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Am I rude?

Anna

I saw a Swedish tv program the other day. It’s a really weird series of thoughts about Swedish history. They make up what if- thoughts. What if x never happened, what would y have been then. I like playing with what if-thoughts, so I like the thought-games they playing in the program. The historical facts are not very reliable, but I don’t watch the show for that.

The latest episode told us about our Swedish “you-reform” from the late 1960’s. We started to say You to everyone instead of Mr, Mrs, Miss, all noble titles and we dropped all work titles too when we spoke to a person. Everyone except the King family we could say You to.

But not every other country followed us in this title loss. That made me think of the question:

Do you think I’m rude to you?

I grew up in the 1970’s, so I never learned the old Swedish way to talk to people. To me everyone is the same and I say You to whoever I talk to. Never talked to our King family, so no, I haven’t been that old fashion politely when I talk to people ever.

But you might live in a country where the Swedish way of talking to people is perceived as rude. I’m sorry if I’m not carry the right politeness in those cases.

This blog reach wordwide and I hope you see me as a nice person even if I have Swedish manner when it comes to titles 🙂

Here you can read more about our You-reform.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Du-reformen

If you have access to Swedish tv on the internet, you can se the program here:

http://www.svt.se/tank-om/sa-har-hade-det-sett-ut-om-du-reformen-inte-hade-slagit-igenom/

If you want to read what the Swedish newspaper writers think about the show, ypu can read this:

http://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/kronikor/johan-croneman-lindstroms-historieprogram-slar-nagot-slags-rekord-i-historieloshet/

Have a great morning, day, evening and night wherever you are!

Anna

Published by Anna

You will find out about me, reading this blog ;)

24 thoughts on “Am I rude?”

  1. I don’t think you are rude at all. When we all communicate on here I think we must make allowance for different cultures and languages and values. Sometimes things get lost in translation, so I try to reign in my humour a little in case I inadvertently offend someone.
    And I am mindful that you are write in a second language, although your English is quite excellent.

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    1. Thank you very much. I try the best I can. I should have payed more attention to English class, but I didn’t like foreign languages back then. I was too afraid to say and write wrong in foreign languages. But now a days I like foreign languages and I’m not afraid to do misstakes. I see a challenge in learning to write understandable English 🙂

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  2. Absolutely not! You’re terrific. I believe people are people, and all should be treated with respect and kindness. The notion of treating anyone special or better than someone else simply because of a title is dated and ridiculous. They put their pants on just like everybody else, whether they’re a king or a pauper. I realize some cultures are different in this regard, but I see no one person as more deserving of respect than any other, regardless of title.

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  3. In my native language the difference between formal and familiar address is alive and well. However, I would not say one expresses more respect than the other. It simply shows a different level of familiarity or distance. Also the formal address is vanishing from private live.
    Languages without this difference usually have a different way to express distance, don’t they.

    So, no, Miss Anna. I do not think you’re rude 🙂

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  5. Oh, and I hasten to add that people here think that Swedish (and generally Scandivian) people are very kind and uncomplicated

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  6. We don’t have the you differentiation for the formal and informal. So you are fine in English, Anna. Not to worry.
    Leslie

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  7. Now here is the thing: In Switzerland we have the Du (used for people you know very well) and the Sie (Mr, Mrs and so on, people you don’t know or are older or “of higher rank”). Our kids don’t know this because their first language is English. While my daughter has an accent when she speaks Swiss German, my son doesn’t. He sounds like a normal Swiss kid. Now while we were there, many people had a strong reaction on him calling them “du” (because he did not any better). They only understood it when I explained that we actually live in Australia and that English is his first language.

    Rude? No, not at all. It’s just the way it is and the way you grew up with. Same as with my children, who are far from being rude.

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  9. I haven’t seen any rude swedish so far:) I just find them a bit hmm how to say ..cool..I mean they don’t seem like they wanna have any conversation with the people around:) But it is all okey:) I know this things are all about cultural differences and learned way of communication..With love from Istanbul, a mixed, international family in Turkey hehe:)

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    1. I know some Swedes look like they not want to start conversation with people they don’t know, but in my little town I think it’s the other way around. We talk to everyone that comes in our way 🙂

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      1. Good to hear that;) I believe I will meet many friendly people when we get chance to have a trip there:) (Me and my hubby having some plans for a trip, not soon but some time later;)

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