Significado
To reduce the amount of money spent.
Contexto cultural
The TV show 'Lyxfällan' has made 'skära ner på utgifterna' a part of the national vocabulary. It's common for Swedes to joke about being in 'Lyxfällan' if they spend too much. In the US, the equivalent is often 'tightening the belt'. While Swedes use the 'cutting' metaphor, Americans often use the 'belt' metaphor to describe the same feeling of restriction. The concept of 'Mottainai' (regret over waste) influences how Japanese people think about spending. While they might not use the 'cutting' metaphor, the cultural pressure to avoid 'utgifter' is very strong. Germans are famously 'sparsam' (thrifty). The phrase 'Ausgaben kürzen' is used with a sense of pride in financial discipline, similar to the Swedish perspective.
Use the particle!
Always emphasize the word 'ner'. If you stress 'skära' too much, it sounds like you are talking about a physical knife.
Don't forget 'på'
Leaving out 'på' is the most common mistake for English speakers. It's 'cut down ON', and Swedish needs that 'ON' (på) too!
Significado
To reduce the amount of money spent.
Use the particle!
Always emphasize the word 'ner'. If you stress 'skära' too much, it sounds like you are talking about a physical knife.
Don't forget 'på'
Leaving out 'på' is the most common mistake for English speakers. It's 'cut down ON', and Swedish needs that 'ON' (på) too!
The 'Lyxfällan' effect
Using this phrase makes you sound like a responsible adult in Sweden. It's a very 'adulting' phrase.
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the missing preposition.
Vi måste skära ner ___ utgifterna om vi ska ha råd med hyran.
The phrasal verb 'skära ner' always takes 'på' when referring to the thing being reduced.
Choose the correct past tense form of the verb.
Förra året ___ de ner på utgifterna för resor.
'Skära' is a strong verb; its past tense is 'skar'.
Match the Swedish phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the pairs:
These are all related to saving money but have different nuances.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the phrase.
A: Varför köper du inte den nya iPhonen? B: Jag försöker ______.
After 'försöker', we use the infinitive form 'skära'.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Verb Nuances
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosVi måste skära ner ___ utgifterna om vi ska ha råd med hyran.
The phrasal verb 'skära ner' always takes 'på' when referring to the thing being reduced.
Förra året ___ de ner på utgifterna för resor.
'Skära' is a strong verb; its past tense is 'skar'.
Empareja cada elemento de la izquierda con su par de la derecha:
These are all related to saving money but have different nuances.
A: Varför köper du inte den nya iPhonen? B: Jag försöker ______.
After 'försöker', we use the infinitive form 'skära'.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasIt is neutral. You can use it with friends, but it's also perfectly fine in a business report.
Yes, 'kostnaderna' (the costs) is a very common synonym, often used in business.
It is 'skar'. For example: 'Vi skar ner på utgifterna förra månaden.'
You can just say 'dra ner' if the context of money is already clear.
No, for weight you would say 'gå ner i vikt'. But you can 'skära ner på socker' (cut down on sugar).
Usually, yes, because we typically cut multiple types of spending. 'Skära ner på utgiften' (singular) sounds like you are cutting one specific bill.
'Skära ner' is more idiomatic and metaphorical. 'Minska' is more direct and formal.
No, 'klippa ner på utgifterna' is not an idiomatic phrase in Swedish.
The noun is 'nedskärningar'. For example: 'Vi måste göra nedskärningar i budgeten.'
Extremely common. You will see it in almost every article about the economy.
Frases relacionadas
Dra ner på
similarTo reduce/pull down
Spara in på
similarTo save on
Slösa
contrastTo waste/squander
Minska
synonymTo decrease
Göra av med pengar
contrastTo spend/get rid of money
