Ways to say it
| Norwegian |
|---|
| jeg savner deg |
| eg saknar deg |
These phrases are used to express that you miss someone or feel a sense of longing. While jeg savner deg is a direct way to say "I miss you", you can also use more intense expressions to convey deep emotions. For example, Jeg lengter etter deg means "I long for you" and Jeg kjenner et savn etter deg translates to "I feel a longing for you". For a more poetic touch, one might say Savnet er stort, which literally means "the missing is great".
Which one should you use?
jeg savner deg is the standard form used in Bokmål, which is the most common written standard in Norway. eg saknar deg is the Nynorsk or dialectal version of that same phrase.
Is it said differently in some regions?
eg saknar deg is used in Nynorsk or in various dialects.
How does it change in a sentence?
In both versions of the phrase, the word deg is the object form of "you". You should use the object form deg rather than the subject form du.
Did you know?
- While English uses the verb 'to miss' to mean both 'failing to hit a target' and 'feeling a longing', Norwegian uses savner strictly for the feeling of longing or absence.
- The distinction between jeg and eg reflects a deep cultural divide between the urban, Danish-influenced Bokmål and the rural, Old Norse-influenced Nynorsk.
- The word savner shares a root with the word for 'lost' or 'missing' in the sense of a missing object. To miss a person is linguistically treated as if that person is a lost item.
Examples in context
- Eg saknar deg, pappa.I miss you, Dad.This example shows how to say "I miss you, Dad" using the form eg saknar deg.Tatoeba #13026625 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #13024707 by LdjuherTaqvaylit
- Eg saknar deg.I miss you.This example shows a simple way to say "I miss you" using the form eg saknar deg.Tatoeba #12477729 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #1308 by brauliobezerra
- Det var hun som slo opp med meg, men snart kom hun krypende til korset og sa: "Jeg savner deg sånn! La oss bli sammen igjen".She was the one who broke up with me, but soon after, she came crawling back and said, "I miss you so much! Let's get back together."This example uses the form jeg savner deg to show someone expressing how much they miss another person.Tatoeba #2930135 by eirik174, translation #10838291 by Lebensfreude
- Hei, kjære bestemor. Jeg savner deg mye.Hi, dear grandma. I miss you a lot.
- Kjære professor, jeg kjenner et savn etter å være i ditt inspirerende selskap.Dear professor, I feel a longing to be in your inspiring company.
- Hei broren min! Eg saknar deg veldig mykje.Hi, my brother! I miss you so much.
- Du, jeg lengter virkelig etter deg, min kjære.Hey, I truly long for you, my dear.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma is calling Andreas while he is traveling.
- EmmaHei, jeg savner deg.Hi, I miss you.
- AndreasJeg savner deg også, Emma.I miss you too, Emma.
- EmmaKom hjem snart!Come home soon!
- AndreasJeg skal snart være hjemme.I will be home soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “i miss you” translations and entries jeg savner deg, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
