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Where not to put IKKE? Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jul 31, 2017
Ikke (not) phrases are often called negative phrases – even if some of them are very positive in meaning: Vi vil ikke ha mer krig! (We don’t want any more war!) Sometimes, though, even the most positive negative sentence can drive a poor language-learner mad: Where do(n’t) I put ikke? Let’s take some simple summer…
Spelling your name in Norwegian Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jul 29, 2017
When you check in at a hostel or meet a new friend, you’re sometimes asked to spell your navn (name). Fortunately, the Norwegian alfabet [alfaBEHT] is quite similar to the English one you already know. In case you forgot bokstavene (the letters), here’s a crash course. The first pitfall: i and e. (I’ve heard several…
How to say what you need Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jun 28, 2017
You’ve been travelling for a long time and all you need is a hot shower and a nice place to sleep. But – how to ask the natives? Sometimes, expressing what you need is … all you need. Jeg er sulten. (I’m hungry.) Er du sulten? (Are you hungry?) Vi er veldig sultne. (We’re very…
Happy Sankthansaften! Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jun 23, 2017
Hvorfor må det alltid regne på sankthansaften? (Why does it always have to rain on Midsummer’s Eve?) That is the question many Norwegians ask themselves on June 23rd, and for lots of communities in Norge, this year is no exception. Still, most people trosser været (disobey the weather), don their regnklær (rainwear) and gather in…
Just do it! Giving orders in norsk Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on May 31, 2017
Bring my bag! Do it now, will you? Sometimes, there’s little time to be polite, and we need to give somebody a direct order. In English, we simply use the dictionary form of the verb (move! call! wait!) In Norwegian, it’s almost just as easy to make the imperativ (imperative) or ”order form” (well, no…
This day in Norwegian history Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on May 17, 2017
Gratulerer med dagen! It’s 17. mai again, Norges nasjonaldag (Norway’s national day). This time, let’s celebrate by taking a look back at how it all started… Many foreigners think that 17. mai is Norway’s independence day – which is only partially true… What is being celebrated is actually Norway’s grunnlovsdag (constitution day), the day the…
Talking about prices Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Apr 30, 2017
Er Norge dyrt? (Is Norway expensive?) Many people klager (complain) about prisene (the prices) in Norway. Nobody really complains about de høye lønningene (the high wages), though, so I guess there’s some kind of balance. 🙂 Still, if you come as a tourist, be prepared for surprises! Here are some expressions for talking about prices…