.
How would you describe what you learned at your last job?
'Gjorde erfarenheten att...' is a professional way to introduce a lesson learned.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
These are common collocations used with 'erfarenhet'.
A: Hur var din första dag på nya jobbet? B: Det var stressigt, men jag _______ _______ _______ att jag måste fråga om hjälp.
In this context, 'gjorde erfarenheten' (followed by 'att') is the most natural fit.
Where would you use 'Jag har gjort många värdefulla erfarenheter'?
This is a formal, reflective phrase perfect for professional summaries.
🎉 Score: /5
Frequently Asked Questions
4 questionsYes, 'Jag gjorde många erfarenheter' is very common when talking about a period of time like a trip or a job.
It's slightly formal, but perfectly fine if you are talking about something serious or meaningful. For small things, just say 'Jag lärde mig'.
'Erfarenhet' is knowledge from doing; 'kunskap' is general knowledge (could be from books).
'Göra' emphasizes that you were active. 'Få' is also correct but sounds more like the experience happened to you.
Related Phrases
Få erfarenhet
similarTo get experience
Dyrköpt erfarenhet
specialized formA lesson learned the hard way
Beprövad erfarenhet
specialized formProven/tested experience
Lärdom
synonymA lesson learned
