100 Common Norwegian Words for Beginners
Master the 100 most common Norwegian words with pronunciation guides. Essential vocabulary for beginners learning Norwegian together.
100 Common Norwegian Words Every Beginner Should Know
Building a strong vocabulary is the foundation of language learning. These 100 essential Norwegian words will help you start communicating with your partner and understanding everyday conversations.
Phrase to Learn
Ja / Nei
Yes / No
[ yah / nai ]
The two most important words to learn first in any language!
Greetings and Basic Phrases
| Norwegian | English | Pronunciation | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hei | Hi | hai | Friendly and very common in casual conversation. Example: Hei! Hvordan går det? - Hi! How are you? |
| Hallo | Hello | hah-LOO | A little more open-ended than hei; useful when answering a phone or greeting someone you know less well. Example: Hallo, hvem er det? - Hello, who is this? |
| God morgen | Good morning | goo MOR-en | Use before noon. In Norway, this is a polite but warm greeting for work, school, or the home. Example: God morgen, kjære. - Good morning, dear. |
| God dag | Good day | goo dahg | Less common in everyday speech, but still useful in more formal or written contexts. Example: God dag, og velkommen. - Good day, and welcome. |
| God kveld | Good evening | goo kvell | Use in the evening when arriving somewhere or greeting a group. Example: God kveld! Er du klar? - Good evening! Are you ready? |
| God natt | Good night | goo naht | Used when people are going to sleep or leaving late at night. Example: God natt, vi snakkes i morgen. - Good night, we’ll talk tomorrow. |
| Ha det | Goodbye | hah deh | Very common and friendly. You can use it with friends, family, and partners. Example: Ha det bra! - Bye! / Take care! |
| Vi ses | See you | vee sehs | Good when you expect to meet again soon. Example: Vi ses på lørdag. - See you on Saturday. |
| Takk | Thank you | tahk | Short, direct, and essential. Add tusen takk when you want to sound more grateful. Example: Takk for hjelpen. - Thanks for the help. |
| Vær så snill | Please | vair so snill | Useful when making requests, though Norwegians often rely on tone and context. Example: Kan jeg få kaffe, vær så snill? - Can I have coffee, please? |
Quick practice
A: Hei!
B: Hei, hvordan går det?
A: Bra, takk. Ha det!
Try saying the full mini-dialogue out loud before moving on to the next word group.
Norwegian Directness
Norwegians tend to be direct in communication. You might notice "please" (vær så snill) is used less frequently than in English. This isn't rudeness - it's simply the Norwegian communication style.
Pronouns
| Norwegian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Jeg | I | yai |
| Du | You | doo |
| Han | He | hahn |
| Hun | She | hoon |
| Vi | We | vee |
| De | They | dee |
| Det | It | deh |
Essential Verbs
Pronunciation: VAI-reh
"Jeg vil være med deg."
Pronunciation: hah
"Jeg har en idé."
| Norwegian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Gjøre | To do | YUR-eh |
| Si | To say | see |
| Gå | To go | go |
| Komme | To come | KOM-meh |
| Se | To see | seh |
| Vite | To know | VEE-teh |
| Ta | To take | tah |
| Gi | To give | yee |
| Tenke | To think | TEN-keh |
| Like | To like | LEE-keh |
| Elske | To love | EL-skeh |
| Spise | To eat | SPEE-seh |
| Drikke | To drink | DRIK-keh |
| Sove | To sleep | SOH-veh |
Question Words
| Norwegian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hva | What | vah |
| Hvem | Who | vem |
| Hvor | Where | voor |
| Når | When | nor |
| Hvorfor | Why | vor-FOR |
| Hvordan | How | VOR-dan |
| Hvilken | Which | VIL-ken |
Numbers 1-20
| Norwegian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| En/Ett | One | ehn/ett |
| To | Two | too |
| Tre | Three | treh |
| Fire | Four | FEE-reh |
| Fem | Five | fem |
| Seks | Six | seks |
| Sju | Seven | shoo |
| Åtte | Eight | OT-teh |
| Ni | Nine | nee |
| Ti | Ten | tee |
| Elleve | Eleven | EL-leh-veh |
| Tolv | Twelve | tol |
| Tretten | Thirteen | TRET-ten |
| Fjorten | Fourteen | FYOR-ten |
| Femten | Fifteen | FEM-ten |
| Seksten | Sixteen | SAIS-ten |
| Sytten | Seventeen | SYT-ten |
| Atten | Eighteen | AT-ten |
| Nitten | Nineteen | NIT-ten |
| Tjue | Twenty | SHOO-eh |
Time and Days
| Norwegian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I dag | Today | ee dahg |
| I morgen | Tomorrow | ee MOR-en |
| I går | Yesterday | ee gor |
| Nå | Now | no |
| Senere | Later | SEH-neh-reh |
| Alltid | Always | AL-tid |
| Aldri | Never | AL-dree |
Days of the Week
| Norwegian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Mandag | Monday | MAN-dahg |
| Tirsdag | Tuesday | TEESH-dahg |
| Onsdag | Wednesday | OONS-dahg |
| Torsdag | Thursday | TOOSH-dahg |
| Fredag | Friday | FREH-dahg |
| Lørdag | Saturday | LUR-dahg |
| Søndag | Sunday | SUN-dahg |
Adjectives
Pronunciation: goo / DOR-lee
"Det var en god dag!"
| Norwegian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Stor | Big | stoor |
| Liten | Small | LEE-ten |
| Ny | New | nee |
| Gammel | Old | GAM-mel |
| Vakker | Beautiful | VAK-ker |
| Fin | Nice/Fine | feen |
| Varm | Hot/Warm | varm |
| Kald | Cold | kahl |
| Glad | Happy | glahd |
| Trist | Sad | trist |
Useful Nouns
| Norwegian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hus | House | hoos |
| Mat | Food | maht |
| Vann | Water | vahn |
| Bil | Car | beel |
| Bok | Book | book |
| Dag | Day | dahg |
| Natt | Night | naht |
| Mann | Man | mahn |
| Kvinne | Woman | KVIN-neh |
| Barn | Child | bahrn |
| Venn | Friend | ven |
| Familie | Family | fah-MEE-lee-eh |
| Kjærlighet | Love | SHARE-lee-het |
| Hjerte | Heart | YAIR-teh |
Common Phrases
These phrases help when you need to be polite, respond naturally, or keep a conversation moving. In Norwegian, short answers are common, so learning these as chunks is more useful than memorizing them word by word.
| Norwegian | English | Pronunciation | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unnskyld | Excuse me/Sorry | OON-shyld | Use when you want to get attention, interrupt, or apologize lightly. Example: Unnskyld, hvor er toget? - Excuse me, where is the train? |
| Beklager | I'm sorry | beh-KLAH-ger | Stronger and more apologetic than unnskyld. Example: Beklager at jeg er sen. - Sorry that I'm late. |
| Ikke noe problem | No problem | IK-keh noo proo-BLEM | A relaxed reply when someone thanks you or apologizes. Example: Takk! - Ikke noe problem. - Thanks! - No problem. |
| Selvfølgelig | Of course | sel-FUL-yeh-lee | Useful for agreeing politely or reassuring someone. Example: Selvfølgelig kan jeg hjelpe. - Of course I can help. |
| Kanskje | Maybe | KAN-sheh | Handy when you want to sound soft or non-committal. Example: Kanskje i morgen. - Maybe tomorrow. |
Norwegian Vowels
Norwegian has three extra vowels: Æ (sounds like "a" in "bad"), Ø (like "u" in "fur"), and Å (like "o" in "for"). Mastering these sounds will significantly improve your pronunciation!
Practice Strategy
Focus on learning 5-10 new words per day. Use them in sentences with your partner, and try to incorporate them into your daily conversations. Start with greetings and essential verbs, then expand to more specific vocabulary.
Related Articles
If you want to keep building around this vocabulary, these articles add the most useful next steps: pregnancy words for family life, romantic phrases for real conversations, and home-related vocabulary for daily routines.
- Norwegian Baby & Pregnancy Vocabulary: Essential Words for Expecting Couples - words for doctor visits, due dates, and baby-related conversations.
- 50 Romantic Norwegian Date Night Phrases to Melt Your Partner's Heart - phrases you can use in real relationship conversations.
- 25 Norwegian Greetings and Farewells to Melt Your Partner's Heart - a focused guide to the most common social greetings.
- Norwegian Moving In Together: Essential Household Vocabulary for Couples - practical words for shared home life.
- Norwegian Pet Names and Endearments - affectionate language for partners.
Ready to learn together?
Speak their language, touch their heart. Fun games, voice practice & goals made for two.
Start Learning for $0.00 →✨ Try free — no credit card needed
Frequently Asked Questions
How can couples effectively use these 100 words to practice speaking Norwegian together?
Couples can create simple sentences using the words, then quiz each other on pronunciation and meaning. Try building short dialogues around everyday situations, incorporating as many of the words as possible. For example, practice ordering food or asking for directions using the vocabulary list. This active learning approach makes it more engaging and memorable.
What's the best way to remember the correct pronunciation of these Norwegian words?
Utilize online resources like Forvo or Google Translate to hear native speakers pronounce each word. Pay close attention to vowel sounds, as they differ significantly from English. Record yourself saying the words and compare it to the native pronunciation. Consistent practice and repetition are key to mastering pronunciation.
Are there any common mistakes English speakers make when learning these basic Norwegian words?
One common mistake is mispronouncing vowels, especially 'æ', 'ø', and 'å'. Another is neglecting to use the correct word order in sentences. Remember that Norwegian typically follows a subject-verb-object order, similar to English. Pay attention to gendered nouns, as they affect article usage. Practice with a native speaker to catch and correct these errors early on.
How important is it to learn the gender of nouns when starting to learn Norwegian?
While you can get by in basic conversations without knowing noun genders, it's crucial for grammatical correctness and fluency. Noun gender affects the choice of articles (en, et, or ei) and adjective agreement. Start by learning the gender of the most common nouns and gradually expand your knowledge. Online resources and language learning apps can help with this.
Besides flashcards, what other techniques can I use to memorize these words?
Try using spaced repetition software (SRS) like Anki to optimize your learning. Create visual associations by drawing pictures or finding images that represent each word. Listen to Norwegian music and try to identify the words you've learned. Label objects around your house with their Norwegian names to create a more immersive learning environment. Remember to review regularly.
