Bedeutung
Giving value to those who do not appreciate it.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In Norway, calling someone a 'svin' (pig) is a very strong insult. While the idiom is common, using it can make you sound elitist because you are implying you are the one with the 'pearls'. The phrase is part of the shared cultural heritage of the 'Christian West'. Even non-religious Norwegians know the phrase because it is so embedded in literature and history. In Norwegian flat-hierarchy work culture, using this phrase about a colleague can be seen as a violation of 'Janteloven' (the idea that no one is better than anyone else). Artists in Norway often use this phrase to express the struggle of getting funding or attention for 'high art' in a world dominated by 'low-brow' entertainment.
Careful with 'Svin'
Calling a group of people 'svin' is very insulting. Use this idiom about *situations* rather than calling people pigs to their face.
The Short Version
You don't always need the verb. Just saying 'Perler for svin!' as a reaction is very natural and common.
Bedeutung
Giving value to those who do not appreciate it.
Careful with 'Svin'
Calling a group of people 'svin' is very insulting. Use this idiom about *situations* rather than calling people pigs to their face.
The Short Version
You don't always need the verb. Just saying 'Perler for svin!' as a reaction is very natural and common.
Biblical Weight
Even though Norway is secular, using this phrase gives your statement a certain 'old-world' authority.
Teste dich selbst
Fyll inn det manglende ordet i idiomet.
Å kaste ______ for svin.
Idiomet er 'å kaste perler for svin'.
Hvilken situasjon passer best for dette uttrykket?
Lise lager en gourmet-middag til hunden sin.
Hunder kan ikke sette pris på gourmet-mat på samme måte som mennesker; det er bortkastet kvalitet.
Match ordet med dets rolle i idiomet.
Match delene:
Hver del av idiomet har en symbolsk betydning.
Fullfør dialogen.
A: Jeg prøvde å forklare filosofi til barna, men de ville bare se på YouTube. B: Ja, det er vel ...
Dette er den rette metaforen for unyttig formidling av dyp kunnskap.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenÅ kaste ______ for svin.
Idiomet er 'å kaste perler for svin'.
Lise lager en gourmet-middag til hunden sin.
Hunder kan ikke sette pris på gourmet-mat på samme måte som mennesker; det er bortkastet kvalitet.
Ordne jedem Element links seinen Partner rechts zu:
Hver del av idiomet har en symbolsk betydning.
A: Jeg prøvde å forklare filosofi til barna, men de ville bare se på YouTube. B: Ja, det er vel ...
Dette er den rette metaforen for unyttig formidling av dyp kunnskap.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenIt is always 'for svin' in the standard idiom. Using 'til' is a common mistake for learners.
Yes, if you are buying something high-quality for someone who doesn't care. If you are just losing money, use 'å kaste penger ut av vinduet'.
It is indefinite plural, which for the neuter word 'svin' looks the same as the singular. It refers to 'pigs' in general.
It has a classic feel, but it is still very much in use in newspapers, TV, and daily speech.
Technically yes, but you'd be calling yourself a pig! It's better to say 'Jeg forstår ikke verdien av dette'.
There isn't a direct idiomatic opposite, but 'å sette pris på' (to appreciate) is the action that is missing in the 'pearls for swine' scenario.
In this idiom, 'perler' is a metaphor for anything of high value: advice, art, time, or kindness.
Use it with caution. It can sound like you think your colleagues are not smart enough to understand you.
'Svin' is the older, more formal word for pig, which fits the Biblical origin of the phrase.
Not a direct one, but people might say 'bortkasta' (wasted) for a similar vibe.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Å snakke til døve ører
similarTo speak to deaf ears.
Bortkastet møye
synonymWasted effort.
Å skyte spurv med kanoner
contrastTo shoot sparrows with cannons.
Å kaste penger ut av vinduet
similarTo throw money out the window.
