Yes I am surfing on some kind of language wave here (see my previous post: Confusing things Norwegians say). I promise the next blogpost will be about something else. Here is a list of words that have always confused me, and for a reason. A long vowel instead of a short one, a mistake in how you shape your “u”, making it into a “y”, forgetting … Continue reading More proof showing Norwegian is not an easy language
Sometimes I have to blink my eyes three times when I hear things that come out of Norwegian people’s mouths. I imagined this dialogue between me and a Norwegian for Norwegian native speakers to see what your expressions sound to our delicate (and foreign) ears. Ola: There is something muffens here, it seems like there are owls are in the moss. Me: Why would owls … Continue reading Confusing things Norwegians say
When one asks a Norwegians where they went on holidays, some reply they had a great time in “Syden”. “Oh Syden! Yeah right. Everyone knows where that is”. Mmmh well, Norwegians all seem to know, but it doesn’t really ring a bell for foreigners. My Indian friend knew the answer right away. When I told him I was writing a blogpost on Syden he said … Continue reading Where on Earth is Syden?
Unless you are some kind of language genius “What can I say, I have a good ear for languages” annoying kind of person, learning anything from Russian to Tahitian in 8 weeks, you’ll need to take Norwegian language classes. 1) Register in a language course, a.k.a norskkurs There are many schools and institutions in Norway giving such classes. Some are public such as Rosenhoff (this … Continue reading How to Become Fluent in Norwegian (Or Die Trying)
Some time ago I heard this little story: An Italian, a French and a Norwegian are asked to study the elephant. The theme is free but it needs to be about the elephant. So the Italian decides to study the eating habits of the elephant. The French choses to study the lovelife of the elephant, and the Norwegian decides to study what the elephant thinks … Continue reading Why do Norwegians Love Hearing about Norwegians?
Becoming fluent in Norwegian is a long and bumpy path, full of “YEAAAHHHH I am so good at this” and “Oh my God I will never make it” moments. In the down moments, when you burst out laughing thinking THAT was a joke (sorry it wasn’t, say the eyes of your mystified colleagues), you will need some little things to keep you going. Small expressions … Continue reading How to Pretend to be Fluent in Norwegian
So I’ve been in Norway for a few weeks now, and all my colleagues keep asking me “so, how is your Norwegian?”. Well my Norwegian does not exist, I don’t understand anything at all so please don’t ask me to say anything. Oh yes maybe “Gouuyyuul” that everyone has been saying to each other over Christmas. I’ve already tried learning a Scandinavian language (and failed). … Continue reading Want to learn Norwegian? Forget everything you learned in Danish classes.
