Meaning
At the very last moment
Cultural Background
Norwegians are generally very punctual. Being 'i tolvte time' is often seen as stressful and a bit 'un-Norwegian' in terms of planning, yet it is a staple of political life. The use of '12th hour' instead of '11th hour' is consistent across Sweden (i tolfte timmen) and Denmark (i ellevte time - wait, Denmark actually uses 11th!). This makes Norway and Sweden unique in the 12th hour preference. The phrase reflects the historical importance of the Lutheran church in Norway, as the idiom stems directly from biblical translations used in churches for centuries.
Sound more native
Use 'i tolvte time' when writing emails about deadlines to sound professional and urgent.
Don't say 'den'
Avoid saying 'i den tolvte timen' in casual speech; it sounds too literal and biblical.
Meaning
At the very last moment
Sound more native
Use 'i tolvte time' when writing emails about deadlines to sound professional and urgent.
Don't say 'den'
Avoid saying 'i den tolvte timen' in casual speech; it sounds too literal and biblical.
The 11th vs 12th
If you say '11th hour' in Norway, people will understand you, but they will know you are translating from English.
Test Yourself
Velg riktig preposisjon for uttrykket.
Vi leverte oppgaven ___ tolvte time.
Uttrykket er alltid 'i tolvte time'.
Fyll inn det manglende tallet i idiomet.
Det var en løsning i ______ time.
På norsk bruker vi tallet 12 (tolvte) i dette faste uttrykket.
Hvilken situasjon passer best for 'i tolvte time'?
Velg situasjonen som er mest dramatisk og tidskritisk.
Dette idiomet brukes for kritiske situasjoner i siste øyeblikk.
🎉 Score: /3
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
3 exercisesVi leverte oppgaven ___ tolvte time.
Uttrykket er alltid 'i tolvte time'.
Det var en løsning i ______ time.
På norsk bruker vi tallet 12 (tolvte) i dette faste uttrykket.
Velg situasjonen som er mest dramatisk og tidskritisk.
Dette idiomet brukes for kritiske situasjoner i siste øyeblikk.
🎉 Score: /3
Frequently Asked Questions
3 questionsIn the idiom, we usually use the indefinite form 'time', even though we are talking about a specific hour.
It's a bit too dramatic for a party. Use 'i siste liten' instead.
Norwegian (and German) tradition focuses on the 12th hour as the final hour of the day's clock.
Related Phrases
i siste liten
synonymAt the last minute
på hengende håret
similarBy a hair's breadth
på tampen
similarAt the very end
å være ute i god tid
contrastTo be early/have plenty of time
