Norwegian expression of the day: Deilig å være norsk i Danmark

Why do I need to know deilig å være norsk i Danmark?

Because it's a common expression that says a lot about how Norwegians perceive their southern neighbours - and themselves.

What does it mean?

Deilig å være norsk i Danmark, which can be translated as 'lovely to be Norwegian in Denmark', has been a well-known slogan in Norway since the late 1980s.

It originated in 1989 when Danish travel bureau Dinamo launched it as a campaign slogan aimed at drawing Norwegian tourists to Denmark.

Norwegian deilig and Danish dejlig have slightly different meanings. Whereas Danes use dejlig to say 'lovely', Norwegians will rather say fint (nice) or hyggelig (pleasant).

Deilig in Norwegian traditionally indicates physical pleasure. A massage is deilig, the feeling after an intense skiing trip is deilig (the trip itself, not so much). A meal can be deilig too.

In a few years, deilig å være norsk i Danmark became part of Norwegian everyday-speech. Norwegian media frequently use it, for example if Norway has beaten Denmark in some kind of sports game.

Why the success?

One of the reasons deilig å være norsk i Danmark had such a success is that it's true.

The 2010 VisitDenmark commercial below perfectly captures the stereotype. A Norwegian couple on holiday opens their door to what they believe are their angry Danish neighbours coming complain about the Norwegian's party the evening before.