Norwegian What to Know

Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken mainly in Norway, where it is the official language. It is also spoken by minorities in Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, as well as in communities of Norwegian emigrants and their descendants in other countries. Norwegian is closely related to Swedish and Danish, and speakers of these languages can usually understand each other.

Language family: North Germanic languages

Official language of: Norway

Number of speakers: 4.8 million (2022)

Dialects: There are two main dialects of Norwegian, Bokmål and Nynorsk. Bokmål is the most commonly used and is based on the original written Norwegian of the 19th century, which was heavily influenced by Danish. Nynorsk is based on the Norwegian dialects spoken in the western and central parts of the country and is more distinct from Danish.

Writing system: Latin alphabet

Grammar: Norwegian has a relatively complex grammar, with four genders (masculine, feminine, neuter, and common) and three grammatical numbers (singular, plural, and dual). The dual number is used only for some pronouns and nouns that refer to pairs of things.

Vocabulary: Norwegian has a rich vocabulary, with many words derived from Old Norse, the language of the Vikings. However, it also has many loanwords from other languages, especially Swedish, Danish, and German.

Pronunciation: Norwegian pronunciation can be challenging for non-native speakers, as there are many different vowel and consonant sounds. The stress is usually placed on the first syllable of a word.

Fun fact: Norwegian is the official language of the Antarctic island of Bouvetøya, which is the most remote island on Earth.