Idioms You Cannot Take Apart
Each of these means something the words do not add up to. Ha gott om is to have plenty of — the gott is frozen and never agrees with anything. Löna sig is to be worth it, and it is nearly always impersonal: det lönar sig att vänta.
| idiom | English |
|---|---|
| ha gott om | to have plenty of |
| löna sig | to pay off, be worth it |
| hålla ett öga på | to keep an eye on |
| i god tid | in good time |
| av en slump | by chance |
| slå vad | to make a bet |
| We have plenty of time. | Vi har gott om tid. |
The opposite of ha gott om is ha ont om — plenty and shortage are built the same way.
Blame, Chance and Time
Skylla sig själv is what you say about someone who brought it on themselves: han får skylla sig själv. Av en slump means by chance, and i god tid means well before you need to — a Swedish virtue, and the phrase turns up constantly around trains and appointments.
| Come in good time for the train. | Kom i god tid till tåget. |
Business and Betting
Gå i konkurs is to go bankrupt — a fixed frame with no article. Slå vad is to bet, and the thing bet on follows with om.
| The company went bankrupt after ten years. | Företaget gick i konkurs efter tio år. |
Your questions are stored by us to improve Elon.io
