How to Say “Crazy” in Norwegian

Ways to say it

The primary way to express that someone is insane or demented is with the adjective gal. Related to this, you can use nouns like galning or gærning to refer to an insane or eccentric person. In modern slang, the adverbial forms sykt, sinnssykt or sjukt are used as intensifiers meaning "very" or "extremely."

Which one should you use?

The forms differ based on the noun they describe: gal is the base form for masculine and feminine nouns, while galen is the definite form for masculine and feminine nouns. For neuter nouns, use galt and for plural or definite forms, use gale. While gal is the standard term, gæren is a colloquial variation used to describe someone acting silly or eccentric.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

Gal is the standard term, whereas gæren is a more colloquial and informal variation often used for silly or eccentric behavior. In slang, sykt can be used to mean "insanely" or "extremely."

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Eastern Norway, the slang expression helt Texas is used to convey the meaning of "crazy."

Related words

Very, extremely (adv): sykt, sinnssykt, sjukt.

An insane or eccentric person (noun): galning, gærning.

How does it change in a sentence?

The adjective changes its form depending on the noun it modifies: gal is used for masculine and feminine nouns in their unmarked form, galen is the definite form for masculine and feminine nouns, galt is the neuter form and gale is used for plural or definite forms.