Archive for 'Uncategorized'
Get Moving in Norwegian Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Sep 30, 2019
Høsten er på vei! (Autumn is on its way!) Before you reach for your pledd (blankets) and fjernkontroll (remote), here’s a reminder to keep moving… Vi kan bevege oss på mange ulike måter. (We can move in many different ways.) Legs and feet make it possible å gå, å løpe, å hoppe, å sparke (to…
4 ways Norwegian differs from English Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Aug 31, 2019
For speakers of English, learning Norwegian isn’t that hard: Both languages belong to the Germanic group and have a lot in common. (You can probably guess the meaning of words such as katt, melk, hus.) Still, there are some eye- (or rather ear!) popping differences: • Norwegian has grammatical genders. Every noun is either masculine…
Waving the flag Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on May 17, 2019
Gratulerer med dagen! (Congratulations with the day!) It’s 17. mai again, and Norwegians all over the world are celebrating not only grunnloven (the constitution), but all things Norwegian. This year, let’s take a look at the beautiful Norwegian flagg. No matter where you go in Norway, you’re bound to catch a glimpse of the pennant…
Shopping in Norway Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Oct 31, 2018
No matter how much hermetikkmat (canned food) you bring from home, sooner or later you’ll need to do some shopping in Norge. Fortunately, this is normally straightforward and easy – you don’t need to prute på prisene (bargain) or discuss a lot with the people in butikken (the shop). But be prepared for some angry…
Kitchen Fun Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Sep 30, 2018
Kjøkkenet (the kitchen) is like the heart of a Norwegian home. When the clear autumn skies are turning dark – and the nearest restaurant feels a little bit too far away and pricey – it’s great for familie og venner (family and friends) to gather around spisebordet (the dining table). Traditionally, matlaging (”making of food”…
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 –…
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…