# All Scandinavian Languages: Jaså



## Setwale_Charm

Hi!!
I have always marvelled at the usefulness of the Swedish word Jaså!! meaning "That`s it!" "That`s right!" "Understood!" "So it is" etc. Do other Scandinavian languages have this word? I think, it exists in Danish as well.


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## Lemminkäinen

It's a Norwegian word too, though it doesn't mean quite what it does in Swedish.
There are many ways to use it, but some translations are "really?"/"is that so?" and "so".

- Jaså, du sitter her og tenker, du?
_- So, you're sitting here thinking?_

- Visste du at vi har kjøpt en ny bil?
- Jaså?
_- Did you know we've bought a new car?
- Really?_


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## DrWatson

We use this word in Finnish too, (although Finnish is not a Scandinavian language) among other Swedish loans due to the big Swedish influence in the past. Here it's written *jassoo*, and is used much the same way as in Swedish (or Norwegian). I'll demonstrate with a similar example as Lemminkäinen.

- *Mepä ostimme eilen uuden auton. *(= We bought a new car yesterday.)
- *Jassoo.* (=Really?) (a Finnish alternative could be *niinkö?*, meaning "is that so?") 

Although in Finnish it's less interrogative, more like an affirmation that the addressee has heard and understood the message.


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## Lingvisten

In danish it is used exactly in the same way as in norwegian.


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## Tjahzi

As a matter of fact, judging from the replies in this thread, I would say the Swedish meaning is next to identical to that of Danish/Norwegian....


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## Andreas_Jensen

Unless Setwale has misunderstood the term in Swedish I would say that the meaning in Swedish differs from the Dano-Norwegian... Does anyone agree?


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## jonquiliser

Mm, I wouldn't use "jaså" in the sense of "that's it!", but as it's apparently used in N/Dk.


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## Setwale_Charm

Well, maybe as a request for confirmation: IS that so? Indeed?


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## timesofmist

DrWatson said:


> We use this word in Finnish too.
> 
> - *Mepä ostimme eilen uuden auton. *(= We bought a new car yesterday.)
> - *Jassoo.* (=Really?) (a Finnish alternative could be *niinkö?*, meaning "is that so?")



Second that. Like finnish, estonian isn't a germanic language, but even we here have a word here which does resemble the scandinavian prototype.

When it's _jaså_ in swedish and _jassoo_ in finnish, our version would be _ahsoo_. Because of the pronounciation, most of the h letter goes missing in that specific word, so it's basically _assoo_.
As for the meaning, then it really is the same as in finnish.

At the same time, that's not really unordinary, because we have loads of words of scandinavian origin.. That's the case when living centuries under german and swedish cultural influences.


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## María Madrid

Setwale_Charm said:


> Well, maybe as a request for confirmation: IS that so? Indeed?


Yup, "oh, is it?" rather than "that's it". 
PS. I mean Swedish jaså!

Not sure if this is too off topic, but I just loved Lemminkäinen example. You can't get more Scandinavian than that!


Lemminkäinen said:


> Jaså, du sitter her og tenker, du?
> _- So, you're sitting here thinking?_


There's a funny little book called Sweden, The Secret Files, by Colin Moon (Brit) and he says:

_Swedes have a tendency to state the obvious... If you meet someone you know while strolling in the countryside he'll say "Oh, so you're out walking". The temptation is to say "No, I'm playing the piano", but don't. Sarcasm doesn't go down too well. _


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## Tjahzi

Yes, to be a bit more exact, in Swedish, "jaså" is definatly used in a manner similar to that of Danish/Norwegian, as has been expressed above.

However, given its sometimes rather dubious meaning, it can indeed be replaced by "that's it" or "that's right" in some contexts, but in general it indicates a combination of (sometimes) artifical surprise mixed with a standard confirmation.


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## Andreas_Jensen

_Timesofmist >>> "When it's jaså in swedish and jassoo in finnish, our version would be ahsoo. Because of the pronounciation, most of the h letter goes missing in that specific word, so it's basically assoo."_

That sounds a lot like the German "Ach so!"... Could there be a connection? I'm not too proficient in German to really comment on the meaning of "Ach so" but I certainly seem to recall it to be utilized somewhat along the lines of "really?"

_Timesofmist >>> "At the same time, that's not really unordinary, because we have loads of words of scandinavian origin.. That's the case when living centuries under german and swedish cultural influences."_

What about Danish influence... Don't forget that Tallinn means "Danish city"...  We also got our flag in Estonia... sniff 

Anyway...I'd really enjoy an example of sentence where "jaså" is used in the sense of "that's it!" I have a hard time imagining that...


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## Setwale_Charm

Andreas_Jensen said:


> What about Danish influence... Don't forget that Tallinn means "Danish city"...  We also got our flag in Estonia... sniff


 
But we won`t give it back to you, forget it!!! you may no more than come and visit at times!


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## Andreas_Jensen

Setwale_Charm said:


> But we won`t give it back to you, forget it!!! you may no more than come and visit at times!


 
Just you wait... One day we'll take back all that's rightfully ours! 

(Off topic?)


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## Setwale_Charm

Andreas_Jensen said:


> Just you wait... One day we'll take back all that's rightfully ours!
> 
> (Off topic?)


 
Of course!!! And after we get it in the neck from the Mods, I will deal with you privately I know many Estonians, and "hot-blooded Estonian guys" know how to deal with your lot


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## Wilma_Sweden

DrWatson said:


> We use this word in Finnish too


 
Hi, may I seize the opportunity to have confirmed or denied a phrase I learned from my late husband who was English but worked for a few years in Finland as an ESL teacher. The phrase, as I remember it, was *vainiin, va sillalajla* (begging your pardon for spelling errors and memory loss), but the meaning of it was said to be a strong version of Jaså, like Jaså, på *det* viset? (indicating that the speaker had a Eureka moment).

I'd be grateful if you could straighten this out for me, as I know no other Finnish speakers, and have no contact with the spirit world...

/Wilma


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## timesofmist

Andreas_Jensen said:


> That sounds a lot like the German "Ach so!"... Could there be a connection? I'm not too proficient in German to really comment on the meaning of "Ach so" but I certainly seem to recall it to be utilized somewhat along the lines of "really?"



Well, i suppose i'm less proficient that anyone in german, haha. But i guess you have made a point. The connection didn't come to my mind while making the post. _Ach so_ is pretty much the same case as _jassoo, ahsoo, jaså_ etc.



Andreas_Jensen said:


> We also got our flag in Estonia... sniff



Jep, that's Tallinn's ''coat of arms'' is basically Dannebrog. That's what i'd call a cultural influence : D


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