Jeg er helt blakk.

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Breakdown of Jeg er helt blakk.

• være: to be
• helt: completely
• blakk: broke (without money)

Questions & Answers about Jeg er helt blakk.

What does each word mean in Jeg er helt blakk?

• jeg = I
• er = am (present tense of å være, to be)
• helt = completely / totally
• blakk = broke, with no money

So the sentence is literally I am completely broke.

Why does Norwegian say er blakk instead of something like have no money?

Because blakk is an adjective describing a state, and Norwegian often uses å være + adjective for this kind of idea.

• Jeg er blakk = I’m broke
• Jeg har ikke penger = I don’t have any money

Both are natural, but Jeg er blakk is the more direct idiomatic equivalent of I’m broke.

What does helt add here?

Helt makes the statement stronger. Here it means completely, totally, or absolutely.

• Jeg er blakk = I’m broke
• Jeg er helt blakk = I’m completely / totally broke

A useful thing to remember is that helt does not always mean whole or entire. In this sentence, it is an adverb meaning completely.

Is blakk formal, informal, or slang?