Significado
Doing something unnecessarily complicated.
Contexto cultural
The idiom is a cornerstone of 'Norsk folkevett' (Norwegian folk wisdom). It reflects a culture that historically had to be very efficient with energy and resources due to the harsh climate. Similar versions exist in Swedish ('Gå over ån efter vatten') and Danish, showing a shared Nordic value of pragmatism. In the Norwegian tech scene, this idiom is used to argue against 'over-engineering' software. While the idiom is rural in origin, it is now used more frequently by urbanites to mock their own complicated city lives.
Use it for self-deprecation
If you realize you've made a simple task hard, say 'Her gikk jeg visst over bekken etter vann!' It makes you sound very native and humble.
Don't use with 'i'
It is always 'over bekken', never 'i bekken'. Walking *in* the stream is just getting wet!
Significado
Doing something unnecessarily complicated.
Use it for self-deprecation
If you realize you've made a simple task hard, say 'Her gikk jeg visst over bekken etter vann!' It makes you sound very native and humble.
Don't use with 'i'
It is always 'over bekken', never 'i bekken'. Walking *in* the stream is just getting wet!
Ponte a prueba
Which situation best fits the idiom 'å gå over bekken etter vann'?
Lise needs a hammer. Her neighbor has one, but she drives 20km to a hardware store to buy a new one.
Lise chose a complicated solution (driving 20km) when an easy one (the neighbor) was right there.
Fill in the missing words to complete the idiom.
Det er ingen vits i å gå over ______ etter ______.
The standard idiom uses 'bekken' (the stream) and 'vann' (water).
Match the response to the action.
Action: Using a complex AI to solve 2+2. Response: ?
Using high-tech for a basic task is the definition of this idiom.
🎉 Puntuación: /3
Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
3 ejerciciosLise needs a hammer. Her neighbor has one, but she drives 20km to a hardware store to buy a new one.
Lise chose a complicated solution (driving 20km) when an easy one (the neighbor) was right there.
Det er ingen vits i å gå over ______ etter ______.
The standard idiom uses 'bekken' (the stream) and 'vann' (water).
Action: Using a complex AI to solve 2+2. Response: ?
Using high-tech for a basic task is the definition of this idiom.
🎉 Puntuación: /3
Preguntas frecuentes
2 preguntasNot at all! While the imagery is old, it is used daily in modern offices and news reports.
No, the idiom is fixed with 'bekk'. Using 'elv' would sound like a mistake.
Frases relacionadas
Å finne opp kruttet på nytt
similarTo reinvent the wheel
Å gjøre en mygg til en elefant
similarTo make a mountain out of a molehill
Korteste vei
contrastThe shortest path
Sunn fornuft
builds onCommon sense
