What does “välfärden” mean in Swedish?
Kritik mot regeringens elprisstöd och skattesänkningar
B2 Swedish listening practice · Standard Swedish · Picked for people who know more
Välfärden (“the welfare,” literally “the well-faring”) is one of the most loaded words in Swedish political debate. It refers to the system of universal healthcare, childcare, free education, pensions, and unemployment insurance that defines the Nordic social model. When Swedes argue about government policy, they argue about whether something strengthens or cuts välfärden.
In this parliamentary clip, an opposition MP accuses the government of “dra ner i välfärden” (“cutting down on the welfare”) to fund tax cuts for the wealthy. The exact phrase has run through Swedish elections since the 1950s. Välfärdssamhället (“the welfare society”) and välfärdsstaten (“the welfare state”) are slightly more formal cousins.
How common are the words?
How common are the words in this B2 Swedish listening practice video?
How common in written Swedish
How common in spoken Swedish
Harder words in this video
These words are harder than B2. Here is what they mean.
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · OpenSubtitles 2018 (HermitDave) (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.
- ▸In Swedish parliamentary debates (Riksdagen live coverage)
- ▸In Swedish election ads (Socialdemokraterna, Moderaterna)
- ▸In Swedish political talk shows (Aktuellt, Agenda, 30 minuter)
- ▸In Swedish opinion columns (Dagens Nyheter, Aftonbladet)
- ▸In Swedish union and pensioner protests