Норвежцы описывают предматчевые переживания перед игрой с Англией как бабочек в животе

What does it mean? Very literally, sommerfugler i magen means "summer birds in the stomach". What it really means is "butterflies in your stomach". Having butterflies in your stomach is a fairly common expression in English. Sommerfugler in isolation is an example of Norwegian giving animals fairly literal names. Other entertaining – and very literal – Norwegian animal names include nebbdyr or "beaked animal" for a duck billed platypus and flaggermus or "flapping mouse" for a bat. You can read more about animals with very literal Norwegian names here. Norwegians use butterflies in the stomach in a similar way to most other languages, whereby it's used to describe a mix of nervousness and excitement. So, for example, you might feel butterflies in your stomach on the first day of a new job. A similar sensation, although one which describes feeling more anxious or dreading something, would be gruer meg. Use it like this: Hver gang jeg ser Simon får jeg sommerfugler i magen. (Every time I see Simon I get butterflies in my stomach) Jeg skal hoppe i fallskjerm I morgen, jeg har skikkelig sommerfugler i magen, men gleder meg! (I am skydiving tomorrow. I have lots of butterflies in my stomach, but I am excited!) With Norway currently on a high in the 2026 World Cup, it is the perfect phrase to describe the mood across the country. Utallige fotballfans har allerede sommerfugler i magen bare ved tanken på den kommende kampen mot England. (Countless football fans are already feeling butterflies in their stomachs just thinking about the upcoming match against England).