engang

See also: en gang and en gång

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /enɡanɡ/, [enˈɡ̊ɑŋ]

Adverb

engang

1. once, one day, at one time
2. sometime, some day, one day
3. (negative) even

   kan ikke engang ― cannot even, can't even

   Jeg drak aldrig – ikke engang et glas øl.

   I never drank – not even a glass of beer.

Conjunction

engang

1. at some unspecified time in the past when...

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From en gang.

Adverb

engang

1. once, at one time (in the past)
   • Rolf Jacobsen, "Om å sovne i en åker" ("On Falling Asleep in a Field").

     Jeg kan huske jeg har sovnet i en åker, engang / da jeg var liten, fem-seks år og dum, engang, / og våknet av en frosk som satt på foten min / midt i en skog av grønnere enn grønt, engang.

     I can remember I fell asleep in a field, once / when I was little, five or six years old and foolish, once, / and woken by a frog that sat on my foot / in the middle of a forest greener than green, once.

   • 2004, Astri, My Astri: Norwegian Heritage Stories, page 242:

     Nye fortellinger om det som engang var.

     New stories about what once was.

   • 2012, Naomi Wood, De gudløse (= The Godless Boys), tr. by Bjørn Alex Herrman, Font Forlag (publ.)

     Før hun rakk å snu seg engang, hadde han lagt armene rundt henne.

     Before she had time to turn once, he had put his arms around her.

2. one day, sometime, some day (in the future)
   • 1945, Ingvald Bernhard Carlsen, Kirkefronten i Norge Under Okkupasjonen 1940-1945, page 82:

     Hver far og mor vet at de engang skal stå den Allmektige til ansvar for hvordan de har oppdratt eller har latt oppdra sine barn.

     Every father and mother knows that they shall one day stand before the Almighty to answer for how they have raised their children or how they allowed them to be raised.

   • 1950, Sven Edvin Salje, Livet skal være en gave, page 178:

     Fra lenge før den tid at Charles fikk sin solskade borte i California, har han vært klar over sin oppfatning: engang skal han fortsette sin vandring her i Miledalen.

     From long before the time that Charles got his sun damage away in California, he has been clear about his conception: he would continue his wandering here in Miledalen some day.

   • 1968, Karin Bang, Blues, page 141:

     […] for at hun kanskje engang skal kunne bli en av dem som får lov å gi.

     […] for perhaps one day she could become one of those that are allowed to give.

3. (usually with nå) after all
4. (with negative) even

   kan ikke engang ― cannot even, can't even

   Ikke engang far kunne få en spade til å stå på steingrunn.

   Even father couldn't get a spade to stand in stony ground.

See also

• eingong (Nynorsk)

References

• “engang” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “engang” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).