# Swedish: hitta/finna



## Språkliga Möten

In an classified section of a newspaper (like man söker kvinna) I saw that both "finn en vän!" and "hitta en vän!" are used. 

Are there differences in meaning between the two?


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## etaro

"Finn" and "hitta" are synonyms. As a 22 year old from Stockholm, I would NEVER use the world "finn" over the word "hitta". For me "finn" is something my grandmother would say. It might however be different in other dialects, so I can't guarantee that "finn" or "finna" is only used by an older generation. 

Both are correct though, and no one in Sweden would tell you you used the wrong word whichever you choose to use...


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## BlueSuede

I would use "finna" in my spoken language with no problem. Definitely so in written Sweden.

There is a difference between "finna" and "hitta" though. Subtle but still. But most often I find them synonymous.


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## etaro

BlueSuede said:


> I would use "finna" in my spoken language with no problem. Definitely so in written Sweden.
> 
> There is a difference between "finna" and "hitta" though. Subtle but still. But most often I find them synonymous.




Interesting!
Where in Sweden do you live and how old are you?
Care to elaborate on the difference? 

As I said me and my friends would never use "finna", not even in written language...


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## BlueSuede

etaro asks "Care to elaborate on the difference?" (...between "finna" och "hitta")

The difference is subtle, as I said, but one important difference is that "finner" is the result of searching, while "hittar" is a find of a chance.

Example: "Den som söker, han finner" (as said in the 2000 edition of the bible, Luke chapter 11, verse 10), where an active search is required. Not "Den som söker, han hittar" which sounds weird in my Swedish ears.

Another example: "En sån flax! Jag hittade en hundring på gatan!", meaning that I found it of pure chance, I didn't actively search for it. Because if I had lost it before and searched for it, then I would use "Jag fann hundringen" and not "Jag fann en hundring".

Compare "Jag fann min fru i säng med min bror" with "Jag hittade min fru i säng med min bror". In what sentence would I be surprised, and in what sentence was I expecting the fact?

I don't think my age or my origin has anything to do with it, as this is standard Swedish. I might be wrong, but if so, the opinion is free. And my strong opinion is that they are not 100% synonymous.


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## etaro

BlueSuede said:


> etaro asks "Care to elaborate on the difference?" (...between "finna" och "hitta")
> 
> The difference is subtle, as I said, but one important difference is that "finner" is the result of searching, while "hittar" is a find of a chance.
> 
> Example: "Den som söker, han finner" (as said in the 2000 edition of the bible, Luke chapter 11, verse 10), where an active search is required. Not "Den som söker, han hittar" which sounds weird in my Swedish ears.
> 
> Another example: "En sån flax! Jag hittade en hundring på gatan!", meaning that I found it of pure chance, I didn't actively search for it. Because if I had lost it before and searched for it, then I would use "Jag fann hundringen" and not "Jag fann en hundring".
> 
> Compare "Jag fann min fru i säng med min bror" with "Jag hittade min fru i säng med min bror". In what sentence would I be surprised, and in what sentence was I expecting the fact?
> 
> I don't think my age or my origin has anything to do with it, as this is standard Swedish. I might be wrong, but if so, the opinion is free. And my strong opinion is that they are not 100% synonymous.



So you claim it's similar to "search for" and "look for" in English? It might be your right, but are people really using it like that today? Sure, your example is valid, but to me "Den som söker, han finner" sounds more valid due to it being a rather well-known expression. If i would say "Om du letar så hittar du den" I use "hitta" in the exact same way as "finna" is used in your fist example. I for one would not state said phrase to be wrong in modern Swedish. 

I might of course very well be wrong here, but I feel I can't be the only one who does not use the word "finna" in every day language...


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## AutumnOwl

I agree with BlueSwede that there is a difference between _finna_ and _hitta_, finna can be translated into locate or discover, while hitta is come across. Take for example:_ han fann sin bror levande bland rasmassorna efter jordbävningen_, there is a element of an active search in that expression, while _han hittade sin bror vid torget _doesn't imply that he was searching for his brother, just happened to find him when passing the square.


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## etaro

AutumnOwl said:


> I agree with BlueSwede that there is a difference between _finna_ and _hitta_, finna can be translated into locate or discover, while hitta is come across. Take for example:_ han fann sin bror levande bland rasmassorna efter jordbävningen_, there is a element of an active search in that expression, while _han hittade sin bror vid torget _doesn't imply that he was searching for his brother, just happened to find him when passing the square.




So to you "han hittade sin bror levande bland rasmassorna efter jordbävningen" is either wrong or meaning he just stumbled on his brother by chance? I'm sure your right, but how widespread is this usage today? As i said it's nothing I hear from people around here...


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## Tjahzi

While I'm familiar with the distinction presented by BlueSuede and AutumnOwl, I agree with etaro that it (and the word _finna_ altogether) has fallen/is falling out of use. It could be a case of dialectal, sociolectal and/or chronolectal differences. Then again, we can't know since we have limited knowledge of the background, age and location of BlueSuede and AutumnOwl.


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## Lugubert

Tjahzi said:


> While I'm familiar with the distinction presented by BlueSuede and AutumnOwl, I agree with etaro that it (and the word _finna_ altogether) has fallen/is falling out of use. It could be a case of dialectal, sociolectal and/or chronolectal differences. Then again, we can't know since we have limited knowledge of the background, age and location of BlueSuede and AutumnOwl.


Agreed. I liked the fann/hittade distinction in the brother example. But as a report from a software search function, I can only imagine "Sökningen _hittade _inga förekomster". Disclosure: I'm 68, probably middle class, hold academic primary degrees, translator.


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## rhitagawr

As regards BlueSuede’s posting, in _Elvira Madigan_, one of the characters says to a girl _Var fann du knapparna?_ The girl had found the buttons by chance. Admittedly the film’s decades old so the meaning of _finna_ may have changed (slightly) since then.
Isn’t there also a difference when the English _find_ means _have a perception or opinion of_? I’d say _Det finner jag sv__årt_ and not _Det hittar jag sv__årt_.


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## Lugubert

rhitagawr said:


> Isn’t there also a difference when the English _find_ means _have a perception or opinion of_? I’d say _Det finner jag sv__årt_ and not _Det hittar jag sv__årt_.


There's a multitude of translations for 'find'. In this case, I find _finna_ and _hitta_ impossible, and would say _Det tycker jag är svårt_ or _Det anser jag vara svårt_, or perhaps _Det känns svårt_ or _Det verkar svårt_, depending on the circumstances etc.


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## rhitagawr

Thanks, Lugubert. My Swedish is far from perfect, so it's nice to be corrected.


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## Gagoro

rhitagawr said:


> As regards BlueSuede’s posting, in _Elvira Madigan_, one of the characters says to a girl _Var fann du knapparna?_ The girl had found the buttons by chance. Admittedly the film’s decades old so the meaning of _finna_ may have changed (slightly) since then.
> Isn’t there also a difference when the English _find_ means _have a perception or opinion of_? I’d say _Det finner jag sv__årt_ and not _Det hittar jag sv__årt_.



According to me you can say "Jag finner det svårt att förstå varför han gör som han gör" but in that sentence you can not use "hittar".


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