Untranslatable wordEverydaySwedish

Vabba

Meaning: To stay home from work on paid leave to look after a sick child.

Literally: To take child-sick leave

Origin: Swedish, from the abbreviation VAB (vård av barn, 'care of child'); now carried in the Swedish Academy's wordlist.

More untranslatable words — Everyday

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More Swedish untranslatable words

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Explore another collection: False Friends

Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.

  • Semester Actually means 'holiday' or 'vacation'. A school semester is en termin.
  • Barn Actually means 'child'. A barn is en lada.
  • Sex Actually means 'six'. Klockan sex = six o'clock.

Browse all false friends →

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