Welcome to Norway: The Tricky Words you Won’t Forget

The Norwegian language, known as Norsk, is a fascinating part of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is primarily spoken in Norway, where it serves as one of the two official written forms: Bokmål and Nynorsk. Bokmål, which is derived from Danish, is more widely used, while Nynorsk was created in the 19th century to reflect regional dialects.

Language is a complex system of communication, and the Norwegian language is no exception. For English speakers venturing into the world of Norwegian, the journey can be filled with amusing verbal slip-ups. Certain Norwegian words bear a striking resemblance to English terms, yet their meanings can lead to humorous misunderstandings.

Take the word “gift,” for instance. In English, this term signifies a present, something one gives to another out of kindness. However, in Norwegian, “gift” translates to “poison.” Imagine the confusion when an English speaker expresses excitement over receiving a “gift” in Norway, only to cause alarm by inadvertently suggesting they have been poisoned! Such lexical crossovers can create moments of light-hearted embarrassment, but they also highlight the nuances of learning a new language.

Some other funny coincidence:

Norwegian: “Bra” means “good,” a term often used to express approval or satisfaction in various contexts. English: “bra” is a piece of undergarment typically worn by women for support.

Norwegian: “Kiss” means “pee” or “urinate,” a casual term used in everyday language, especially among children.
English: It means to press lips together as a gesture of affection, commonly seen in romantic contexts or between friends and family.

Norwegian: Full means drunk or intoxicated, frequently used in social settings to describe someone who has consumed too much alcohol.
English: Full means having no space left or being at capacity, often used to describe a filled container or a venue that has reached its limit.

Norwegian: Fabrikk (meaning factory), an essential term in industrial contexts where goods are manufactured.
English: “Fabrik” is close, but in English, “fabric” refers to material or textile.

Misleading Norwegian Words with Funny Mnemonics

1. Gate (Norwegian: street/road)
   Mnemonic Sentence: “I took a wrong turn on ‘Karl Johans gate‘ and ended up at a gate looking very lost.”
2. Gift (Norwegian: poison/married)
   Mnemonic Sentence: “He gave me a ‘gift,’ but now I’m married and it feels like poison!”
3. Sulten (Norwegian: hungry)
   English: “Sultan” (a ruler, especially in certain Middle Eastern countries)
   Mnemonic Sentence: “The Sultan skipped lunch and is now sulten for snacks.”
4. Skatt (Norwegian: tax/treasure)
   English: “Skate” (the verb or the fish, unrelated)
   Mnemonic Sentence: “My skateboarding tricks aren’t taxed, but finding skat(t) would be a treasure.”
5. Artig (Norwegian: funny/amusing)
   English: “Arctic” (relating to the Arctic, which is unrelated)
   Mnemonic Sentence: “It’s artig how the Arctic isn’t actually funny.”
6. Eventyr (Norwegian: fairy tale/adventure)
   English: “Event” (a happening or occurrence, not a fairy tale)
   Mnemonic Sentence: “In every event(yr), there’s an adventure waiting to unfold.”
7. Stor (Norwegian: big/large)
   English: “Store” (a shop or a place to buy goods)
   Mnemonic Sentence: “That stor(e) has a big sign, but it’s not large inside.”
8. Hurtig (Norwegian: fast/quick)
   English: “Hurt” (to cause pain or injury)
   Mnemonic Sentence: “Running hurtig might hurt if you’re not fast enough!”
9. Møbel (Norwegian: furniture)
   English: “Möbel” isn’t used in English, but it looks like “mobile” (movable, but usually refers to phones/devices)
   Mnemonic Sentence: “The möbel in my home isn’t mobile—it’s furniture!”
10. Fabrikk (Norwegian: factory)
    English: “Fabric” (material or textile, not a factory)
    Mnemonic Sentence: “In a fabrikk, fabrics might be made in a factory.”
11. Leksjon (Norwegian: lesson)
    English: “Lexicon” (a dictionary or word list, unrelated to a lesson)
    Mnemonic Sentence: “The lexicon failed to teach the lesson I needed.”
12. Avtale (Norwegian: agreement/appointment)
    English: “A tale” (a story, not an agreement)
    Mnemonic Sentence: “A tale can be fictional, but avtale is a real deal.”
13. Kurs (Norwegian: course/exchange rate)
    English: “Curse” (a bad or harmful spell, quite different from “course”)
    Mnemonic Sentence: “A curse won’t help you with a Norwegian kurs.”
14. Takt (Norwegian: rhythm/timing)
    English: “Tact” (sensitivity or diplomacy, not rhythm)
    Mnemonic Sentence: “Without rhythm, tact becomes untimely.”
15. Fjell (Norwegian: mountain)
    English: “Fell” (a hill or slope in some contexts, or a sudden drop)
    Mnemonic Sentence: “On the fjell, don’t fell a tree—or yourself!”
16. Stol (Norwegian: chair)
    English: “Stole” (the past tense of steal, meaning to take something without permission)
    Mnemonic Sentence: “I stol(e) this chair because I needed a seat.”
17. Bilder (Norwegian: pictures)
    English: “Builder” (someone who constructs buildings)
    Mnemonic Sentence: “Builders build, but bilder capture the scene.”
18. Spise (Norwegian: to eat)
    English: “Spice” (a seasoning, unrelated)
    Mnemonic Sentence: “Don’t spice your food before you spise it.”
19. Full (Norwegian: drunk)
    English: “Full” (having no space left or being at capacity)
    Mnemonic Sentence: “The glass is full, but now I’m fully drunk!”
20. Bak (Norwegian: behind)
    English: “Bake” (to cook something in an oven)
    Mnemonic Sentence: “I bake behind the oven, not in front.”
21. Bra (Norwegian: good)
    English: “Bra” (a piece of undergarment)
    Mnemonic Sentence: “The good bra lasted longer than expected.”
22. Kiss (Norwegian: pee/urinate)
    English: “Kiss” (to press lips together as a gesture of affection)
    Mnemonic Sentence: “After a kiss in Norway, you might need to pee!”