There’s no need to shy away from all the called (cold) talk – we’ve prepared a short primer on some of the key phrases and expressions that Norwegians use when they discuss the cold weather.
Sickeningly, deadly, or just bloody cold?
So, the cold is setting in outside. You leave your flat along with a friend, and right as you step into the street, the temperature chills you to the bone.
It’s the perfect opportunity to exclaim, It’s bone-chilling outside! (It’s so cold that it chills you to the bone!). If you don’t want to come across as overly dramatic, you can always just acknowledge the fact that winter has finally arrived by shortly noting The temperature dropped (The temperature dropped).
Suppose your Norwegian friend agrees with you. If that’s the case, they’re likely to retort with the following: Agree with you – it is very cold! (I agree with you – it’s very cold!)
Don’t be caught off-guard if your local friend thinks the cold is deadly (dead cold), ‘shitty’ (dritkaldt), or sickening (sickly cold). They might even describe the temperature as freezing/ ice cold (freezing cold).
How to complain about the cold
If you’ve successfully made friends with a few locals, expect more laid-back weather-related comments such as “It’s damn cold! (It’s bloody cold!).
If the temperature is shockingly low, a male friend might even exclaim something like I’m freezing my wallet off! (I’m freezing my nuts off!).
But don’t expect such a reaction if the temperature is not below zero degrees Celsius – Norwegians are very used to the cold and know how to utilise layers of clothes and wool to guard against bad weather.
However, if your friend is feeling grumpy, they could say something like I’ve always said I don’t like cold weather (I always said I don’t like cold weather). If you agree with them, feel free to respond no, me neither (No, me neither).
On the other hand, as the low temperatures will likely surprise you more often than the average local, phrases such as I didn’t expect it to be so cold (I didn’t expect it to be this cold), I have to go back to the apartment and get a jacket (I need to go back to the flat and grab a jacket), and I miss summer, it’s too cold now (I miss the summer, it’s too cold now) can all come in handy.
Regardless of how low the temperature drops, keep the following two (unofficial) Norwegian national mottos close to heart:
Those waiting for good weather stay indoors all day (Those who wait for nice weather stay indoors all day long)
and
There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes (There’s no bad weather, only bad clothes).