Hacerse el Sueco: The Curious Story Behind Spain’s Phrase About the Swedes
In languages across the world, certain expressions embed stereotypes, histories, and cultural assumptions, often in ways that surprise those they describe. In Spain, one such phrase is “hacerse el sueco”, literally, “to act like a Swede.” Yet the meaning has little to do with Scandinavia’s snow-covered forests, ABBA, or IKEA. Instead, to “hacerse el sueco” means to play dumb, to pretend not to understand, or to ignore what’s happening.
But how did this peculiar expression come to be? And how do Swedes feel about it?
What Does Hacerse el Sueco Actually Mean?
Ask a Spaniard, and they’ll likely tell you: when someone “se hace el sueco,” they are deliberately avoiding responsibility or pretending not to notice something. The phrase conveys a mild rebuke, aimed at someone who looks the other way or feigns ignorance like a child suddenly absorbed in their peas when asked who broke the vase.
It’s an expression well known in Spain and many parts of the Spanish-speaking world. And for many Swedes encountering it for the first time, it can come as an amusing or slightly puzzling surprise.
Possible Origins: A Phrase With Many Theories
Where did hacerse el sueco come from? Scholars and enthusiasts alike have debated this question, proposing at least eight major theories, none definitively proven, but each offering a glimpse into history, language, and cultural contact.
1️⃣ The Swedish Soldiers of the Thirty Years’ War
One of the oldest theories traces the phrase to the 1600s, when Swedish and Spanish soldiers clashed in Europe’s religious wars. According to this view, captured Swedes, unable to understand Spanish interrogators, responded with blank stares or incomprehension. Over time, pretending not to understand became associated with “acting Swedish.”
2️⃣ The Town of Sueca in Valencia
Another theory points not to Sweden, but to Sueca, a town near Valencia. Historically a farming community, its residents were seen by city folk as rustic or naive. The phrase may have evolved from city dwellers mocking country visitors who seemed lost or confused in urban settings.
3️⃣ The Wooden Shoe Connection
In old Spain, farmers wore clunky wooden shoes, called zuecos. The word zueco sounds similar to sueco (Swede), and some believe the phrase originated as a pun: to act as dense or uncomprehending as a wooden clog.
4️⃣ The Language Barrier of Seafaring Swedes
Some suggest the phrase arose from Swedish sailors who, arriving in Spanish ports, exploited their lack of Spanish to ignore commands, demands, or offers they didn’t like.
5️⃣ The Tourist Stereotype
In more recent times, some have linked the phrase to Swedish tourists on Spanish beaches sunburnt, oblivious, and indifferent to local customs or attempts at communication.
6️⃣ The Neutral Swede
Another theory ties the expression to Sweden’s famed neutrality, especially during World War II, portraying Swedes as people who looked the other way and avoided involvement.
7️⃣ The Sock, the Shoe, and the Stage
Some linguists have looked as far back as ancient Rome, where comic actors wore soft shoes called soccus (which became zueco in Spanish). Over centuries, this could have morphed phonetically and semantically into the modern phrase.
8️⃣ The Sherry Ruse
Finally, there’s a theory involving English merchants flying Swedish flags to avoid trouble when shipping sherry from Spain, a deception that could have inspired the idea of “playing Swedish” as a way of dodging trouble.
No Clear Answer — Just Enduring Charm
Despite the wealth of theories, none has been decisively proven. As linguist Fernando Álvarez Montalbán from Uppsala University notes, the expression’s true origin remains elusive. What is clear is that hacerse el sueco has long since lost any direct connection to Swedish people themselves. It survives as a colorful idiom, detached from historical truth but rich in imaginative backstory.
The Swedish Response: A Call for a New Meaning
In 2025, Sweden’s ambassador to Spain, Per-Arne Hjelmborn, made headlines with a lighthearted but thoughtful proposal. Writing to Spaniards, he acknowledged with good humor the existence of hacerse el sueco but offered a new interpretation.
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful,” he asked, “if ‘to act Swedish’ meant to act in a way that cares for others and the planet?”
The ambassador’s message came on World Environment Day. He invited Spaniards to see “acting Swedish” as standing up for sustainability: sorting recycling, turning off water taps, using public transport, not looking the other way. His campaign, tagged #HazteElSuecoDeVerdad (Be Swedish for real), aimed to turn a phrase once tinged with criticism into one of environmental responsibility.
A Tale of Language, Stereotypes, and Humor
Expressions like hacerse el sueco remind us how language can reflect and shape how cultures see one another. The phrase survives not because of hostility, but because it paints a vivid, if fanciful, picture.
For Swedes in Spain, the expression is often a source of good-natured ribbing, a linguistic quirk rather than an insult. As one Spanish-Swedish blogger put it: “We’ve taken the best from both countries. In summer, I’m Swedish, I cherish the long days and strawberries. In winter, I’m Spanish, I seek warmth and company. To ‘be Swedish’ is simply to be yourself, wherever you are.”
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