Bedeutung
Staying calm under pressure.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In Norway, showing too much emotion in public is often seen as 'un-Norwegian.' This idiom celebrates the cultural ideal of the 'stille og rolig' (quiet and calm) person. Norwegian sports commentators use this phrase constantly, especially for winter sports like biathlon, where you must be calm to shoot accurately after skiing fast. In the Norwegian workplace, 'is i magen' is a valued leadership trait. It is associated with long-term thinking rather than short-term panic. Students are often told by teachers to 'ha is i magen' before big exams like 'Eksamen' or 'Tentamen'.
Use it as a compliment
If a friend handles a stressful situation well, tell them 'Du hadde skikkelig is i magen!' It's a very high-value compliment in Norway.
Don't say 'en is'
Remember, 'is' is uncountable here. Saying 'en is' makes people think of a popsicle.
Bedeutung
Staying calm under pressure.
Use it as a compliment
If a friend handles a stressful situation well, tell them 'Du hadde skikkelig is i magen!' It's a very high-value compliment in Norway.
Don't say 'en is'
Remember, 'is' is uncountable here. Saying 'en is' makes people think of a popsicle.
Combine with 'rolig'
You can say 'Han var helt rolig og hadde is i magen' to emphasize the composure.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing verb in the correct tense.
I går ____ hun is i magen og vant kampen.
The sentence starts with 'I går' (yesterday), so we need the past tense of 'å ha'.
Which situation best fits the idiom 'å ha is i magen'?
Situasjon:
The idiom refers to staying calm under pressure, not physical cold or anger.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 'Jeg tør ikke å hoppe!' B: 'Jo, kom igjen! Du må bare ____.'
The correct idiom is 'ha is i magen'.
Match the person to the description.
Hvem har is i magen?
Lise is the only one showing composure in a stressful situation.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Ice vs. Butterflies
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenI går ____ hun is i magen og vant kampen.
The sentence starts with 'I går' (yesterday), so we need the past tense of 'å ha'.
Situasjon:
The idiom refers to staying calm under pressure, not physical cold or anger.
A: 'Jeg tør ikke å hoppe!' B: 'Jo, kom igjen! Du må bare ____.'
The correct idiom is 'ha is i magen'.
Hvem har is i magen?
Lise is the only one showing composure in a stressful situation.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenIt's neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
Yes, but it's specifically about the *calm* kind of bravery, not the 'charging into battle' kind.
It's always 'i' (in). 'På' (on) would mean you literally have ice sitting on your belly.
No, that would mean you are a cold, heartless person.
Yes, Swedish has 'is i magen' and Danish has 'is i maven'. They mean the same thing.
You can say 'Jeg må ha is i magen'.
Yes, if a child is being very patient or brave, you can use it.
The opposite is 'å få panikk' (to panic) or 'å miste hodet' (to lose one's head).
Not necessarily slow, but *deliberate*. You wait for the *right* moment, which might be fast when it comes.
In this idiom, it's treated as masculine (is - isen).
Verwandte Redewendungen
Å holde hodet kaldt
synonymTo keep a cool head.
Å ha nerver av stål
similarTo have nerves of steel.
Å sitte stille i båten
similarTo sit still in the boat.
Å miste hodet
contrastTo lose one's head.
Å få kalde føtter
contrastTo get cold feet.
