Significado
Questioning the purpose of an action.
Contexto cultural
Norwegians value 'direkte tale' (direct speech). Asking 'Hva er meningen med det?' in a meeting isn't necessarily rude; it's often seen as a request for efficiency. In Denmark, the equivalent 'Hvad er meningen med det?' is used similarly, but often with more 'ironi' (irony), a staple of Danish social interaction. English speakers might find the literal translation 'What is the meaning with that?' strange, as they prefer 'What's the point?' or 'What do you mean?'. German culture also values 'Sinn' (sense). The phrase 'Das macht keinen Sinn' (That makes no sense) is a direct parallel to the Norwegian 'Det gir ingen mening'.
Use 'egentlig' for nuance
Adding 'egentlig' (actually/really) makes the question sound more inquisitive and less aggressive: 'Hva er egentlig meningen med det?'
Watch your tone
If said with a falling, flat intonation, it can sound very rude or bored. Use a rising intonation to sound genuinely curious.
Significado
Questioning the purpose of an action.
Use 'egentlig' for nuance
Adding 'egentlig' (actually/really) makes the question sound more inquisitive and less aggressive: 'Hva er egentlig meningen med det?'
Watch your tone
If said with a falling, flat intonation, it can sound very rude or bored. Use a rising intonation to sound genuinely curious.
The 'Meaning of Life' joke
If you ask this in a very general context, Norwegians might jokingly answer '42', referencing Douglas Adams, as they share the same pop-culture references as the English-speaking world.
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the missing preposition.
Hva er meningen ____ det?
In Norwegian, we always say 'meningen med' when asking about the purpose of something.
Which sentence is the most natural way to ask about the purpose of a confusing meeting?
Du sitter i et kjedelig møte. Hva sier du?
'Meningen med' asks for the purpose or intent, which is what you want to know in a meeting.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form.
A: Vi må flytte alle disse boksene til kjelleren. B: Men de skal jo hentes i morgen! ________?
Both 'Hva er meningen med det' and 'Hva er vitsen med det' (informal) work to question the point of a seemingly useless task.
Match the phrase to the context.
Match: 1. Hva betyr det? 2. Hva er meningen med det?
1 matches A (definition), 2 matches B (purpose/intent).
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosHva er meningen ____ det?
In Norwegian, we always say 'meningen med' when asking about the purpose of something.
Du sitter i et kjedelig møte. Hva sier du?
'Meningen med' asks for the purpose or intent, which is what you want to know in a meeting.
A: Vi må flytte alle disse boksene til kjelleren. B: Men de skal jo hentes i morgen! ________?
Both 'Hva er meningen med det' and 'Hva er vitsen med det' (informal) work to question the point of a seemingly useless task.
Match: 1. Hva betyr det? 2. Hva er meningen med det?
1 matches A (definition), 2 matches B (purpose/intent).
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
4 preguntasYes, 'hva er poenget med det' is a very common and synonymous alternative, often used in informal settings.
Usually 'det' because you are referring to an action or a general situation (neuter). Use 'den' only if referring to a specific masculine/feminine noun.
It can. To avoid sounding like you're complaining, add 'Jeg bare lurer på...' (I'm just wondering...) before the question.
You say 'Det gir mening'. Note that Norwegian uses 'gir' (gives) while English uses 'makes'.
Frases relacionadas
hva er vitsen
similarWhat's the point? (Informal)
det gir mening
builds onIt makes sense.
hva betyr det
similarWhat does it mean?
hva er hensikten
specialized formWhat is the objective?
