Fika

Fika is a Swedish verb that roughly means "coffee break". The exact meaning, however, is generally hard to translate to any other language.

To "fika" generally means that you take a break from work or other activities, and drink coffee together with your friends, family or colleagues. Together with the coffee you eat some biscuits, cake or sandwiches. Since the Swedes are the second most coffee-drinking people in the world after Finland, the "fika" is quite central as a break or as a light snack between steadier meals like lunch and dinner. The word also implies that you drink coffee, so just having a sandwich isn't really fika but might work anyway. Drinking tea is, at least nowadays, acceptable.

In recent years, fika has also become synonymous with going to a café and having an espresso with someone, which technically deviates from the "having a break" purpose.