Dialogue

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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Hello and welcome to Swedish Survival Phrases brought to you by SwedishPod101.com. This course is designed to equip you with the language skills and knowledge to enable you to get the most out of your visit to Sweden. You will be surprised at how far a little Swedish will go.
Now, before we jump in, remember to stop by SwedishPod101.com, and there, you will find the accompanying PDF and additional info in the post. When you stop by, be sure to leave us a comment.

Lesson focus

Swedish Survival Phrases Lesson 42 - A guide to foreign exchange in Sweden.
Exchanging money in Sweden is quite convenient. One can exchange money at airports, banks, or withdraw money from an ATM. Rates apply when withdrawing money from an ATM are likely to be the best. However, when using an ATM, it is advisable to make one large withdrawal as you may be charged by both the local bank and your home one. So, first things first, let’s find a location that will exchange money.
First, let’s review some previous phrases and patterns we've already covered.
In Swedish, "Is there an ATM near here?" is Finns det en bankomat i närheten?
Finns det en bankomat i närheten?
Let's break it down by syllable: Finns det en bankomat i närheten?
Now, let's hear it once again: Finns det en bankomat i närheten?
The first word Finns det means "is there."
Let’s break down this word and hear it one more time: Finns det.
Finns det.
This is followed by En bankomat, which in Swedish is "an ATM."
En bankomat
En bankomat
So, to recap here, we have Finns det en bankomat. Literally, this means "is there an ATM."
Let's take a look at the next part: I närheten, which means "nearby."
I närheten
I närheten
All together, we have Finns det en bankomat i närheten? Literally, this means "Is there an ATM nearby?"
Now, to ask for a bank, we can just replace the word for ATM with "bank" and the phrase works just fine.
"Is there a bank near here?" is Finns det en bank i närheten?
Finns det en bank i närheten?
The only thing that changes is the thing you're looking for. In this case, it's "bank."
Let's break down this word and hear it one more time: Bank.
For times when neither a bank nor an ATM, you can ask "Where can I exchange currency?" This is Var kan jag växla pengar?
Var kan jag växla pengar?
Let's break it down by syllable: Var kan jag växla pengar?
Now, let's hear it once again: Var kan jag växla pengar?
The first word Var means "where."
Let's break down this word and hear it one more time: Var.
Var.
This is followed by Kan, which in Swedish is "can."
Kan.
Kan.
So, to recap here, we have Var kan. Literally, this mean "where could" or "where can."
Let's take a look at the next word which is Jag, which means "I."
Jag.
Jag.
This is followed by Växla, which in Swedish is "exchange."
Växla.
Växla.
And lastly, we got Pengar, which is "money."
Pengar.
Pengar.
So, all together, we have Var kan jag växla pengar? Literally, this means "Where can I exchange money?"
Exchanging currency is pretty straightforward. You need to fill out some forms and present the amount you want exchanged. One extremely useful phrase is "Smaller denominations, please." As its usually beneficial to have smaller amounts of currency on you for paying for the bus fare, taxi fare, et cetera.
In Swedish, "Smaller denominations, please" is Mindre valörer, tack.
Mindre valörer, tack
Let's break it down by syllable: Mindre valörer, tack
Now, let's hear it once again: Mindre valörer, tack
The first word Mindre means "smaller" or "less."
Let's break down this word and hear it one more time: Mindre.
Mindre.
This is followed by Valörer, which in Swedish is "denominations."
Valörer.
Valörer.
Then we add "please" for the final touch, which in Swedish is Tack.
Tack.
Tack.
So, all together, we have Mindre valörer, tack, Literally, this means "Smaller denominations, please."
Finally, you can also use the phrase "Break this, please" to indicate you would like smaller amount of currency. In Swedish, "Break this, please" is Kan du växla det här, tack?
Let's break it down by syllable: Kan du växla det här, tack?
Now, let's hear it once again: Kan du växla det här, tack?
The first word Kan means "can" or "could."
Let's break down this word and hear it one more time: Kan.
Kan.
Kan.
This is followed by Du, which in Swedish is "you."
Du.
Du.
So, to recap here, we have Kan du. Literally, this means "could you."
Let's take a look at the next word: Växla, which means "exchange."
Växla.
Växla.
Next, we have Det här, which in Swedish means "this."
Det här.
Det här.
And finally, we add Tack, to soften request.
So, all together, we have Kan du växla det här, tack? Literally, this means "Could you exchange this, please?"
Yes. In Sweden, it's the same word for breaking money as for exchanging currency. You exchange asking, Kan du växla det här, tack? in a local store would mean that you want them to break it into smaller amounts because they don’t have foreign currency anyway. But if at a bank or a place where they actually exchange into another currency, you might want to be a bit more precise about what you want.
In Sweden, an ATM is called Bankomat, and was at first a co-operation between different banks. Now, it’s a set phrase that most Swedish ATMs take VISA, Maestro, MasterCard, and other know debit or credit cards. The information about which cards you could use is either on the screen or on a sticker at the ATM.

Outro

Okay, to close out this lesson, we'd like for you to practice what you've just learned. I'll provide you with the English equivalent of the phrase and you're responsible for saying it aloud. You'll have a few seconds before I give you the answer, so Lycka till, that means “good luck” in Swedish. Okay, here we go!
"Is there an ATM near here?" - Finns det en bankomat i närheten?
Finns det en bankomat i närheten?
"Where can I exchange currency?" - Var kan jag växla pengar?
Var kan jag växla pengar?
"Smaller denominations, please." - Mindre valörer, tack.
Mindre valörer, tack.
"Break this, please." - Kan du växla det här, tack?
Kan du växla det här, tack?
All right, that's going to do it for today. Remember to stop by SwedishPod101.com and pick up the accompanying PDF. When you stop by, be sure to leave us a comment.

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