Norwegian–English dictionary: the 530 most common words
These are the words that make up most of any Norwegian text — the little ones like og, på and som as well as everyday verbs, nouns and adjectives. Knowing them well gets you further than knowing thousands of rare ones.
Every entry shows the forms from Bokmålsordboka, example sentences with translations and a short note on what learners tend to get wrong.
A
B
- bak behind; back
- bank bank
- bare only, just
- barn child, children
- bedrift company, business
- begynne to begin, to start
- bein leg; bone
- bestemme to decide
- besøke to visit
- betale to pay
- bety to mean
- bil car
- bilde picture, photo, image
- billett ticket
- billig cheap, inexpensive
- blant among
- bli to become, to get; to stay
- blomst flower
- blå blue
- bo to live (somewhere)
- bok book
- bord table
- borte away, gone
- bra good, fine; well
- brev letter
- bror brother
- bruke to use; to spend
- brød bread
- bukse trousers, pants
- burde should, ought to
- buss bus
- butikk shop, store
- by town, city
- bygge to build
- bære to carry, to bear
- både both
- båt boat
D
- da then; when (in the past); as
- dag day
- danse to dance
- datamaskin computer
- datter daughter
- de they; the (before an adjective)
- del part, piece; share
- den it; that; the (before an adjective)
- denne this
- der there
- deres your (plural); their
- derfor therefore, that’s why
- dersom if, in case
- dessuten besides, moreover
- det it, that; there (is)
- din your, yours (one person)
- dra to go, to leave; to pull
- drikke to drink; a drink
- du you (one person)
- dyr expensive; animal
- dø to die
- død dead; death
- dør door
- dårlig bad, poor; unwell
E
F
- falle to fall
- familie family
- far father
- farge colour; to colour, to dye
- farlig dangerous
- fattig poor
- feil mistake, error; wrong
- feire to celebrate
- fem five
- ferie holiday, vacation
- fest party, celebration
- film film, movie
- fin nice, fine, pretty
- finne to find
- fire four
- fisk fish
- fjell mountain
- fly plane; to fly
- flyplass airport
- folk people; a people
- for for; too (before an adjective)
- foran in front of, before
- fordi because
- forklare to explain
- forskjell difference
- forskjellig different, various
- forstå to understand
- fortelle to tell
- fortsatt still
- fortsette to continue
- fot foot
- fra from
- fred peace
- fri free; off (work)
- frihet freedom, liberty
- frisk healthy, well; fresh
- frokost breakfast
- frukt fruit
- fugl bird
- full full; drunk
- føle to feel
- følelse feeling, emotion
- følge to follow; to accompany
- før before; earlier, formerly
- første first
- få to get, to receive; to be allowed; few
G
- gammel old
- gang time (occasion); corridor
- ganske quite, rather, fairly
- gate street
- gave present, gift
- gi to give
- gjelde to apply, to be valid; to concern
- gjennom through
- gjøre to do, to make
- glad happy, glad
- glede joy, pleasure; to please
- glemme to forget
- god good
- grunn reason; ground; shallow
- grønn green
- gråte to cry, to weep
- gul yellow
- gutt boy
- gå to go, to walk; to leave
H
- ha to have
- hage garden, yard
- halv half
- han he
- handle to shop; to act; to be about
- hav sea, ocean
- hei hi, hello
- hel whole, entire
- helg weekend; holiday
- heller rather; either (with negation)
- helse health
- helt completely, quite, all the way
- hennes her, hers
- hente to fetch, to pick up
- her here
- hest horse
- hete to be called
- historie history; story
- hjelp help
- hjelpe to help
- hjem home; (to) home
- hjemme at home
- hjerte heart
- hode head
- holde to hold, to keep
- hos at (someone’s place), with
- hotell hotel
- hun she
- hund dog
- hundre hundred
- hus house
- huske to remember
- hva what
- hvem who
- hver every, each
- hvilken which, what
- hvis if
- hvit white
- hvor where; how (much, many)
- hvordan how
- hvorfor why
- hyggelig nice, pleasant, friendly
- høre to hear, to listen
- høst autumn, fall; harvest
- høy high, tall; loud
- hånd hand
- håpe to hope
- hår hair
I
J
K
- kaffe coffee
- kald cold
- kanskje maybe, perhaps
- kaste to throw; to throw away
- katt cat
- kilo kilo, kilogram
- kjedelig boring
- kjenne to know (a person, a place); to feel
- kjærlighet love
- kjøkken kitchen
- kjøpe to buy
- kjøre to drive, to ride
- kjøtt meat
- klar ready; clear
- klare to manage, to cope
- klasse class, grade, form
- klokke clock, watch; bell; o’clock
- klær clothes
- kollega colleague
- komme to come, to arrive
- kommune municipality
- kone wife
- kontor office
- kort short, brief; card
- koste to cost; to sweep
- krig war
- krone krone (Norwegian money); crown
- kropp body
- kultur culture
- kunde customer, client
- kunne can, to be able to; could
- kunnskap knowledge
- kveld evening
- kvinne woman
L
- la to let, to allow
- lage to make; to cook
- land country; land
- lang long; tall
- langs along
- lav low; short (person)
- le to laugh
- leder leader, manager, head
- ledig free, vacant, available
- lege doctor; to heal
- legge to lay, to put
- leilighet flat, apartment; occasion
- lese to read
- lett easy; light
- leve to live, to be alive
- ligge to lie; to be located
- like to like
- likevel still, nevertheless, anyway
- liten small, little
- litt a little, a bit
- liv life
- lov law; permission
- luft air
- lukke to close, to shut
- lys light; candle; light, bright
- lytte to listen
- lære to learn; to teach
- lærer teacher
- lønn salary, wages, pay
- løpe to run
- låne to borrow; to lend
M
- man one, you, people (in general)
- mange many, a lot of
- mann man; husband
- mat food
- med with, by
- melding message, notice, report
- melk milk
- mellom between, among
- men but
- mene to mean; to think, to believe
- menneske human being, person
- mens while
- meter metre
- middag dinner (main meal)
- miljø environment; atmosphere
- million million
- min my, mine
- minutt minute
- mor mother
- morgen morning
- morsom funny, fun
- mot against, towards
- mulig possible
- mulighet possibility, opportunity
- munn mouth
- musikk music
- mye much, a lot
- møte to meet; meeting
- mål goal, aim; target; measure; language form
- måned month
- måte way, manner
- måtte must, to have to
N
O
P
R
- rask fast, quick
- redd afraid, scared
- regjering government
- regn rain
- regne to rain; to calculate, to count
- reise to travel; trip, journey
- ren clean; pure
- restaurant restaurant
- resultat result
- rett right; dish; court; straight
- rik rich
- riktig right, correct; really
- ringe to call, to phone; to ring
- rolle role, part
- rom room; space
- rundt around, round; about
- rydde to tidy, to clear
- rygg back
- rød red
S
- sak matter, case, issue; thing
- samfunn society, community
- samme same
- sammen together
- sang song; sang (past of synge)
- savne to miss
- se to see, to look
- seg himself, herself, itself, themselves
- seks six
- selge to sell
- selv -self (myself, yourself…); even
- sen late
- sende to send
- seng bed
- sette to put, to set
- si to say, to tell
- side side; page
- siden since; ago; because
- sikker sure; safe
- sin his/her/its/their own
- sint angry
- siste last, latest
- sitte to sit; to be (in a place)
- sjef boss, manager, chief
- sjelden rare; rarely, seldom
- sju seven
- sjø sea; lake
- skatt tax; treasure
- skje to happen; spoon
- skjema form; schedule
- sko shoe
- skog forest, wood
- skole school
- skrive to write
- skulle shall, will; to be going to; should
- slik such; like this, so
- slutt end
- slutte to stop, to quit, to end
- smile to smile
- snakke to speak, to talk
- snart soon
- snill kind, nice
- snø snow
- sol sun
- som who, which, that; as, like
- sommer summer
- sove to sleep
- spare to save; to spare
- spille to play
- spise to eat
- språk language
- spørre to ask
- spørsmål question
- starte to start
- stasjon station
- sted place
- stein stone, rock
- sterk strong
- stol chair
- stoppe to stop
- stor big, large, great
- student (university) student
- studere to study
- stå to stand; to be written
- sukker sugar
- sulten hungry
- svak weak
- svar answer, reply
- svare to answer, to reply
- svart black
- syk ill, sick
- sykehus hospital
- synes to think, to find (an opinion)
- synge to sing
- særlig especially, particularly
- søknad application
- sønn son
- søster sister
- så so, then; such
T
- ta to take
- takk thanks, thank you
- tanke thought, idea
- te tea
- telefon telephone, phone
- tenke to think
- ti ten
- tid time
- tidlig early
- til to, for, until
- time hour; lesson; appointment
- ting thing; parliament (historical)
- tjene to earn; to serve
- tjue twenty
- to two
- tog train; procession
- tom empty
- travel busy
- tre three; tree; wood
- trenge to need
- trist sad
- tro to believe, to think
- trøtt tired, sleepy
- tung heavy; hard, sad
- tur trip, walk, hike; turn
- tusen thousand
U
V
- vanlig usual, common, ordinary
- vann water; lake
- vanskelig difficult, hard
- vare product, goods; to last
- varm warm, hot
- vaske to wash, to clean
- ved by, at, near
- vei road, way
- vel well; surely, I suppose
- veldig very, really
- velge to choose; to elect
- venn friend
- vente to wait; to expect
- verden world
- vi we
- viktig important
- ville to want; will, would
- vin wine
- vindu window
- vinne to win
- vinter winter
- virke to work, to function; to seem
- vise to show
- vite to know (a fact)
- vokse to grow
- vær weather; be! (imperative)
- være to be
- vår our; spring (season)