If you are travelling to Norway it doesn’t hurt to learn a few useful Norwegian phrases. Norwegian is a Germanic language spoken mainly in Norway. There are two official forms of written Norwegian: Bokmål and Nynorsk. Furthermore, there are two other forms of Norwegian that do not have an official status in the country. They are called Riksmål and Høgnorsk.
In order not to be caught unprepared during your next trip to Norway, learn the most common Norwegian words and useful phrases for traveling and getting to know this beautiful language!
Useful phrases for traveling to Norway
Below are some common Norwegian phrases. You don’t have to master the language but things like learning hello how are you in Norwegian, good morning, goodbye, excuse me or even how to say thank you in Norwegian all go a long way. If you are able to get the attention in the local language before asking for help I have found people are usually surprised, a little honored that you made the effort and even more willing to help you. So where ever you are travelling to I found that learning the equivalent to these basic Norwegian phrases will serve you well as you navigate the globe.
I / She – Jeg / De (du)
Yes / No – Ja / Nei
Good / Bad – Godt / Ille
Good morning / Goodbye – God dag / Adjø
Good morning / Good night – God morgen / God natt
Thanks / Please – Takk / Værsågod
Sorry – Unnskyld
I’m sorry. – Beklager
What’s her name? – Hva heter De?
Repeat – Gjenta det
I don’t understand – Jeg forstår ikke
I don’t speak Norwegian. – Jeg snakker ikke norsk.
Useful Norvegian phrases and greetings things
Below are some greetings in Norwegian that are simple enough to learn. Below is a video with some polite phrases to also help with pronunciation if phonetic is a little had.
Nyttige nordiske fraser og hilsener til ting
Good morning. – God morgen
Good afternoon- God ettermiddag
Good evening – God kveld
Good night – God natt
I understand – Jeg forstår det
I do not understand – Jeg forstår det ikke
Useful Norwegian phrases for travelling
How can I get to the station? – Hvordan kan jeg komme til stasjonen?
Can you help me? – Kan du hjelpe meg?
Do you speak english? – Snakker du engelsk?
I need help – Jeg trenger hjelp
Can I order? – Kan jeg bestille?
How much is this? – Hvor mye er dette?
Where is the market? – Hvor er markedet?
Where is the toilet? – Hvor er toalettet?
How can I get to …? – Hvordan kan jeg komme meg til …?
A ticket to …, please – En billett til … takk
Where does this train go? – Hvor går dette toget?
Where does this bus go? – Hvor går denne bussen?
A table for one / two people, please. – Et bord for en / to personer, vær så snill.
Breakfast – Frukost
Lunch – Lunsj
Dinner – Middag
Can you give me a glass of _____? – Kan du gi meg et glass _____?
Can you bring me a bottle of ______? – Kan du ta med meg en flaske ______?
Beer – Øl
Water – Vann
Coffee – Kaffe
Tea – Te
The bill, please. – Regningen takk
Funny Norwegian Sayings
Være på bærtur: go and pick berries
Walking through the woods in search of berries is a beautiful image, which evokes bucolic scenarios of blond hair in the wind, wicker baskets and expanses of red and juicy berries, to eat freshly picked, or to take home to make tasty jams.
In reality it has a negative connotation, and is used to tell someone that it is wrong. This is because to go and collect berries you have to go to the fields or woods, however far from the most beaten paths: the one who went for berries is completely off the road and, therefore, far from the truth.
Å være født bak en brunost: born behind a brown cheese
The brown colour of brunost is the result of the boiling of the whey which is kept at a temperature of about 40 ° C for eight hours. Through this technique, the lactose present in milk crystallizes, giving the cheese its typical dark color. It has a strong and very particular flavor, and is present in most meals in Norway.
Å tråkke i salaten: step on the salad
After the effort made to grow anything in the garden, only those who are very careless, can make the mistake of stepping on the cultivated vegetables.
Walking in the salad or stepping on it is therefore equivalent to saying that a person has taken a false step and, by extension, has committed a gaffe. An even more serious mistake, probably, in a country like Norway where the climate makes growing vegetables extremely difficult.
Å være midt i smørøyet: being in the center of the eye of butter
Those in the middle of the smørøyet are in an extremely comfortable situation. According to the most accepted hypothesis, this saying is connected to the Norwegians’ habit of putting a knob of butter in the center of the bowl of porridge or risgrøt.
Want to learn Norwegian Before Travelling
As you see the Norwegian language is a colourful and rich way to speak. I hope that your trip to Norway is the best and that you can enjoy our Norwegian tips and sayings and proverbs by making them your own. Also, check out the Norwegian phrasebooks below and grab a pocket size for your trip to Norway.
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