Question 1

What is the difference between Smultronställe and Happy place?

Accepted Answer

A 'happy place' can be imaginary, shared, generic, or purely a state of mind. A smultronställe is a real, specific, physical location that you personally discovered and that isn't easy for others to find. The dictionaries define it by the happiness or contentment it gives rather than by secrecy — the quietly-kept quality is what usage adds. The Swedish dictionary also allows it to denote a period of time, which English 'happy place' does not.

Question 2

How do I know if I mean Smultronställe rather than Happy place?

Accepted Answer

Readers who land here meaning Smultronställe rather than Happy place are usually searching for phrases like “swedish word for happy place”, “smultronstalle meaning”, “wild strawberry place swedish”.

Aspect	Smultronställe	Happy place
Real location	Yes	Not necessarily
Discovered by you	Yes	No
Private	In practice	Optional
Can be a time	Yes	No

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Smultronställe

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