Meaning
To be very cold or intense.
Cultural Background
The phrase is linked to the 'Vinterstudion' culture—watching winter sports on TV while it's bitingly cold outside. In the north, 'nypa i' is used almost daily for 5 months of the year. It's a badge of honor. Authors like Astrid Lindgren use similar imagery to describe the 'magic' and 'danger' of the Swedish winter. Used ironically by city dwellers when it's only -2 degrees, mocking their own low tolerance for cold.
Cheeky usage
Always mention 'kinderna' (the cheeks) to sound 100% native.
Don't use for heat
Even if the sun is 'stinging', never use 'nypa i'.
Meaning
To be very cold or intense.
Cheeky usage
Always mention 'kinderna' (the cheeks) to sound 100% native.
Don't use for heat
Even if the sun is 'stinging', never use 'nypa i'.
The 'Frisk' factor
Swedes use this phrase positively to mean the air is 'fresh'.
Test Yourself
Fill in the missing particle to complete the idiom.
Det är minus tjugo grader och det nyper verkligen ___ kinderna.
The idiom is always 'nypa i'.
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly in a metaphorical sense?
Select the best option:
This shows the 'intensity/pressure' sense of the idiom.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the verb.
A: Var det kallt ute? B: Ja, det ____ i ordentligt när jag gick till tåget.
The past tense 'nöp' is needed here.
🎉 Score: /3
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
3 exercisesDet är minus tjugo grader och det nyper verkligen ___ kinderna.
The idiom is always 'nypa i'.
Select the best option:
This shows the 'intensity/pressure' sense of the idiom.
A: Var det kallt ute? B: Ja, det ____ i ordentligt när jag gick till tåget.
The past tense 'nöp' is needed here.
🎉 Score: /3
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNo, it's just informal and descriptive.
No, for chili use 'bränner' (burns) or 'sticker' (stings).
Both are okay, but 'nöp' sounds more traditional and 'C1'.
Yes, it works for any body part exposed to cold.
Almost exactly, but 'nypa i' is more about the skin sensation.
Only if you are talking about the weather as small talk before the interview starts.
There isn't a direct opposite, but you could say 'det gassar' for hot sun.
Yes, but it's most 'authentic' in the colder northern regions.
No, that would be 'det hugger i hjärtat' (it stabs in the heart).
Add 'ordentligt' or 'verkligen' (Det nyper i ordentligt!).
Related Phrases
bita i
synonymTo bite in (cold)
svida
similarTo sting/burn
ta i
builds onTo exert oneself
nypa till
specialized formTo pinch suddenly
