dag
/dɑːɡ/masculine
The English word 'day' can be translated into Norwegian as dag, døgn or døger.
Meaning: period of 24 hours (noun)
Ways to say it
| Norwegian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| dag | /dɑːɡ/ | masculine |
| døgn | /døjn/ /døŋn/ |
neuter |
| døger | /ˈdøːɡər/ | neuter |
The word is used to describe a period of 24 hours. While dag often refers to the daylight hours or a calendar day, døgn is used specifically to denote a full 24-hour cycle.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun dag changes based on its role in a sentence: use dagen for 'the day', dager for the plural 'days' and dagene for the definite plural 'the days'. The neuter forms døgn and døger are also available.
How do you pronounce it?
/dɑːɡ/
When do people say it?
When meeting someone, you can use the polite greeting God dag (Good day).
Did you know?
- Because Norway experiences the midnight sun and polar nights, the word dag can sometimes feel ambiguous, making døgn essential for clarity regarding time.
- In Norway, if a shop is closed for one døgn, it means it will be closed for exactly 24 hours, regardless of whether that spans two different calendar dates.
- The linguistic roots of døgn and døger connect Norwegian directly to Icelandic through the Old Norse dǿgn. This makes the concept of a 24-hour cycle a deep, shared heritage in North Germanic languages.
Examples in context
- Nok for ein dag.Enough for one day.This sentence shows how to use dag to express that something is enough for one day.Tatoeba #12475565 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #358167 by lugal
- Dette er rett dag.This is the right day.This sentence uses dag to identify a specific day.Tatoeba #2875818 by eirik174, translation #2811101 by CM
- Eg spring kvar dag.I run every day.This sentence demonstrates the use of dag when describing a daily routine.Tatoeba #4110610 by Sara_9014, translation #261849 by CK
- Hvordan har dagen din vært?How has your day been?
- Jeg ser frem til den etterlengtede dagen.I am looking forward to the long-awaited day.
- Ha en fin dag!Have a nice day!
- Dagen min har vært travel, men fin.My day has been busy but good.
- 165 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a busy schedule at a cafe.
- KristofferHar du hatt en bra dag?Have you had a good day?
- NoraJa, men dagen var veldig lang.Yes, but the day was very long.
- KristofferJeg skjønner, jeg er også sliten.I understand, I am also tired.
- NoraVi trenger en rolig kveld.We need a quiet evening.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “day” translations and entries dag, døgn, døger, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dag, døger, døgn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
