Learn some common Norwegian slang
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Intro |
|---|
| Michael: What is Norwegian slang like? |
| Inger: And is it commonly used? |
| Michael: At NorwegianClass101.com, we hear these questions often. Imagine the following situation: Silje Soergaard uses a slang expression which Ben Lee has never heard before. |
| He says, "What's up?" |
| Silje: skjer'a |
| Dialogue |
| Silje: skjer'a |
| Ben: Hva betyr det? |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| Silje: skjer'a |
| Michael: "What's up?" |
| Ben: Hva betyr det? |
| Michael: "What does that mean?" |
| Silje: Det betyr "What's happening?" |
| Michael: "It means, ‘What's happening?’" |
Lesson focus |
| Michael Hillard: In this lesson, we’re going to learn about Norwegian slang, or, |
| Inger: sjargong |
| Michael Hillard: and how commonly it is used. Slang is an informal and colloquial way of speaking. It isn’t taught in schools or language classes, and yet, if you want to be able to speak fluently and like a local, you will need to know Norwegian slang. And, yes, the Norwegian language has a huge selection of slang words and expressions, although they are mostly used in private conversations and very seldom in public. Why don’t we go over some of them? Let’s start with the most common ones, which are the greetings. |
| Inger: Alt bra med deg? |
| Michael Hillard: "Everything good with you?" You can always use the default way of saying "hi" in Norwegian, which is |
| Inger: Hei |
| Michael Hillard: or |
| Inger: Heisann |
| Michael Hillard: But if you want to make things a bit casual, then this first expression on our list is perfect. A good alternative would be the one in our dialogue. It’s the word |
| Inger: skjer'a |
| Michael Hillard: which means "What’s up?" Other variations are |
| Inger: Hva skjer? |
| Michael Hillard: and |
| Inger: Skjer? |
| Michael Hillard: which both mean the same thing. Among the youth, this is usually followed by an invitation to hang out, which is then followed by the question, |
| Inger: Er du med? |
| Michael Hillard: This is a slang expression that means "Are you up for it?" An alternative would be |
| Inger: Er du gira? |
| Michael Hillard: or, "Are you in?" Now, if you can’t join your friends, you can simply wish them fun by saying, |
| Inger: Ha det moro! |
| Michael Hillard: which means "Have fun!" or "Enjoy!" This is clearly better than simply saying "bye," right? And if you want to send your regards to another friend, you can say |
| Inger: Hils |
| Michael Hillard: For instance, if your friend says, "We’re heading to John’s place," or |
| Inger: Vi drar til hjem til John. |
| Michael Hillard: You can respond by saying, |
| Inger: Okay, hils. |
| Michael: It may seem to be a short reply, but it is understood to mean something like, "Okay, send John my regards," or "Okay, tell him I said hi." Cool, right? And, speaking of "cool" and similar expressions that help you indicate that something is great, the slang word for "cool" in Norwegian is |
| Inger: kult |
| Michael Hillard: Let’s say a friend tells you they have a new gadget. You can celebrate with them by saying, |
| Inger: Wow! Det er kult! |
| Michael Hillard: "Wow! That’s cool!" And, if you want to say that it’s really cool, you can say, |
| Inger: Dritkult! |
| Michael Hillard: which means "Really cool!" You can also say "Awesome," or, |
| Inger: Knallbra! |
| Michael Hillard: or even "Fantastic," or |
| Inger: Fantastisk! |
| Michael Hillard: But, then, things are not always cool or awesome. In that case, you can use a slang expression like |
| Inger: Kjipt |
| Michael Hillard: such as when you want to say |
| Inger: Det er ganske kjipt. |
| Michael Hillard: "It kinda sucks." And, when you find something gross, you can say, |
| Inger: Fy |
| Michael Hillard: which is an expression of disgust. For instance, when you’re eating something that’s completely revolting, you can say |
| Inger: Fy. Maten er ekkel. |
| Michael Hillard: or "Ew. The food is disgusting." Now, just be careful not to say this to the person who cooked the food, or you’ll hear something like |
| Inger: Hold kjeft! |
| Michael Hillard: which means "Shut up!" |
| Cultural Insight |
| Michael Hillard: There’s one particular slang expression in Norwegian that will let you know when you’ve said something too much or something that’s a bit inappropriate. It’s the expression, |
| Inger: drøyt |
| Michael Hillard: The word means "over," but as a slang, it’s something Norwegians would say when someone is telling a story and is giving too much information. The word can also be used to describe the person who’s going too far so that you can tell the person, |
| Inger: Du er så drøy, |
| Michael Hillard: or "You’re being a little bit on the edge." A similar expression would be |
| Inger: Det var litt på kanten. |
| Michael Hillard: or "That was a little on the edge." This is something you’d say to someone when they’re going too far in the conversation, like when they’re being offensive or touching on topics that are considered taboo. |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We’re here to answer them! |
| Inger: Ha det! |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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