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HelpRe: Swedish February BAs
in reply to a message by New_Chloe
This calls for a Swedish pronunciation lesson! ;D
K before a soft vowel (e, i, y, ä, ö) is pronounced sh. But for some reason it's a rule that's often ignored in names, so it really only applies to Kerstin (SHESH-tin, because rs = sh as well) and word names like Kämpe. Names like Joakim, Kevin, Torkel, Jannike and Rakel are all said with a normal hard k. So unless you're going to learn the language, not just the names, I suppose you don't really need to know this. :P
K before a soft vowel (e, i, y, ä, ö) is pronounced sh. But for some reason it's a rule that's often ignored in names, so it really only applies to Kerstin (SHESH-tin, because rs = sh as well) and word names like Kämpe. Names like Joakim, Kevin, Torkel, Jannike and Rakel are all said with a normal hard k. So unless you're going to learn the language, not just the names, I suppose you don't really need to know this. :P
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So you can actually tell how k is supposed to be pronounced simply by looking the letter that follows it? You don't have to learn it word by word?
...All those years and all those Swedish teachers and none of them had the decency to tell us this? I knew there was a reason why I didn't like them. :)
So you can actually tell how k is supposed to be pronounced simply by looking the letter that follows it? You don't have to learn it word by word?
...All those years and all those Swedish teachers and none of them had the decency to tell us this? I knew there was a reason why I didn't like them. :)
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Oh, teachers ... Being Swedish, I obviously know how to pronounce k by heart, but we were taught which vowels are soft (e, i , y, ä, ö) and which ones are hard (a, o, u, å), but never what it all was any good for. XD
The same rule applies for c and g btw. C is k before hard vowels and s before soft (but that's an international rule), g is g before hard vowels and j before soft. :)
The same rule applies for c and g btw. C is k before hard vowels and s before soft (but that's an international rule), g is g before hard vowels and j before soft. :)
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So this is why gymnasium is pronounced with j! I don't understand why they just couldn't tell us the rules, that would have made things so much easier. The only rule we were taught was that ä is pronounced like e, unless it's before r. (Altough some apparently pronounce är as e...?)
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But in some dialects ä and e never are the same thing, apparently ... And yes, pronouncing är as e is very very common.
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My name is Kirsten, my mother intended it to be pronounced SHESH-tin. But the only person that ever calls me that is my grandmother when I'm in trouble.
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Really! I had no idea about that. Thanks for the lesson :) (and Kerstin "SHESH-tin" is amazing)
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My pleasure. :) (And I love the form Kersti (SHESH-ti, of course) even more!)
This rule sometimes make loan words troublesome. Ketchup is said with a hard k, while kilo is SHEE-lo, and whether kex ("biscuit, cracker", a loan from the English word "cakes") should be pronounced "kex" or "shex" is an ever raging debate (seriously!). I'm on "Team shex"!
This rule sometimes make loan words troublesome. Ketchup is said with a hard k, while kilo is SHEE-lo, and whether kex ("biscuit, cracker", a loan from the English word "cakes") should be pronounced "kex" or "shex" is an ever raging debate (seriously!). I'm on "Team shex"!
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Some people pronounce kilo with a hard k. It bugs me. Almost as much as kex pronounced "shex" ;)
Team Kex forever.
Team Kex forever.
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Another team Kex!
I just can't stand the shex prn. It bugs the hell out of me. Seriously. Thankfully, 99% of the people in my area prn it kex.
I just can't stand the shex prn. It bugs the hell out of me. Seriously. Thankfully, 99% of the people in my area prn it kex.
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I'm totally on team shex too.
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