Signification
Expressing the need to eat
Contexte culturel
The 'Matpakke' (packed lunch) is a national institution. Saying 'Jeg er sulten' at 11:30 AM is the universal signal for everyone in the office to take out their brown paper bags. Norwegians are very direct. If you are a guest and you are hungry, it is often better to say it than to wait for the host to guess. The novel 'Sult' by Knut Hamsun is a cornerstone of Norwegian culture. It explores the psychological effects of hunger in 19th-century Oslo. After a night of drinking, 'nattmat' (night food) is a ritual. You will hear 'Jeg er sulten' shouted in every kebab shop at 3 AM.
Softening the blow
If you don't want to sound too demanding, say 'Jeg begynner å bli litt sulten' (I'm starting to get a bit hungry).
The 'Have' Trap
Never say 'Jeg har sult'. It's the most common mistake for English and Romance language speakers.
Signification
Expressing the need to eat
Softening the blow
If you don't want to sound too demanding, say 'Jeg begynner å bli litt sulten' (I'm starting to get a bit hungry).
The 'Have' Trap
Never say 'Jeg har sult'. It's the most common mistake for English and Romance language speakers.
The Matpakke Signal
Saying you are hungry is often a social invitation for others to join you for a break.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing verb.
Jeg ___ sulten.
In Norwegian, we use the verb 'å være' (to be) to express hunger.
Which sentence follows the V2 rule correctly?
Choose the correct sentence starting with 'Nå'.
When an adverb like 'Nå' starts the sentence, the verb must come second.
Match the Norwegian phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are different levels of hunger and fullness.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Skal vi spise? B: Ja, ___.
If someone asks to eat, the natural response is that you are hungry.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Levels of Hunger
A little
- • Litt sulten
- • Matsugen
Standard
- • Sulten
Extreme
- • Skrubbsulten
- • Sulten som en ulv
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesJeg ___ sulten.
In Norwegian, we use the verb 'å være' (to be) to express hunger.
Choose the correct sentence starting with 'Nå'.
When an adverb like 'Nå' starts the sentence, the verb must come second.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are different levels of hunger and fullness.
A: Skal vi spise? B: Ja, ___.
If someone asks to eat, the natural response is that you are hungry.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
8 questionsYes, you can be 'sulten på suksess' (hungry for success) or 'sulten på kunnskap' (hungry for knowledge).
'Sulten' is physical hunger. 'Matsugen' is when you just feel like eating something, often something specific like sweets.
Yes, it is perfectly polite. You can add 'veldig' (very) to emphasize it.
Use the word 'skrubbsulten'.
Technically yes, but since it almost always refers to people, 'sulten' is used for both men and women.
The plural is 'sultne'. For example: 'Vi er sultne'.
In some dialects, 'hol' (hollow) is used as slang for very hungry.
Yes! This means 'I am hungry as a wolf' and is a very common idiom.
Expressions liées
Jeg er mett
contrastI am full
Jeg er skrubbsulten
specialized formI am starving
Jeg er tørst
similarI am thirsty
Jeg er matsugen
similarI have a craving
Å ha lyst på noe
builds onTo want something
