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The rooms of a Norwegian home Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Sep 29, 2018
Ding dong! Døra går opp. (The door opens.) Velkommen til et veldig gjennomsnittlig norsk hus! (Welcome to a very average Norwegian house!) Because of klimaet (the climate), a lot of family & social life in Norway happens indoors. Let’s go for a walk in the different rom (rooms). Entréen (the hallway) is where you –…
How to write a Norwegian postcard Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Aug 31, 2018
Writing a postkort (postcard) can be a great way to practice your language skills. It’s also a nice way to show people you think about them. While firing off a digital message is quicker, receiving a postcard is funnier, and most people will appreciate the extra effort… Postkort (postcards) are sold in many different places…
Nothing and everything Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Aug 24, 2018
Sometimes *everything* seems chaotic, and *nothing* makes sense. Fortunately, the language we speak provides us with words to communicate these extremes. Let’s look at the Norwegian all-inclusive menu of nothingness… In order to ”remove” things when speaking Norwegian, ingen (no one) and ikke (not) are your best tools. Combine ikke with noe(n) (any(one)), and there’s…
Silent Letters in Norwegian Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jul 31, 2018
Ever thought about all the letters we don’t say out loud – like the h in ’hour’? Even though Norwegian is spelt in a more straightforward way than English, it also has its share of stumme bokstaver (silent letters, literally ”mute letters”). Hvem, hva, hvor og hvorfor? (Who, what, where and why?) The H of…
Feeling Bored in Norwegian Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jul 21, 2018
Kjedelig! (Boring!) Late summer is a time when some people start to get bored – kids are tired of their parents dragging them through verden (the world) on a busy sommerferie (summer holiday) and just want to go hjem [yem] (home), while the adults maybe have started longing for their quiet kontor [konTOHR] (office)! 🙂…
Happy Summer in Norway Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jun 30, 2018
Hurra, det er sommer! (Hooray, it’s summer!) For most nordmenn (Norwegians), that means ferie (vacation). Fortunately, in a diverse country like Norge, there’s always a lot to do – especially when sola skinner (the sun is shining)! 🙂 Liker du å bade? (Do you like bathing?) Finn fram badetøy og håndkle (find your bathing clothes…
Animal Talk Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jun 24, 2018
Hunden er menneskets beste venn (the dog is man’s best friend), the saying goes. Some would disagree and say katten (the cat), or maybe even gullfisken (the gold fish) or kanarifuglen (the canary), if you’re that kind of person! In any case, dyr (animals) are fascinating – and you need words to discuss them with…