# Norwegian: Nice dog or pretty dog



## Lillita

Hiya all,

I would like to know how _"nice little dog"_ or _"pretty little dog"_ is said in Norwegian. I have tried to use online translators which gave me the following results:
nice little dog = _hyggelig hund_
pretty little dog =_ vakker hund_​However, I have had bad experiences with web translators, that is why I have decided to ask for more information here.

Thank you very much in advance for your help.


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## Grefsen

Lillita said:


> Hiya all,


Hei Lillita og velkommen til nordisk språkforumet! 

Hi Lillita and welcome to Nordic language forum!



Lillita said:


> I would like to know how _"nice little dog"_ or _"pretty little dog"_ is said in Norwegian. I have tried to use online translators which gave me the following results:nice little dog = _hyggelig hund_
> pretty little dog =_ vakker hund_​


​
The translator you are using isn't translating "little" into Norwegian. When I use Goggle's English-Norwegian translator I get the following results:

nice little dog = *fin liten hund *
pretty little dog =*pen liten hund*

Since I'm a Norwegian-American who is still learning *norsk*, it would be best for you to wait until one of our native speaking Norwegian friends has a chance to reply.  



Lillita said:


> However, I have had bad experiences with web translators, that is why I have decided to ask for more information here.


I've also had a number of bad experiences with web translators, but I have to say I've noticed a big improvement with Google's translators.  

Whenever I have a really difficult time making any sense at all out of something written in Norwegian, I can usually use Google to at least get some basic understanding.  The next step is then of course to come here and solicite some help in the Nordic Language Forum.


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## Wilma_Sweden

Hello Lillita and welcome to the Nordic forum.

I'm afraid I can't be of much use because Norwegian is not my native language. If you had asked the same question for Swedish, I would have asked for some more context, or a sentence in which you want to use the phrase. This is also the custom in most other forums on the WR site.

I imagine that the Norwegian forer@s also would find it easier to help if you provide more context.

/Wilma (with moderator hat on)


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## Grefsen

Wilma_Sweden said:


> I'm afraid I can't be of much use because Norwegian is not my native language. If you had asked the same question for Swedish, I would have asked for some more context, or a sentence in which you want to use the phrase. This is also the custom in most other forums on the WR site.


Good point Wilma!  

It probably wouldn't be that difficult to find other online translators that will give you even more possible translations as well so providing more context would be extremely helpful.


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## Lillita

Thank you for your answers, I really appreciate your help. However, I don't want to use this expression in sentence, I do not want to use it in any kind of context, I would only like to know how it is said.

I have checked many web translators but as I don't know much about Norwegian grammar, I am not sure whether they give me the correct translation (I don't know if the adjective is conjugated well, etc.)

So, I would like to know only this expression, not in sentece.

Again, thank you very much for your answers. I will be waiting for more.

Greetings.


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## vestfoldlilja

Nice little dog = fin liten hund

Pretty little dog = vakker/pen liten hund

If it’s to express that a dog you meet is nice, then fin is suitable, but if it’s like ”good dog”  - meant to praise the animal, flink, is the word to use. 

Liten, here in Norwegian isn’t really needed in most cases. It seems as if the meaning is to point out certain qualities of a dog regardless of weather it is small or not.  These types of sentences are most often spoken as well, and therefore unneeded words are often left out to make the talking go faster.


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## oskhen

vestfoldlilja said:


> Nice little dog = fin liten hund
> 
> Pretty little dog = vakker/pen liten hund


 
Personally, I would describe a dog as "vakker" (which I would translate as "beautiful") only in rare circumstances.


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## oskhen

Lillita said:


> nice little dog = _hyggelig hund_


 
"Hyggelig" describes a personality, and would most often be used of human beings.


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## Vikingo

I would go for one of the following adjectives:

Søt hund - if he's cute.
Flink hund - if he does a trick or something else positive.
Snill hund - if he behaves well.

The limits are blurry


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## Aleco

Note however, when we praise dogs (by using *flink*), we normally don't refer to them as _hund_ - but rather to their gender (*gutt* or *jente*)  E.g. I always say *flink jente* to my dog. Using _hund_ sounds impersonal and distant. As if you're talking about it in third person.

Clear?


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## Grefsen

Grefsen said:


> When I use *Google's* English-Norwegian translator I get the following results:
> 
> nice little dog = *fin liten hund *
> pretty little dog =*pen liten hund*





vestfoldlilja said:


> Nice little dog = fin liten hund
> 
> Pretty little dog = vakker/pen liten hund





oskhen said:


> Personally, I would describe a dog as "vakker" (which I would translate as "beautiful") only in rare circumstances.



It is nice to see that some of our Norwegian experts agree with the results that the *Google* translator provided in this particular instance.


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## Aleco

Another note 

*nice* (_nice looking_): pen, fin
*nice* (_nice personality_): snill


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## vestfoldlilja

About vakker vs pen, fin, søt. 

I think if it’s your own dog vakker is more acceptable to use, than to use the same word on someone else’s dog. For me it has to do with connection, affection and closeness, which one of course will feel more towards your own dog.  Though I agree that pen, fin and søt is more commonly used when speaking about your own dog as well. 

Vakker is a word that’s not usually thrown around at just anything or anyone, and usually holds some weight to it. It’s used sparsely, when strong and honest feelings lie behind the sentiment. Note that beautiful in English is used much more freely than most would use vakker in Norwegian.


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## Lillita

Thank you very much for your help.

Have a nice day!


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## Wilma_Sweden

Lillita said:


> However, I don't want to use this expression in sentence, I do not want to use it in any kind of context, I would only like to know how it is said.


*Moderator note:* No expression is context-free. Context is not just about sentences. It can also refer to a situation in which you want to use it. The many answers with lots of variations prove this beyond any doubt. For example, you use different expressions depending on whether you are talking to the dog or talking about it. That is context, too. Please try to provide as much context information as possible when asking a question in any of the WR forums.


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## cocuyo

I remember from my time training dogs in Norway, that we mostly used the word _bikkje_ for the dog when talking to him/her, hence "Flink bikkje!" was the regular endearment to say good dog. (kkj pronounced somewhat like ch in choose)


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## osloborger

cocuyo said:


> I remember from my time training dogs in Norway, that we mostly used the word _bikkje_ for the dog when talking to him/her, hence "Flink bikkje!" was the regular endearment to say good dog. (kkj pronounced somewhat like ch in choose)



The rather controversial sound you're referring to "kj", phonetically [ç], is a more palatal sound than the postalveolar [ʧ], as in 'choose'. This is an important feature because it makes it possible to oppose it to the postalveolar [ʃ] and distinguish minimal pairs of opposite meaning such as:
'sjekk' (a check)  [ʃ]
'kjekk' (nice, hunky) [ç]

Anyways... this is if you are interested in phonology at all...?  

Fint å se så mange som er interessert i norsk 

Hilsen

OB


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