Norwegian expression of the day: Sommerfugler i magen
Eagerly anticipating something, but also have some nerves? In that case, you have "summer birds" in your stomach.
What does it mean?
Very literally, sommerfugler i magen means "summer birds in the stomach". What it really means is "butterflies in your stomach". Having butterflies in your stomach is a fairly common expression in English.
Sommerfugler in isolation is an example of Norwegian giving animals fairly literal names.
Other entertaining – and very literal – Norwegian animal names include nebbdyr or "beaked animal" for a ducked bull platypus and flaggermus or "flapping mouse" for a bat. You can read more about animals with very literal Norwegian names here.
Norwegians use butterflies in the stomach in a similar way to most other languages, whereby it's used to describe a mix of nervousness and excitement. So, for example, you might feel butterflies in your stomach on the first day of a new job.
A similar sensation, although one which describes feeling more anxious or dreading something, would be gruer meg.
Use it like this:
Hver gang jeg ser Simon får jeg sommerfugler I magen.
(Everytime I see Simon I get butterflies in my stomach)
Jeg skal hoppe i fallskjerm I morgen, jeg har skikkelig sommerfugler i magen, men gleder meg!
(I am skydiving tomorrow. I have lots of butterflies in my stomach, but I am excited!)
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What does it mean?
Very literally, sommerfugler i magen means "summer birds in the stomach". What it really means is "butterflies in your stomach". Having butterflies in your stomach is a fairly common expression in English.
Sommerfugler in isolation is an example of Norwegian giving animals fairly literal names.
Other entertaining – and very literal – Norwegian animal names include nebbdyr or "beaked animal" for a ducked bull platypus and flaggermus or "flapping mouse" for a bat. You can read more about animals with very literal Norwegian names here.
Norwegians use butterflies in the stomach in a similar way to most other languages, whereby it's used to describe a mix of nervousness and excitement. So, for example, you might feel butterflies in your stomach on the first day of a new job.
A similar sensation, although one which describes feeling more anxious or dreading something, would be gruer meg.
Use it like this:
Hver gang jeg ser Simon får jeg sommerfugler I magen.
(Everytime I see Simon I get butterflies in my stomach)
Jeg skal hoppe i fallskjerm I morgen, jeg har skikkelig sommerfugler i magen, men gleder meg!
(I am skydiving tomorrow. I have lots of butterflies in my stomach, but I am excited!)
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