virkelig
The English word 'really' can be translated into Norwegian as virkelig. Wiktionary also lists verkeleg.
Meaning: actually (adv)
Ways to say it
| Norwegian | IPA |
|---|---|
| virkelig | |
| verkeleg | /²vɛrkəlɛɡ/ /²vɛrklɛ/ |
virkelig is used as an adverb meaning 'actually' or 'really'. It can also be used as an interjection, virkelig? or verkeleg?, to express surprise at new information or to request confirmation of a statement.
Which one should you use?
virkelig is the standard form used in Bokmål, while verkeleg is the form used in Nynorsk.
Is it said differently in some regions?
verkeleg is used in Nynorsk.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adverb, virkelig is indeclinable, which means it does not change its form to match the gender or number of the noun it modifies.
Did you know?
- The word virkelig shares its roots with the English word 'work', as both stem from Germanic words for 'to act' or 'to perform a deed'.
- Depending on your tone, saying virkelig? with a high-pitched rise can unintentionally make you sound sarcastic or even patronizing to a Norwegian listener.
- In casual spoken Norwegian, people often replace virkelig with the word seriøst to mean 'seriously' or 'really' when expressing disbelief.
Examples in context
- Du sover virkelig mye!You really sleep a lot!This sentence shows how to use virkelig to emphasize an amount.Tatoeba #525458 by aslakg, translation #525349 by thorin
- Du er virkelig håpløs.You really are hopeless.This sentence shows how to use virkelig to emphasize a state of being.Tatoeba #2881836 by eirik174, translation #17623 by CK
- Det er verkeleg trist.That's really sad.This sentence shows how to use verkeleg to emphasize an adjective.Tatoeba #4110539 by Sara_9014, translation #42804 by CK
- Jeg er virkelig imponert av arbeidet ditt.I'm really impressed by your work.
- Er du egentlig så flink til å synge?Are you really that good at singing?
- Dette er skikkelig godt!This is really good!
- Han er særdeles flink til å spille piano.He is really good at playing the piano.
- Eg har faktisk sett den filmen før.I have actually seen that movie before.
- Jeg liker virkelig å lese bøker.I really like to read books.
- Dette er skikkelig dyrt!This is really expensive!
- 105 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofie and Magnus are talking about a movie they just saw.
- SofieVar filmen bra?Was the movie good?
- MagnusJa, den var virkelig spennende.Yes, it was actually exciting.
- SofieJeg trodde den var kjedelig.I thought it was boring.
- MagnusNei, den var virkelig god.No, it was actually good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “really” translations and entries virkelig, verkeleg, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries verkeleg, virkelig, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
