faen
What does “faen” mean in English?
It's an exclamation similar to damn or fuck, often used to express frustration or anger.
Literally “devil”
You might hear it as a strong exclamation in Norwegian, comparable to how you’d use 'fuck' in English. The intensity can vary based on dialect and tone.
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Related Norwegian words
faen i helvete
4/5 · StrongThis is a strong expression of anger or frustration, similar to saying 'fuck' in English. It literally translates to 'devil in hell,' which adds a bit of flair to the exclamation.
helvete
3/5 · VulgarIt means 'hell' and can be used as a strong exclamation. While it has a religious context, it's often used in a more casual or emphatic manner.
satan
3/5 · VulgarThis is used as a religious oath or exclamation, often to express frustration or anger. It directly translates to 'Satan.'
forbanna
3/5 · VulgarIt means angry or cursed, often used to intensify a statement.
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About this data
Swear Atlas is a source-attested, AI-curated reference — not a native-speaker-certified dictionary. Meanings and the 1–5 Burn Rating are approximate editorial assessments that vary with context, region, tone and speaker. Inclusion of a word does not constitute endorsement of its use.
The literal gloss is a short editorial translation to show word-for-word sense, not an etymological claim.
“Sounds like” is an English-friendly approximation of how the word sounds, not an authoritative pronunciation. Where shown, the romanisation is a conventional Latin-script transliteration of the original spelling.
Term attested via LDNOOBW (CC-BY-4.0). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.