Irony and understatement
Norwegians rarely exaggerate. Praise is often cautious, criticism often indirect, and irony comes with a straight face. Here you learn to read between the lines.
We teach Bokmål, the written standard most people in Norway use.
In short: What sounds lukewarm may be big praise – and what sounds positive may be irony. Tone and context decide.
Rules
- Ikke så verst: Literally «not so bad», but often means «pretty good» or simply «good»: Middagen var ikke så verst!
- Ikke dumt: «not stupid» = a good idea: Det var ikke dumt å ta med paraply.
- Greit nok: As a reply it means «fair enough»: Greit nok. About something you experienced it can be lukewarm: Filmen var grei nok (the film was OK).
- Helt grei: About a person: nice and easy to deal with: Han er helt grei.
- Ikke akkurat: «not exactly» = not at all: Det var ikke akkurat billig (= it was expensive).
- Irony: You say the opposite, often in a calm voice: Strålende vær i dag! (while it's pouring down)
- Indirect criticism: «Jeg vet ikke helt om …» (I'm not quite sure whether …) and «Kanskje vi kunne …» often mean: I don't like this.
- Polite orders: «Kunne du tenke deg å …?» (Would you mind …?) is often a friendly instruction, not a real question.
- Self-irony: Norwegians like to joke about themselves: Jeg er ikke akkurat noen kokk.
- Janteloven: Boasting tends to come across badly. Play down your own achievements instead.
- Answering praise: Say thanks – or downplay it a bit: Å, det var da ingenting (oh, it was nothing).
- Dry humour: A lot of Norwegian humour is quiet and dry. If nobody laughs, it may still have been a joke.
Typical mistake: Hearing «ikke så verst» as mediocre. Unlike a lukewarm «not bad» in English, a Norwegian saying «Den var ikke så verst!» is often genuinely pleased.
Examples
- Middagen var ikke så verst!Dinner was pretty good!
- Det var ikke dumt å ta med paraply.Bringing an umbrella was a good idea.
- Strålende vær i dag, altså! (sagt mens det øsregner)Lovely weather today, eh! (said while it's pouring)
- Det var ikke akkurat billig.It wasn't exactly cheap.
- Jeg er ikke akkurat noen kokk, men jeg prøver.I'm not exactly a chef, but I try.
- Jeg vet ikke helt om det er så lurt.I'm not quite sure that's such a good idea.
- Kunne du tenke deg å se på dette før fredag?Would you mind looking at this before Friday?
- Å, det var da ingenting.Oh, it was nothing.