Learning Norwegian can be an exciting journey, especially as you progress to the B1 level. At this stage, you’re not just getting by with basic phrases but beginning to express more complex ideas and engage in meaningful conversations. To help you advance, we’ve compiled a list of essential Norwegian words and phrases that will be invaluable at the B1 level. These words are chosen to enhance your vocabulary and improve your ability to navigate various social and practical situations.

Everyday Vocabulary

Understanding everyday vocabulary is crucial for B1 learners. These words will help you communicate more effectively in day-to-day life.

Mat – Food
Food is an essential part of life, and knowing how to talk about it is vital. For example, “Hva slags mat liker du?” means “What kind of food do you like?”

Drikke – Drink
When you’re out with friends or at a restaurant, you’ll need this word. “Hva vil du drikke?” translates to “What do you want to drink?”

Vær – Weather
Norwegians love talking about the weather. “Hvordan er været i dag?” means “How is the weather today?”

Klær – Clothes
Discussing what to wear or shopping for clothes requires this word. “Jeg trenger nye klær” means “I need new clothes.”

Helse – Health
Talking about health is important. “Hvordan er helsen din?” translates to “How is your health?”

Essential Verbs

Verbs are the backbone of any language. Here are some verbs that are essential for B1 level learners.

Å gjøre – To do
This verb is versatile and widely used. “Hva gjør du?” means “What are you doing?”

Å gå – To go
“Jeg går til skolen” translates to “I am going to school.”

Å komme – To come
“Når kommer du?” means “When are you coming?”

Å se – To see
“Jeg ser på TV” translates to “I am watching TV.”

Å spise – To eat
“Vi spiser middag klokken seks” means “We eat dinner at six o’clock.”

Useful Adjectives

Adjectives help to describe and add detail to your conversations.

Vakker – Beautiful
“Det er en vakker dag” means “It is a beautiful day.”

Gammel – Old
“Dette huset er veldig gammelt” translates to “This house is very old.”

Nyttig – Useful
“Dette er en nyttig bok” means “This is a useful book.”

Rask – Fast
“Bilen er veldig rask” translates to “The car is very fast.”

Vennlig – Friendly
“Han er veldig vennlig” means “He is very friendly.”

Common Phrases

Using common phrases can help you sound more natural and fluent in Norwegian.

Takk skal du ha – Thank you
A polite way to express gratitude. “Takk skal du ha for hjelpen” means “Thank you for the help.”

Unnskyld – Excuse me/Sorry
Useful for getting someone’s attention or apologizing. “Unnskyld, kan du hjelpe meg?” means “Excuse me, can you help me?”

Jeg forstår ikke – I don’t understand
Use this when you need clarification. “Jeg forstår ikke hva du mener” translates to “I don’t understand what you mean.”

Kan du gjenta det? – Can you repeat that?
This phrase is useful when you didn’t catch something. “Kan du gjenta det, vær så snill?” means “Can you repeat that, please?”

Hva koster det? – How much does it cost?
Essential for shopping and services. “Hva koster det å ta bussen?” translates to “How much does it cost to take the bus?”

Numbers and Time

Being able to talk about numbers and time is essential for daily activities.

En, to, tre, fire, fem – One, two, three, four, five
Basic counting will help you in various situations, from shopping to time-telling.

Klokken er… – The time is…
“Klokken er to” means “The time is two.”

Minutt – Minute
“Det tar fem minutter” translates to “It takes five minutes.”

Time – Hour
“Jeg har vært her i to timer” means “I have been here for two hours.”

Dag – Day
“Jeg jobber fem dager i uken” translates to “I work five days a week.”

Prepositions

Prepositions help you describe the relationship between different elements in a sentence.

På – On
“Boken er på bordet” means “The book is on the table.”

I – In
“Jeg bor i Oslo” translates to “I live in Oslo.”

Under – Under
“Katten er under sengen” means “The cat is under the bed.”

Ved siden av – Next to
“Skolen er ved siden av parken” translates to “The school is next to the park.”

Mellom – Between
“Huset ligger mellom elven og veien” means “The house is between the river and the road.”

Expressions for Social Interactions

Knowing how to interact socially is crucial for building relationships and fitting into Norwegian culture.

Hvordan har du det? – How are you?
A common greeting. “Hvordan har du det i dag?” means “How are you today?”

Hyggelig å møte deg – Nice to meet you
Useful when meeting someone new. “Hyggelig å møte deg, jeg heter [your name]” translates to “Nice to meet you, my name is [your name].”

Hva heter du? – What is your name?
“Jeg heter [your name], hva heter du?” means “My name is [your name], what is your name?”

Hvor kommer du fra? – Where are you from?
“Jeg kommer fra USA, hvor kommer du fra?” translates to “I come from the USA, where are you from?”

Hva gjør du? – What do you do?
“Jeg er student, hva gjør du?” means “I am a student, what do you do?”

Questions for Daily Life

Asking questions is an essential part of communication. Here are some useful question words and phrases.

Hva – What
“Hva er det?” means “What is that?”

Hvem – Who
“Hvem er han?” translates to “Who is he?”

Hvorfor – Why
“Hvorfor gjør du det?” means “Why are you doing that?”

Hvordan – How
“Hvordan kommer jeg til stasjonen?” translates to “How do I get to the station?”

Hvor – Where
“Hvor bor du?” means “Where do you live?”

Describing People and Places

Being able to describe people and places will help you create more vivid and engaging conversations.

Høy – Tall
“Han er veldig høy” means “He is very tall.”

Kort – Short
“Hun er ganske kort” translates to “She is quite short.”

Vakker – Beautiful
“Byen er veldig vakker” means “The city is very beautiful.”

Gammel – Old
“Den gamle mannen” translates to “The old man.”

Nytt – New
“Det nye huset” means “The new house.”

Adverbs for More Detailed Expressions

Adverbs can add more detail to your sentences, making your speech more nuanced.

Alltid – Always
“Jeg er alltid trøtt om morgenen” means “I am always tired in the morning.”

Aldri – Never
“Jeg drikker aldri kaffe” translates to “I never drink coffee.”

Ofte – Often
“Vi går ofte på kino” means “We often go to the cinema.”

Sjelden – Seldom
“Han er sjelden hjemme” translates to “He is seldom at home.”

Nå – Now
“Jeg må gå nå” means “I have to go now.”

Travel and Transportation

Knowing how to talk about travel and transportation can make getting around much easier.

Buss – Bus
“Når kommer bussen?” means “When is the bus coming?”

Bil – Car
“Jeg har en bil” translates to “I have a car.”

Fly – Plane
“Vi må ta flyet” means “We have to take the plane.”

Tog – Train
“Toget er forsinket” translates to “The train is delayed.”

Sykkel – Bicycle
“Jeg sykler til jobben” means “I cycle to work.”

Shopping and Services

Navigating shopping and services is a crucial skill for everyday life.

Pris – Price
“Hva er prisen?” means “What is the price?”

Kjøpe – To buy
“Jeg vil kjøpe denne” translates to “I want to buy this.”

Selge – To sell
“Hun selger huset sitt” means “She is selling her house.”

Tilbud – Offer
“Er det på tilbud?” means “Is it on sale?”

Kasse – Checkout
“Vi må gå til kassen” translates to “We have to go to the checkout.”

Emotions and Feelings

Expressing your emotions and feelings can help you connect more deeply with others.

Glad – Happy
“Jeg er veldig glad i dag” means “I am very happy today.”

Trist – Sad
“Han er trist fordi han mistet jobben” translates to “He is sad because he lost his job.”

Sinne – Angry
“Jeg blir sint når jeg ser urettferdighet” means “I get angry when I see injustice.”

Frykt – Fear
“Hun har en frykt for høyder” translates to “She has a fear of heights.”

Spennende – Exciting
“Det var en spennende film” means “It was an exciting movie.”

Family and Relationships

Talking about family and relationships is a common part of daily conversations.

Foreldre – Parents
“Mine foreldre bor i Norge” means “My parents live in Norway.”

Søsken – Siblings
“Jeg har to søsken” translates to “I have two siblings.”

Venn – Friend
“Han er en god venn” means “He is a good friend.”

Kjæreste – Boyfriend/Girlfriend
“Jeg har en kjæreste” translates to “I have a boyfriend/girlfriend.”

Gift – Married
“De har vært gift i ti år” means “They have been married for ten years.”

Work and Education

Discussing work and education is essential for engaging in meaningful conversations about your life and future.

Arbeid – Work
“Jeg liker mitt arbeid” means “I like my work.”

Skole – School
“Barna mine går på skole” translates to “My children go to school.”

Universitet – University
“Jeg studerer ved universitetet” means “I study at the university.”

Eksamen – Exam
“Jeg har en eksamen i morgen” translates to “I have an exam tomorrow.”

Kollega – Colleague
“Min kollega er veldig hjelpsom” means “My colleague is very helpful.”

Conclusion

Reaching the B1 level in Norwegian is a significant milestone. The words and phrases listed above will help you navigate a variety of situations, from daily life to more complex social interactions. Remember, the key to learning a new language is practice and immersion. Try to use these words in your conversations, listen to Norwegian media, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. With time and effort, you’ll find yourself becoming more fluent and comfortable in Norwegian. Lykke til! (Good luck!)