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Swedish word of the day: duktig

Catherine Edwards
Catherine Edwards - [email protected]
Swedish word of the day: duktig
Do you know anyone who's duktig at languages? Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Today's Swedish word is a compliment, but it's worth paying attention to context if you want to avoid offence.

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Duktig means skilled, capable, or hard-working. In phrases like Oj, vad duktig du är! (Wow, how skilled you are!) it's a compliment.

You can use it on its own, in the same way as you might say in English "you're such a hard-worker!" or (to a child) "good girl/boy!". But it usually refers to an action of some sort, whether that's a job or a specific task.

It is often used before a noun to highlight that someone is skilled in a particular role or capacity, so you could say: hon/han är en duktig målvakt/författare/pappa/arbetare (he/she is a good goalkeeper/author/dad/worker).

Or you can combine it with the preposition and a verb or noun to praise specific duktighet (talent/skill): vad duktig du är på att rita/på svenska (how good you are at drawing/at Swedish). And as well as describing the person, you can also talk about the duktig things they've done: hon gjorde många duktiga saker (she did lots of good things), or use it as an adverb by adding "t": han spelade duktigt (he played well).

Duktig comes from the verb duga, which means "to be good for/to be acceptable for".

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But the word is not without controversy. Some people argue that the word can be patronising when used about an adult, since it is best translated as "aren't you good!" and is most often associated with parents or teachers talking to children (or even pet-owners talking to their dogs), rather than peer to peer conversations. So it's a word where you need to pay close attention to context. 

With that said, if someone tells you you're jätteduktig på svenska, it is in all likelihood a sincere compliment.

Examples

Duktig hund!

Good dog!

De vill locka duktig personal till företaget

They want to attract capable staff to the company

Don’t miss any of our Swedish words and expressions of the day by downloading The Local's new app (available on Apple and Android) and then selecting the Swedish Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button.

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