bortse

§ Understanding 'Bortse'

The Swedish verb 'bortse' (pronounced: bort-SEH) is an important word to add to your vocabulary as you progress to a B2 level. It directly translates to 'to ignore' or 'to disregard'. However, it often carries a nuance of intentionally overlooking something, usually for a specific reason or in a particular context. It's not just about not seeing or hearing something; it's about actively choosing to set something aside in your consideration.

Think of it as choosing to 'look past' something. You acknowledge its presence, but you decide it's not relevant or important to your current situation or decision-making process. This can be for good reasons, like focusing on the bigger picture, or sometimes it can imply a deliberate avoidance of an issue.

DEFINITION

To ignore or disregard; to intentionally overlook something.

Here are some common situations where you'll encounter 'bortse':

• When making a decision, you might 'bortse' from minor details to focus on the main points.
• In a discussion, you might ask someone to 'bortse' from personal feelings to discuss facts.
• A rule might state that under certain circumstances, you can 'bortse' from a specific regulation.

§ When Do People Use 'Bortse'?

Swedes use 'bortse' when they want to convey the idea of consciously setting something aside. It's more formal than simply saying 'inte bry sig om' (not care about) or 'strunta i' (to not care, to ignore in a more casual way). 'Bortse' suggests a more deliberate and often rational decision to disregard something.

Let's look at some examples to get a better feel for its usage:

Here, 'Vi måste bortse från hans ålder och se till hans erfarenhet' means 'We must disregard his age and look at his experience.' This implies a conscious decision to not let age be a factor, focusing instead on experience.

'Kan vi bortse från de små misstagen för stunden och fokusera på helheten?' translates to 'Can we ignore the small mistakes for now and focus on the bigger picture?' Again, it's about a temporary, intentional disregard for certain details to achieve a broader goal.

It's crucial to understand that 'bortse' isn't always negative. While 'ignoring' can sometimes have negative connotations in English, 'bortse' can be used positively to indicate a wise decision to prioritize or streamline information. For example, a judge might need to 'bortse' from emotional appeals to focus on legal facts.

'Man kan inte bortse från riskerna' means 'One cannot ignore the risks.' This shows that sometimes 'bortse' is used in a negative construction to emphasize that something *should not* be disregarded.

In summary, 'bortse' is a versatile verb that expresses a deliberate choice to set something aside in your thoughts or actions. It's a key word for expressing nuanced decision-making and critical thinking in Swedish.

§ Common Uses of Bortse

The verb bortse is quite common in Swedish, especially in formal contexts. It means 'to ignore' or 'to disregard'. You'll often hear it in discussions where someone is making a point about excluding certain information or factors. Let's look at some places where this word frequently appears.

§ At Work

In a professional setting, bortse is used when you need to talk about setting aside specific details or circumstances. This could be in meetings, reports, or when discussing procedures. It's a way to acknowledge something exists but decide not to consider it for a particular purpose.

DEFINITION

To consciously choose not to consider certain information or circumstances when making a decision or argument.

(We cannot ignore the customer's complaints.)

(If we disregard the budget restrictions, what would be the ideal solution?)

§ In School and Academia

In academic settings, bortse is frequently used when discussing research methodology, data analysis, or when making theoretical arguments. It's crucial for clearly defining the scope of a study or the assumptions made. Students will encounter this in textbooks, lectures, and academic papers.

(The student chose to disregard the extreme values in their analysis.)

(One cannot disregard previous research in the field.)

§ In the News and Public Discourse

When reading or listening to the news in Swedish, particularly in articles or reports that analyze situations, you'll encounter bortse. It's often used when journalists or commentators are discussing political decisions, social issues, or economic trends, and need to highlight what factors are (or are not) being taken into account.

(The government cannot ignore the public's opinions.)

(If we disregard the short-term effects, we see a positive trend.)

Understanding bortse in these different contexts will help you grasp the nuances of Swedish communication, especially in more formal or analytical discussions. It's a useful word to add to your vocabulary for both comprehension and expression.

§ Forgetting the Preposition 'Från'

One of the most common mistakes English speakers make when using 'bortse' is forgetting to include the preposition 'från' (from). In Swedish, 'bortse' almost always takes 'från' when you are ignoring *something* or *someone*. Think of it as 'to disregard *from* something'. Without 'från', the sentence often sounds incomplete or grammatically incorrect to a native speaker.

You cannot disregard from the risks. (You cannot ignore the risks.)

We must disregard from what he said. (We must ignore what he said.)

§ Using 'Bortse' for Physical Ignorance

'Bortse' is used for ignoring something conceptually, like facts, advice, or warnings. It's not typically used for physically ignoring someone or something in the sense of looking away or not paying attention physically. For that, you would use other verbs like 'ignorera' (to ignore, generally, and often in a more active sense) or 'strunta i' (to not care about, to disregard casually).

• Correct (conceptual ignoring):

  Du kan inte bortse från reglerna.

  You cannot disregard the rules.

• Incorrect (for physical ignoring):

  Hon bortsåg från mig när jag pratade med henne.

  She disregarded from me when I talked to her. (This sounds very unnatural.)

• Better alternatives for physical ignoring:

  Hon ignorerade mig när jag pratade med henne.

  She ignored me when I talked to her.

  Hon struntade i mig när jag pratade med henne.

  She didn't care about me when I talked to her (or, more colloquially, she blew me off).

§ Confusing 'Bortse' with 'Undvika'

While both 'bortse' and 'undvika' (to avoid) can imply not dealing with something, their nuances are different. 'Bortse' means to disregard or overlook, to consciously choose not to consider something. 'Undvika' means to actively stay away from or prevent something from happening.

DEFINITION

Bortse: To consciously disregard or overlook something in your consideration.

DEFINITION

Undvika: To actively stay away from, circumvent, or prevent something.

• Example with 'bortse':

  Vi kan inte bortse från fakta, hur obekväma de än är.

  We cannot disregard the facts, however uncomfortable they are.

• Example with 'undvika':

  Jag försöker undvika att äta för mycket socker.

  I try to avoid eating too much sugar.

Let's talk about the Swedish verb bortse. This is a useful word, but it can be a bit tricky to get right. We'll look at its meaning, how to use it, and how it compares to other Swedish words you might already know.

§ What 'bortse' means

Definition

To ignore or disregard. It implies intentionally setting something aside or not taking it into consideration.

Think of bortse as actively choosing to not pay attention to something, often because it's irrelevant or you're making an exception.

§ How to use 'bortse'

The verb bortse is often followed by the preposition 'från' (from).

We must disregard his age when we assess his performance.

Can we ignore this detail for the moment?

§ Similar words and when to use 'bortse' vs alternatives

Swedish has several words that can seem similar to bortse, but they have different nuances. Understanding these differences will help you choose the right word in the right situation.

• Ignorera (to ignore): This is a very direct translation of 'to ignore'. It can be used for intentionally not paying attention, but also for simply failing to notice something or someone. Bortse is more about consciously excluding something from consideration, especially in a formal context.

He chose to ignore the criticism. (Could be ignoring it emotionally, or not responding to it.)

We must disregard irrelevant details in the investigation. (Here, bortse is better because it implies a deliberate act of setting aside facts in a formal process.)

• Strunt i (to not care about, to let go of): This is more informal and means to not care about something, or to let it pass. It’s less about a conscious decision to disregard facts and more about an attitude.

Don't care about what they say! / Ignore what they say! (More emotionally charged, and less formal than bortse.)

• Förbise (to overlook): This often implies an accidental oversight, a failure to notice something, rather than a deliberate disregard.

I must have overlooked the information in the report. (This suggests an error, not an intentional choice.)

Practice using bortse in different sentences, and pay attention to when native speakers use it. You'll get the hang of it!