I don’t mean normal breathing. It’s like w tiny gasp.
Is it an accent thing?
I’m sure some of you know what I’m talking about.
I thought it was just 1 guy but then I heard it in 4 different cities all across Norway.
A little quick inhale, gasp like.

33 comments

  3. I’m norwegian. I think what you are refering to is a norwegian/swedish thing. It often means “affirmative”, “yes”, “you know”, “right” or similar.
    In sweden there’s a region where a sharp inhale means “yes”.

  7. As in all languages, Norwegian is spoken while breathing out.

    But in Norwegian, we can also speak while breathing in.

    It’s normally just a “ja”, meaning yes.

  9. Yeah. Its just kinda like ‘mhm’. Usually school nurses, psychologist and other types of social workers do this.

  10. The technician kept doing this when we went to our baby ultrasound and I freaked out every time because I thought it was a bad gasp like something is wrong 🙃

  13. My ex used to live in England, and when she did this there, everyone stopped short and wondered if something was wrong

  14. *Edit: Apparently getting downvoted for describing my own dialect for the last 36 years, referring to a phrase that was extremely common amongst kids growing up in Oslo East during 90s/00s.*

    Around Oslo, one that’s common is “iks?” which is short for “ikke sant?”, but is pronounced “‘ija” so mostly just sounds like “ja?”.

  16. My family and I are from Germany and in the 10 years we’ve lived here, we’ve been making jokes about that sound constantly. It’s basically just that Norwegians inhaling whilst saying yes sometimes.

  23. the first time i heard the inhaled ja was my first norwegian speaking flatmate on the day i arrived in norway. i thought she was choking and had a respirotary problem before realizing that every other norwegian does this lmao.

  26. My mum (from the UK) has lived in Norway for 25 years but still gets so annoyed when people do this haha

  27. I remember when I first moved here, was sitting there listening to my fiancé have a convo with his uncle. His uncle was constantly doing this, my English brain thought something serious was going on. That sudden in gasp is usually meaning something bad happened. Took a few months till I caught on that it’s just a normal reaction, like hm, hm, ok. In English 😅

  28. The Rana region had a close relationship with the swedes, and some adopted an inhaling affirmative with pouting lips through the teeth.
    One such person was on vacation in Gran Canaria, and while sat in a restaurant a doctor came and said “I’m sorry, but you should have your heart checked”.
    I have heard a similar involuntary sound on actual heartsick people.

  29. As others have said, it’s a “Ja”. As a fun fact, in some Mexican rural towns people do the same, affirming “Sí” while breathing in.

  30. STOP IT THE DANISH DO THIS TOO I THINK

    I studied abroad in Denmark and one of my professors did this (she may have been Norwegian?) but I’ve been dying to know why this happens. Will be reading through all these comments ASAP

  31. Wow people. I had no idea this post would get so much attention and confirm my experience with your own.

    This is such an interesting phenomenon. I’m grateful for your explanations and links to Wikipedia. I may get brave enough to discuss it with one of my colleagues that does it next time I see him.

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