# Swedish: happy birthday to you



## Språkliga Möten

I would like to call my best friend and leave a congratulatory message by singing.

But I am not sure whether I should say "Ja må du leva Ja visst kan du leva" or "Ja må hon leva Ja visst kan hon leva" on the phone?


----------



## Pingüinono

Min svenska bok säger:

Jag, må hon leva
jag, må hon leva
jag, må hon leva uti hundrade år.
Javisst, ska hon leva
javisst, ska hon leva
javisst, ska hon leva uti hundrade år.




Språkliga Möten said:


> I would like to call my best friend and leave a congratulatory message by singing.
> 
> But I am not sure whether I should say "Ja må du leva Ja visst kan du leva" or "Ja må hon leva Ja visst kan hon leva" on the phone?


----------



## Pingüinono

And don't forget:

"Ett fyrfaldigt leve för (her name here)! 
Hon leve! 
Hurra! Hurra! Hurra! Hurra!


----------



## Wilma_Sweden

If you want to make it personal, you can indeed replace every hon in the above lyrics with du - don't mix them, that would sound strange indeed!

The second verse goes:

Och när hon har levat, 
och när hon har levat
och när hon har levat uti hundrade år
Då ska hon skjutas
ja, då ska hon skjutas
ja, då ska hon skjutas på en skottkärra fram!

I wouldn't use that verse with du, though, it sounds a bit macabre, because skjutas on its own means to be shot (with a gun), while the last skjutas means pushed (on a wheelbarrow).

/Wilma


----------



## Södertjej

Pingüinono said:


> "Ett fyrfaldigt leve för (her name here)!


This is not really necessary if it's just one person singing on the phone, it would be odd to encourage the others to say hurra! when there's no one else around. You can go directly to the four "hurras".


----------



## solregn

Pingüinono said:


> Min svenska bok säger:
> 
> *Ja*, må hon leva
> *ja*, må hon leva
> *ja*, må hon leva uti hundrade år.
> Javisst, ska hon leva
> javisst, ska hon leva
> javisst, ska hon leva uti hundrade år.



Rätt ska vara rätt


----------



## Södertjej

You're completely right Solregn. I overlooked it said jag instead of ja. Jag makes no sense at all.


----------



## Wilma_Sweden

Södertjej said:


> You're completely right Solregn. I overlooked it said jag instead of ja. Jag makes no sense at all.


I missed that, too, or didn't look properly!  

/Wilma


----------



## Pingüinono

solregn said:


> Rätt ska vara rätt


 
Tack solregn!
That was of help because it makes me remember to pay more attention during the swedish language exam!


----------

