flaks
The English word "luck" is flaks in Norwegian.
flaks refers to something that happens to someone by chance or a stroke of good fortune. To describe someone who is lucky, you use the adjective heldig. If you want to refer to a mishap or bad luck, the word is uhell.
Meaning: something that happens to someone by chance (noun)
Which one should you use?
While flaks describes a specific instance of chance or luck, the word lykke is used for more significant matters like long-term happiness or substantial good fortune. To express the concept of bad luck or a mishap, use uhell instead of flaks.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun flaks is masculine. To say "the luck", you add the definite suffix -en to form flaksen.
When do people say it?
When wishing someone "Good luck!", Norwegians use the phrase God lykke til!, which combines the word for good with lykke.
Did you know?
- The word flaks might share a common ancestor with the English word 'flax'. This connection is believed to stem from an old concept of something being tossed or spun, much like the fibers of the plant.
- Wishing someone flaks instead of lykke til can be subtly insulting, as it suggests their success depends on a random accident rather than their own skill.
- Norwegians use uhell for bad luck, but the word literally translates to 'mis-accident'. This frames bad luck as a specific event or mishap rather than a general state of being unlucky.
Examples in context
- Han vil gå tom for flaks før eller senere.Sooner or later, he will run out of luck.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone will run out of flaks eventually.Tatoeba #366509 by contour, translation #274101 by cburgmer
- Jeg ønsker deg lykke i livet ditt.I wish you luck in your life.
- Lykke og hell følger deg på veien.Luck and fortune follow you on your journey.
- Hun har hatt mye flaks i livet.She has had a lot of luck in life.
- Lykke til på eksamen!Good luck on your exam!
- Lykke til på forestillingen!Break a leg for the performance!
- Du er heldig!You are lucky!
- Hvis du spiller lotto, trenger du flaks.If you play the lottery, you need luck.
- Anne vant i lotteriet. Hun er heldig!Anne won the lottery. She is lucky!
- Det var bare flaks at vi vant.It was just luck that we won.
- Han har alltid mye flaks med Lotto.He always has a lot of luck with the Lotto.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a lottery ticket they found.
- AndreasHar du hatt flaks med kupongen?Have you had luck with the ticket?
- NoraNei, dessverre ikke i dag.No, unfortunately not today.
- AndreasDet er synd, Nora.That is too bad, Nora.
- NoraJa, men vi prøver igjen senere.Yes, but we will try again later.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries flaks, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
