du er stygg
The English phrase "you're ugly" is translated into Norwegian as du er stygg.
du er stygg is used to tell someone that they are not pleasant to look at. Note that the adjective stygg is versatile. Depending on the context, it can refer to being physically unattractive or it can describe someone as being morally bad or wicked.
Which one should you use?
While du er stygg is a direct way to describe someone as ugly, you can use du er ikke pen to say "you are not pretty," which is a slightly less blunt way to express a similar sentiment.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase follows the standard subject-verb-adjective pattern where du is the subject, er is the verb and stygg is the adjective.
Did you know?
- Some Norwegian dialects use stygg to describe something impressively large or extreme, such as 'a monster of a wave'.
- The word stygg shares an ancient root with the Old Norse styggr, which meant 'angry' or 'hostile'. While the meaning has shifted toward 'ugly' in modern Norwegian, the sense of something unpleasant or harsh remains in its history.
- The word stygg can be used to describe the weather as 'ugly' when it is rainy or grey, similar to the English word 'nasty'.
Examples in context
- Du er stygg i den drakten.You are ugly in that outfit.
- Jeg synes du er stygg.I think you are ugly.
- Du er stygg når du er sint.You are ugly when you are angry.
Example conversation
Two siblings are arguing in their bedroom.
- NoraDu er stygg, Kristoffer!You're ugly, Kristoffer!
- KristofferDet er du som er stygg, Nora.You are the one who is ugly, Nora.
- NoraDet stemmer ikke.That is not true.
- KristofferJo, det gjør det.Yes, it does.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, stygg, CC BY-SA 4.0.
