det vete fan
Swedish
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Literally "That may the devil know," using the subjunctive vete of veta (“to know”).
Interjection
[edit]- (mildly vulgar) (i have) no idea, who knows
- Hur mycket det kommer kosta? Det vete fan...
- How much it's gonna cost? Who knows...
- (mildly vulgar) I don't know (as an expression of being dubious about something)
- Det sägs att det är nyttigt, men det vete fan. Jag ställer mig tveksam.
- They say it's good for you, but I don't know. I have my doubts there.
- Det vete fan om det där kommer funka alltså
- I'm really not so sure that's going to work
Usage notes
[edit]- The subjunctive mood is archaic to obsolete in modern Swedish, except for a few forms like vore and in fixed expressions. Lack of intuition among native speakers has led to the alternative forms below.
- Sometimes appears as just vete fan. "Jag vete fan" or just "Vete fan" means "I have no idea."
- Forms without fan are euphemistic.
Synonyms
[edit]- det vete fasen
- det vete gudarna
- det vete katten
- det vete sjutton
- det vete tusan
- det vette fan
- det vette fasen
- det vette gudarna
- det vette katten
- det vette sjutton
- det vette tusan
- det vet i fan
- det vet i fasen
- det vet i gudarna
- det vet i katten
- det vet i sjutton
- det vet i tusan
- vettefan