Is Norwegian Easy to Learn for English Speakers? A Comprehensive Guide

Norwegian might seem like a challenging language to learn at first glance. However, it is actually considered one of the easiest for English speakers. This article explores the reasons behind this, the challenges you might encounter, and how to overcome them.

Why Norwegian is Relatively Easy for English Speakers

The ease of learning a new language largely depends on your native language. If you speak English, you're in luck! Norwegian shares many similarities with English, making it a more accessible language to learn. Here's why:

Germanic Language Ties and Cognates

Norwegian is a Germanic language, and as such, shares plenty of cognates, or words with similar origins, with other Germanic languages. You’ll learn that many of the words in the Norwegian vocabulary look and sound the same as plenty of words you already know. Old Norse, spoken by the inhabitants of Scandinavia and the Vikings between the 9th and 13th centuries, had a significant influence on Old English. It was during this merging of languages that Old English adopted countless day-to-day words from Old Norse. As a native English speaker, one of the things I was most surprised to discover is that there is an incredible amount of words that are almost identical to English.

Some examples of words with Old Norse origins include: anger, awe, bag, band, big, birth, both, bull, cake, call, cast, cosy, cross, die, dirt, dream, egg, fellow, flat, gain, get, gift, give, guess, guest, hug, husband, ill, kid, law, leg, lift, likely, link, loan, loose, low, mistake, odd, race, raise, root, rotten, same, seat, seem, sister, skill, skin, skirt, sky, steak, though, thrive, Thursday, tight, till, trust, ugly, want, weak, window, wing, and wrong.

Similar Sentence Structure

Norwegian is a V2 language or S-V-O language like English. This means the verb is, in most cases, in the second spot of a sentence, and that the usual structure of a sentence is subject→verb→object. Word order is pretty much the same as in English. Take a look at this sentence, and you’ll see what we mean: Jeg er fra Kanada. (“I am from Canada.”) See? After 6 months of studying Norwegian, I also noticed how English-like Norwegian sentences can sound.

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Simplified Verb Conjugation

If you’ve tried learning another European language, you know just how challenging verb conjugation can be. Luckily, Norwegian conjugation is very simple: There’s only one verb form per tense, regardless of person or number.

Abundance of Resources

You also have an advantage in the vast number of resources to be found online. We’re talking about podcasts, books, articles, games, etc.

Potential Challenges in Learning Norwegian

Though it’s touted as being one of the easiest languages to learn, only requiring around 600 hours to master, there are still some areas that can prove challenging to learners.

Pronunciation

When it comes to pronunciation, the differences in the vowel sounds and rolling Rs can present a challenge. Norwegian has three extra letters, Æ, Ø & Å. The specific vowel sounds produced by these do not exist in English. There are close approximations, you can lean on though. It can also be extra challenging to pronounce some Norwegian words correctly. Plenty of words are spelled differently than they are pronounced, with silent letters and a strange concoction of consonants making unexpected sounds. Add to this the unique vowel sounds that exist only in Norwegian, and you might find an unexpected challenge here.

The Norwegian alphabet has 29 letters, of which three vowels - æ ø å - are not found in English.

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Grammar Quirks

When it comes to grammar, Norwegian is not too far removed from English. The syntax, or structure of a sentence is more or less similar to English, but with some key differences.

One aspect that most learners seem to struggle with is prepositions. There are not always set rules for which prepositions should be used in which situations, and as such it’ll be a guessing game in the beginning. Many use direct translations from their native language, but this will not always work in Norwegian. However, this changes more than you would expect. The verb jumps around the object and subject of a sentence based on a variety of factors, and this can prove challenging for anyone trying to get an understanding of Norwegian grammar rules.

Norwegian follows a pretty strict pattern when it comes to word order and it isn’t always the same as in English. For example, an English speaker will tend to say something like *Nå jeg bor i Oslo (Now, I live in Oslo) or *i dag det er kaldt (Today, it is cold). While this is perfectly correct in English, it’s grammatically incorrect in Norwegian.

Modal verbs are some of the most important and powerful verbs to learn to use, especially for beginners. Modals verbs indicate modality, in other words: likelihood, ability, permission, request, capacity, suggestions, order, obligation, or advice. Grammatically speaking, modal verbs are always followed but the full verb (infinitive) eg. (to) eat, (to) go, (to) run, (to) travel. In Norwegian, modal verbs include: skulle (should), skal (shall), ville (would), vil (will), måte (had to), må (must), kunne (could), kan (can).

Just like Italian, French, Finnish and many other languages, Norwegian does not have a progressive verb form like in English. In Norwegian, there is no am -ing, is -ing or are -ing. Norwegian also doesn’t use the present participle of a verb to express an ongoing activity. When it comes to English subject and object pronouns, we’ve kept things really simple and just have ‘you’. ‘You’ in the singular and ‘you’ in the plural.

One of the trickiest things for an English brain to grasp is how Norwegian hooks the definite article ‘the’ onto the end of a noun. This is another case where English uses one word that can be used in many different ways. This time, Norwegian has four words that all mean ‘that’, but unlike English, can’t be used interchangeably. Each has its own specific usage. Which, if I’m honest, I’m still getting used to! But, I am improving. Hvem er du sammen med?

English keeps things simple with just one word to say ‘how’. Hvor lenge har du bodd i Norge? Hvor langt er det til Stavanger? Hvor mange elever er i klassen? Hvordan går det? Hvordan staver du det? The Norwegian word da, can be both a conjunction to mean when and an adverb then. To understand the correct meaning, you must look at the word order of the sentence.

Very early on in my Norwegian studies I discovered that Norwegians ‘think’ differently - and they have 3 very different words for it too! Tenke, tror, and synes. Synes is used when the speaker has personally experienced something and has formed their own opinion of it. Therefore synes is only used to express a subjective opinion to express personal likes and dislikes. Tror can also be used to express an opinion when the speaker does not or can know all the facts about something, but they can check them. Tenke, which sounds just like the English ‘think’, is the easiest to remember because it’s used to describe brain activity. Gang means time in the sense of one time or occasion. To express the concept of time, use tid. For example, the vowel in tak (roof ceiling) should be pronounced long i.e. taahk. Whilst the vowel in takk (thank you) is short and should be pronounced short i.e.

Dialects

Thanks to Norway’s mountainous landscape, this created a lot of geographical and linguistic isolation over the centuries which has seen countless dialects emerge. As such, there is no standard spoken Norwegian. It is totally normal and accepted to use your local dialect whatever the context or situation. Norwegian has a rich variety of regional accents and dialects. One of the more difficult dialects for beginners to get to grips with is Trøndersk, a group of dialects spoken in Trondheim and around central Norway.

Gendered Nouns

In fact, Norwegian has 3 genders for its nouns, masculine, feminine, and neutral.

Effective Strategies for Learning Norwegian

Here are some strategies that can help you learn Norwegian more effectively:

Immerse Yourself in the Language

Once you understand the basics, try to slowly immerse yourself in more Norwegian. Start by reading the news in Norwegian. I recommend Klar Tale, which is an easy-to-read newspaper with short articles. Ready to go further? Why not watch some great Norwegian TV shows like Skam or Nobel?

As with anything, you need consistency. A few hours a week is not enough. You need to use the language everyday. Lastly, we live in a digital age, where the tools at your disposal are limitless. Apps, ebooks, podcasts, you name it! They’ll all help you get where you want to go. But again, you need to use the language with other speakers to really make it stick. Our online classes allow you to be anywhere in the world and use Norwegian with others. All you need is a computer or phone and a wifi connection.

Think back to your early years at school. Remember all those colourful paintings you made and rhymes and songs you learned? Norwegian TV, YouTubers, NRK podcasts, online newspapers, apps, and films are all great ways to mix up your language learning. We've heard from many people who've learned Norwegian from books in the USA only to have come to Norway and not understood a word.

Make Norwegian relevant for you! If you’re reading this right now, you almost certainly have a reason why you’re learning this language. But how can you apply your new knowledge if you don’t know any Norwegians yet? Wherever you’re living, you can role-play different situations. Sound a little weird? Maybe a bit, but it’s worth it. You: Jeg vil gjerne ha en stor kaffe. Waiter: Noe annet? You: Ja, et stykke eplekake, takk. Of course, you can go through this whole exchange in your head if you’re in public, but I recommend sitting in front of a mirror and speaking aloud for maximum pronunciation practice. Either way, this exercise helps you to discover vocabulary gaps so you don’t panic in the moment.

Practice Speaking

But learning Norwegian means nothing if you can’t use it in conversation. That’s why our conversation classes are the fastest ways for you to become comfortable in using your Norwegian in real life scenarios. Practicing Norwegian with other people is a sure fire way to learn how to pronounce words correctly, and structure your sentences the right way.

Nobody learns a new language without speaking with others who speak the language. The easiest way to do this is of course to move to Norway. But even then it might be hard to find someone who will want to practice with you. That is why our conversation classes are so great. You’ll be forced to use the language and adapt to unexpected situations.

Use a Variety of Learning Methods

Don't just rely on one book or one course. The best way to learn any language is to absorb as much material as you can in as many forms as possible. There is no single best language learning technique, because all our brains work a little differently! However, what will drastically increase your chances of achieving your goal is to combine several techniques. Yes, really. This is especially relevant if you haven't ever studied a foreign language, or haven't learned one for years. So if you don't know your past participles from your subject-verb agreements, take a moment to brush up on your native tongue. Learning on your own is inefficient. We've found the best tactic for keeping your Norwegian skill levels up across the board, not to mention keeping yourself motivated, is to find a study partner. In most Norwegian towns and cities, you'll find language cafes. There are a number of approaches to keeping such a diary. You can use it as a vocabulary builder, recording a new word or phrase every time you learn one. Simply ask yourself two questions: What did I do today? What am I going to do tomorrow? Most of all remember that it's a marathon, not a sprint. Celebrate these small achievements! That said, making these in-between steps can be tough going. Online courses are springing up to help beginners learn Norwegian. Apps such as Duolingo and Memrise are a great way to reinforce what you've learned in the online courses, every single day.

Focus on Essential Grammar and Vocabulary

Did you know that you don’t need all the Norwegian grammar to speak Norwegian? Just a small part of it. In our classes we use just the necessary grammar. Did you know that you don’t need all the grammar to speak fluent Norwegian? In our classes we focus just on the necessary vocabulary.

Utilize Recommended Resources

Here are some recommended resources for learning Norwegian:

Start Norwegian is a Norwegian audio course for beginners and was the first Norwegian resource I picked up. I’m a huge fan of Michel Thomas courses so I knew this would be a great introduction to the languages to get me speaking quickly. I only wish there were more in the series. Nonetheless, it provides an excellent foundation.
This compact yet comprehensive grammar book is written in English and has fantastic explanations and examples.
This was the first Norwegian book I used and what we used as our class textbook at Cactus Language school. I’ve only just recently finished this book which took me from absolute beginner to intermediate. The book includes free audio which is available online to stream or download from www.routledge.com. The audio features a variety of native accents from all over the country, so you’ll be exposed to them from day one.
This book is a bit trickier to get a hold of but if you can, I highly recommend it! I had to buy mine in Norway but I’ve more recently discovered it here on Barnes & Noble. This book is so fun to read and digest. The examples are funny which makes them memorable and the overall tone of the book is very lighthearted yet super helpful.
The Mystery of Nils. Perhaps the most loved Norwegian textbook is this story-based text. Written in Norwegian with grammar explanations in English, the Norwegian language is slowly revealed to you through following the story of Nils with supporting exercises to help reinforce your learning. Once you reach intermediate Norwegian, you can then move on to its second installation Mysteries om Nils for B1-B2 students. Get The Mystery of Nils. Part 1 (A1-A2) here.
One of the challenges for language learners is finding reading material that is both interesting but not so complex that you need to constantly check a dictionary. There’s nothing worse than purchasing a book you’re excited about only to never finish reading it because “it’s too hard!” I started reading Short Stories in Norwegian for Beginners. I‘m enjoying it so much that I’m taking my time reading it because I don’t want it to end! The Short Stories series is targeted to high-beginner to low-intermediate level learners. Each book includes 8 stories covering a variety of topics from science fiction and crime to history and thriller, which means you’re exposed to a wide range of new vocabulary. What I love about the Short Stories series is that you feel a real sense of achievement. Chapters are kept short and sentences are simple and not too wordy. New words are highlighted in bold and included in a short glossary at the end of the chapter so you don’t need to rely on a dictionary. There is even a fun comprehension quiz after each chapter to see how well you understood the text. It’s also important to note that the stores are mapped to A2-B1 Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages, which means it’s the perfect study companion alongside your other language learning resources.
This workbook is excellent at helping you practise and reinforce what you’ve learned with over 200 exercises and activities which covers grammar and vocabulary. The exercises include visuals and infographics as well as language hints and tips to help you to understand language rules and culture points.
I feel like italki is the secret weapon of the polyglot world. Literally, every linguist, polyglot, and language learner I know uses italki to connect with native speakers online to help then learn languages. italki allows learners to connect with both professional teachers for lessons and native speakers for more informal sessions. This is a very convenient way to learn and maintain your development as all sessions are run via Skype. Some teachers even offer a free trial. I have weekly italki lessons with Anita, from Ålesund and since starting, my confidence with the language and speaking still have dramatically improved because of our 1:1 interaction. I also use my lessons to go over any areas I’m struggling with or ask questions about things I’ve come across during the week that I want to clarify.
It’s no secret that I’ve been a fan of Mondly for years. Its ease of use, friendly interface, and variety of interactive lessons are super important to me. I’m currently using Mondly to learn Norwegian vocabulary with short bursts of fun and interactive lessons daily. One of the best features of Mondly’s app (which sets it apart from other apps) is that you can learn from your native language. That’s right, you don’t have to be a native English speaker to use the app. This feature is especially useful if you speak other foreign languages and want to keep them fresh while learning another language! They teach numerous languages which aren’t available on many other language learning apps, which is why Mondly is my favourite app of them all. The recently added Bengali, Catalan, Latin, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovak, Tagalog and Urdu, bringing the total languages available with Mondly to 41!
Travelling to Norway? Go from clueless to confident in as little as two weeks with my course Intrepid Norwegian. Using Pareto’s 80/20 rule, you’ll learn the most powerful 20% of vocabulary needed to communicate in 80% of the situations you’ll find yourself in whilst travelling. What does this mean? It means you will skyrocket your understanding of the language and get you to a basic conversational level. You have lifetime access to all of the training material, so you can either go through the content all at once or you can slow things down and go at your own pace. It certainly exceeded my expectations. The learning methodology is great, and easy to follow and found that I progressed much faster in the last 4 weeks than I ever did on my own or using other language apps.
For the most complete and comprehensive way to learn Norwegian, you can’t pass up Speak Norsk, the highest-rated Norwegian language school in Norway. Speak Norsk are the absolute leaders and the best option on the market if you’re serious about reaching a high level in Norwegian. They offer a complete pathway so you can go from absolute beginner (A0-A2) to intermediate (B1-B2) and advanced (C1-C2).

Reasons to Learn Norwegian

There are many reasons for learning Norwegian, but these are of course individual. If you’re planning on traveling to Norway, or Scandinavia, knowing some Norwegian is absolutely helpful. You’ll get a deeper understanding of the culture and history of the country, and it’ll be WAY easier to get in touch with the locals. When it comes to work, you’ll have a definite leg up if you speak Norwegian. You’ll show your employers that you are hard working and you are trying to adapt and integrate into Norwegian society. If Norway or Scandinavia, or learning a new language is just something you’re interested in, you can’t go wrong with Norwegian. It’s one of the easiest languages to learn, so you won’t have to invest as much to get it down. You may be wondering why you shouldn’t learn Danish or Swedish? Afterall, they have a higher population than Norway does. Well, knowing Norwegian means you’ll also be able to communicate with Swedes and Danes. Norway’s history is tied to both Denmark and Sweden, and as a result, the language is sort of the half-way point between Swedish and Danish. This means that both Danes and Swedes have a far easier time communicating with a Norwegian than with each other.

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