Untranslatable wordEverydayNorwegian

Døgn

Meaning: One complete 24-hour cycle treated as a single unit — what English can only say as 'twenty-four hours'.

Literally: A full day-and-night

Origin: Norwegian keeps dag for the daylight and døgn for the whole rotation; English makes 'day' do both jobs.

More untranslatable words — Everyday

  • Harryhandel The day trip over the border into Sweden to buy meat, sweets and drink far cheaper than a…
  • Matpakke The plain packed lunch of open sandwiches in paper, eaten at your desk — a small national…
  • Orka To have the energy or will for something. Jag orkar inte carries the whole of 'I can't fa…
  • Hinna To manage something inside the time available — not speed, but fitting the act in before…
  • Vabba To stay home from work on paid leave to look after a sick child.
  • Blunda To close your eyes on purpose — and, by extension, to knowingly refuse to see something.

More Norwegian untranslatable words

  • Koselig Warmth, intimacy and ease at once — a room, a meal or an evening can be koselig, and so c…
  • Takk for sist A greeting that thanks someone for the previous occasion you met, acknowledging shared hi…
  • Forelsket The overwhelming, almost dizzy euphoria of falling in love — that specific state of early…
  • Friluftsliv The philosophy and practice of spending time outdoors — not as exercise or sport, but as…
  • Utepils The specific pleasure of sitting outside in the sun and drinking a beer — a ritual that f…
  • Pålegg Anything you might put on a slice of bread — cheese, ham, jam, egg, whatever — gathered u…

Explore another collection: Idioms

Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.

Browse all idioms →

Keep exploring

Explore all untranslatable words →