Archive for 'Language'
Norwegian on the go Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Mar 31, 2022
Hei! Hvordan går det med deg? Jeg håper du har det bra… (Hi, how are you doing? I hope you’re doing fine…) Learning any language takes a lot of time and work. Sometimes it gets a little too technical with all the details you need to remember: Grammar, uttale (pronunciation) and what not. Below is…
It’s a Numbers Game Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Aug 28, 2021
How often do you need to do number tricks in a foreign language? Det står nok ikke øverst på lista (it probably isn’t on top of the list), but still, if you’re a little bit like me, you’ll sometimes find yourself in situations where simply counting is not enough… In Norwegian, saying basic calculations out…
Norwegian Question Words Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Apr 30, 2021
After some musings about Norwegian society, it’s time to get back to what you’re actually learning: språket (the language). I was surprised to discover that neither the previous blogger Kari nor I had written about spørreord (question words), so let’s fill that gap immediately! 🙂 What is a question word? Well, the answer lies in…
Is Norwegian a Happiness Drug? Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Feb 27, 2021
Blir du glad av å snakke norsk? (Does speaking Norwegian make you happy?) Although linguists don’t seem to agree to which degree the language we speak might shape our perception of verden (the world), I’ve often heard comments like: ”Norwegians are always so friendly,” ”Norwegians just sound so happy when they talk,” and even: ”Is…
1-Word Norwegian Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jul 31, 2020
Kake! [kah-keh] (Cake!) As a child I enjoyed watching the Norwegian version of the Sesame Street show (Sesam stasjon), where the blue Cookie Monster (Kakemonsteret) manages to express himself with that single word. Spending some holiday time with the Norwegian part of my family, which includes a couple of really small children, I was reminded…
Picking the Right Twin Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Oct 31, 2019
Much to the frustration of new language learners, words can rarely be translated directly between two languages. Shades of meaning vary, and when you look in an ordbok (dictionary), you just might get lost in lists of alternatives… Sometimes, a Norwegian word has several English translations. Other times, it’s the other way around. YES When…
The Job Question Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Apr 30, 2019
Hva jobber du med? (What’s your job?) Many people love talking about their job, and Norwegians are no exception! 🙂 When everything else fails, throw in some work-related vocabulary to keep the conversation afloat… – Jeg er sykepleier / lærer / baker. (I’m a nurse / teacher / baker.) – Åh, det høres spennende ut!…