fin
The Norwegian word for "nice" is fin.
fin is a versatile and common adjective used to describe weather, objects, people and experiences. While English speakers might choose more specific words like "lovely", "pretty" or "good", a Norwegian speaker will often use fin. For more specific nuances, you might encounter other terms: behagelig is used formally to describe something that provides comfort or pleasure. søt is used for something cute or sweet. And kul is used to describe something that is nice in a trendy or stylish way.
Meaning: attractive, friendly (adj)
Which one should you use?
The different forms of the word are chosen based on the gender and number of the noun they describe. While fin is the base form, you will see fint, fine or other variations depending on the grammatical context.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes its ending to match the noun it modifies. Use the base form fin for masculine, feminine or common gender nouns. Use fint when describing a neuter noun. Use fine when describing nouns in the plural or when the noun is in its definite form.
Did you know?
- If you call a person fin, you are often commenting on their physical appearance or style rather than their personality, which is more often described as snill.
- The word fin shares a common ancestor with the English word 'finish', as both stem from the Latin finis, meaning 'end' or 'boundary'.
- While fin means 'nice', the word fint is frequently used as a one-word answer to agree with a plan, functioning like the English 'sounds good'.
Examples in context
- Ha en fin kveld.Have a nice evening.Tatoeba #2875564 by eirik174, translation #2835869 by Hybrid
- For et fint hus!What a nice house!This sentence demonstrates using fint to describe a neuter noun like a house.Tatoeba #4991996 by Improbably, translation #4984205 by AlanF_US
- Rima hadde fine bein.Rima had nice legs.This sentence shows the use of fine when describing plural nouns.Tatoeba #10943260 by Mayk, translation #10225784 by Amastan
- Det er hyggelig å møte degIt's nice to meet you
- Du gjorde en flott jobbYou did a great job
- Dette rommet er veldig behageligThis room is very nice/comfortable
- Du gjorde en kjempebra jobbYou did a fantastic job
- Den genseren du har på deg er veldig kulThe sweater you're wearing is very cool
- Det var en rå konsertThat was an amazing concert
- Den hunden er veldig søtThat dog is very cute
- Det var kjekt å hilse på degIt was nice to meet you
- Tusen takk! Det er virkelig hyggelig å være herThank you very much! It's really nice to be here
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ingrid and Kristoffer are talking about a new colleague.
- IngridHar du møtt den nye kollegaen?Have you met the new colleague?
- KristofferJa, han virker veldig fin.Yes, he seems very nice.
- IngridJeg synes også han er fin.I think he is nice too.
- KristofferDet er fint at han begynte her.It is nice that he started here.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
