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Questions & Answers about Alla säger skål.
Why is the word alla used for "everyone"? I thought it meant "all".
Alla literally translates to "all", which is the standard way Swedish expresses "everyone". Note that in English, "everyone" takes a singular verb (everyone is), but Swedish treats alla as plural. Since Swedish verbs like säger don't change form for plural subjects anyway, you just use the standard present tense.
Is säger pronounced exactly how it is spelled?
No, this is a very common exception! The g in säger is pronounced like a j (similar to an English y). It sounds like "säjer". You will hear native speakers pronounce it this way in everyday speech.
Doesn't the word skål literally mean "bowl"?
Yes, it does! Historically, people in Scandinavia would pass around a shared drinking bowl during feasts. Over time, raising the bowl and saying the word for it evolved into the standard toast. Today, saying skål is exactly how you say "cheers" in Swedish.