ta seden dit man kommer

Swedish

Etymology

Literally, to take the customs (of the place) where you come. Easy to misinterpret as "bring the customs" in Swedish as well.

Phrase

ta seden dit man kommer

  1. when in Rome, do as the Romans do
    • 1905, Hjalmar Söderberg, Doktor Glas [Doctor Glas]‎[1], Albert Bonniers förlag, accessed at Litteraturbanken.se, courtesy of Göteborgs universitetsbibliotek, archived from the original on 2 September 2025:
      Det är klokt att ta seden dit man kommer; det är enfaldigt att göra det med [övertygelse].
      When in Rome, it's wise to do as the Romans do, but it's foolish to do so with conviction.

References