Archive for 'Uncategorized'
100 Most Common Written Words in Norwegian Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Oct 31, 2013
Is it possible to learn Norwegian in 3 months? The popular ”alternative life-style guru” Tim Ferriss thinks so. Well, if you spent 3 months doing nothing but studying grammar and hanging out at Norwegian après-ski, then maybe… In my experience, though, a language is more like a tree that is gradually spreading its branches in…
Going Social Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Sep 30, 2013
In Norway, most people have datamaskiner [DAHtahmasheen-air] (computers) and internett. The Norwegians I know mostly love sosiale medier (social media). This might have something to do with Norway being a very long country with a lot of isolated places – social media is just a handy way to keep in touch with your venner (friends). It might…
It’s Berry Time! Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Aug 31, 2013
Late summer is the perfect time to go berry-picking in Norway. In the grøfter (ditches) along the village roads you’ll see small red markjordbær (wild strawberries), and you don’t have to walk long before you find yourself in a kratt (thicket) full of dark, delicious blåbær (blueberries). In skogen (the forest) there are sweet red bringebær (raspberries) and their black cousin…
Lying, sitting, standing Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Jun 20, 2013
Do you know teatersport? It’s basically a kind of unscripted theatre, where you and your mates pick an øvelse (exercise) or ”set-of-rules” and use it to make a scene that’s totally improvised. I love to take part in creative collaborations like that, and one øvelse always makes me think about Scandinavian languages… It’s called sitte…
Hello Goodbye! Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on May 29, 2013
Having your first conversation in a foreign language is always a feat. If you know how to say ”hello” and ”goodbye”, you have the tools to break the ice – and to sneak away, if the whole thing gets too embarrassing! Hei! is the normal way to say ”hi!” The sound lies somewhere between English…
How to get directions from a dropped letter Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on May 10, 2013
When you want to tell the world where you are, prepositions come handy: I’m in the garage; we’re on the mountain. (And so it is in Norwegian: Jeg er i garasjen; vi er på fjellet.) However, very often some kind of adverb can do the job as well: I’m home; we’re out. Jeg er hjemme…
4 Easy Ways To Be Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Mar 8, 2013
It’s been a while since I last talked to you about grammatikk (grammar). For some learners, that’s just a necessary evil. I always argue that learning grammar can be just as fun as exploring the culture or learning vocabulary. Let’s talk about å være (”aw vare”, to be). One of the first Norwegian words…