Language/Norwegian-bokmal/Vocabulary/Idiomatic-Expressions

Norwegian Bokmål Vocabulary - Idiomatic expressions

Hi Norwegian Bokmål learners! 😊

In this lesson, we will be exploring the world of Norwegian Bokmål idiomatic expressions. Norwegian Bokmål is a North Germanic language spoken by around 5 million people worldwide, and it's the official language of Norway. It's a beautiful language that's rich in idiomatic expressions that are used in everyday conversations.

To improve your Norwegian Bokmål Vocabulary, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Let's begin!

The meaning of idiomatic expressions

Idiomatic expressions are phrases that tend to have a figurative meaning that differs from the literal meaning. They are often used by native speakers to give their speech more color and to emphasize their points. Furthermore, understanding idiomatic expressions is essential to understanding everyday conversations, whether watching movies, talking to friends or participating in business meetings.

Common Norwegian Bokmål Idiomatic Expressions

Here is a selection of common Norwegian Bokmål idiomatic expressions that you can use in everyday conversations:

Brette opp ermene

This expression means to "roll up your sleeves" and get to work. It's commonly used to indicate that it's time to start a task.

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Brette opp ermene	/ˈbrɛtːə ʊpː ɛrˈmeːnə/	Roll up your sleeves

Rakne sammen

This expression means to "fall apart" or to "collapse". It's used to describe the physical state of something that's in disrepair.

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Rakne sammen	/ˈrɑːknə ˈsɑmən/	Fall apart

Kjøre seg vill

This expression means to "get lost" or to "lose one's way". It's commonly used to indicate that somebody has taken a wrong turn and needs to find their way back.

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Kjøre seg vill	/ˈçøːrə sɛi̯ viːl/	Get lost

Ikke gå over bekken etter vann

This expression means "don't go over the creek for water". It's a metaphorical expression that indicates that someone shouldn't make things more complicated than they have to be.

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Ikke gå over bekken etter vann	/ˈɪkə ɡoː ˈoːvər ˈbɛkən æftɛr vɑn/	Don't complicate things

Å ha to venstre hender

This expression means to "have two left hands." It's used to describe somebody who is clumsy or who isn't good at manual labor.

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Å ha to venstre hender	/ɔː hɑː tuː ˈvɛnstrə ˈhɛndər/	To have two left hands

Å gi noen en kalddusj

This expression means to "give somebody a cold shower." It's an idiomatic expression that is used to describe a situation where somebody is confronted with a harsh reality that they weren't expecting.

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Å gi noen en kalddusj	/o̜ː gi nɔən ɛn ˈkɑlˌdʉʃ/	To give somebody a reality check

Finne på noe

This expression means to "come up with something." It's often used when somebody is asked to produce a solution to a problem or to think creatively.

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Finne på noe	/ˈfɪnːə pɔ næ/	To come up with something

Bare tull

This expression means "just nonsense" or "just kidding". It's a versatile phrase that can be used in a variety of contexts.

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Bare tull	/ˈbɑːrə tʉl/	Just kidding

To fluer i en smekk

This expression means to "kill two birds with one stone." It's a common expression that is used to describe a situation where somebody manages to accomplish two things at once.

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
To fluer i en smekk	/tuː ˈfloyər i ɛn smɛk/	To kill two birds with one stone

Å gå i baret

This expression means to "step into the mud" or to "get into trouble". It's an idiomatic expression that is used to describe a situation where somebody has made a mistake and is now facing the consequences.

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Å gå i baret	/oː ɡoː i ˈbɑːrə/	To get into trouble

Dialogue: Using idiomatic expressions in context

Let's see how these idiomatic expressions can be used in context:

• Person 1: Skal vi starte oppgaven? (Should we start the task?)
• Person 2: Ja, det er på tide å brette opp ermene. (Yes, it's time to roll up our sleeves.)

• Person 1: Hva skjedde med bilen din? (What happened to your car?)
• Person 2: Den raknet sammen på vei hjem fra jobb. (It fell apart on my way home from work.)

• Person 1: Unnskyld meg, kan du veilede meg til biblioteket? (Excuse me, can you guide me to the library?)
• Person 2: Beklager, jeg har ingen anelse. Jeg har kjørt meg vill. (Sorry, I have no idea. I've lost my way.)

• Person 1: Jeg tror vi trenger flere ansatte for å gjøre dette. (I think we need more employees to do this.)
• Person 2: Ja, men vi bør huske på at å gå over bekken etter vann gjør sjelden noe godt. (Yeah, but let's remember not to complicate things. It rarely does any good.)

• Person 1: Kan du hjelpe meg med å sette opp hyllen? (Can you help me set up the shelf?)
• Person 2: Nei, jeg kan ikke. Jeg har to venstre hender. (No, I can't. I have two left hands.)

• Person 1: Jeg har prøvd denne oppskriften på mat en gang før. (I've tried this food recipe once before.)
• Person 2: Jeg vil ikke gi deg en kalddusj, men det er vanskelig å få denne oppskriften til å fungere. (I don't want to give you a reality check, but this recipe is hard to get right.)

• Person 1: Har du noen ideer til hvordan vi kan løse dette problemet? (Do you have any ideas on how we can solve this problem?)
• Person 2: La meg se om jeg kan finne på noe. (Let me see if I can come up with something.)

• Person 1: Har du noen seriøse ideer til presentasjonen? (Do you have any serious ideas for the presentation?)
• Person 2: Nei, bare tull. (No, just kidding.)

• Person 1: Du har så mye å gjøre, hvordan skal du få tid til å skrive boken din? (You have so much to do, how will you find time to write your book?)
• Person 2: Jeg vil prøve å få til å drepe to fluer i en smekk. (I'll try to kill two birds with one stone.)

• Person 1: Kan du hjelpe meg med å fikse PC-en min? (Can you help me fix my computer?)
• Person 2: Jeg kan ikke nå, jeg er i baret akkurat nå. (I can't right now, I'm in trouble at the moment.)

Conclusion

Knowing idiomatic expressions is fundamental to speaking Norwegian Bokmål fluently, and it's essential to understanding everyday conversations. In this lesson, we've introduced you to some common Norwegian Bokmål idiomatic expressions that you can start using in your conversations right away.

➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Great work on completing this lesson! Take a moment to investigate these connected pages: Technical and scientific language & Medical terminology.

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