False friendFeelings
Norwegian
NorwegianGrine
Meaning: Actually means 'to cry' or to pull a sour face. In Danish, grine means 'to laugh' — the exact opposite mood.
Looks like: Grin
Origin: A Danish crowd described as grinende is laughing; read by a Norwegian, the same sentence has everyone in tears.
More Norwegian false friends
- Frokost Actually means 'breakfast'. In Danish the same word means 'lunch' — so a cross-border inv…
- Full Actually means 'drunk'. Jeg er full = I'm drunk — not full after a meal.
- Rolig Actually means 'calm' or 'quiet'. (Confusingly, in Swedish rolig means 'funny' — a false…
- Time Actually means 'hour'. En halv time = half an hour. Time in the general sense is tid.
- Sky Actually means 'cloud'. The sky overhead is himmelen.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien. The classic French 'ch' / 's' tangler.
- Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal. A relentless run on the 'tr' sound.
- Fischers Fritz fischt frische Fische, frische Fische fischt Fischers Fritz. The German 'f' / 'sch' staple.
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