Faen meg
What does Faen meg mean? Faen meg is a Norwegian strong that translates to “fucking / I swear to God” in English.
Literal Translation
the Devil me
Meaning & Usage
"fucking / I swear to God"
Used for emphasis or to stress the absurdity of a situation. Difficult to translate directly but acts as an intensifier expressing exasperation or disbelief.
Examples in the Wild
Han var faen meg flink! (He was fucking good, I swear!)
When to Use It
Context
- Informal settings where profanity is accepted
- Expressing strong frustration or emphasis
- As a spontaneous exclamation
Avoid
- Professional or formal settings
- Around elders or authority figures
- Around religious or conservative communities
- Job interviews, meetings, or customer-facing situations
Cultural Context
A typical Norwegian construction adding strong emotional emphasis: 'han var faen meg ikke klar engang' means 'he wasn't even fucking ready'.
More in Norwegian 🇳🇴
View all →Jævlig
“fucking / terrible / amazingly”
Functions as both a negative descriptor ('that was terrible') and a positive intensifier ('that was fucking great'). Derived from 'jævel' (the devil).
Jævel
“bastard / son of a bitch”
The noun form. Used to call someone a 'devil', 'bastard', or unpleasant person. Can also express admiration at recklessness.
Ræva
“shitty / terrible”
Used as an adjective to describe something terrible, low-quality, or worthless. Derived from 'ræv' (butt).
Helvete
“hell / fucking hell”
Used as a standalone exclamation of extreme frustration, or in phrases meaning 'go to hell'. Carries slightly more weight than its English counterpart.
Faen ta deg
“fuck you”
A direct verbal attack on another person. Rooted in the old curse of wishing the Devil would claim someone's soul.
Det var som faen
“well I'll be damned / holy shit”
An expression of astonishment or impressed disbelief at something surprising.
Drit og dra
“fuck off / get lost”
Used to aggressively dismiss someone and tell them to go away.
Søren
“darn / shoot”
A very mild softened substitute for stronger curses like 'faen' or 'satan'. Expresses mild frustration without offending anyone.