Words at the Norwegian table
Norwegian says what it writes – unlike Danish, which it almost matches on paper. These are the words that keep coming up in Norwegian recipes.
How to read it
- ø
- Like the vowel in French „peu“.
- å
- A long o.
- kj, tj
- Like the h in „huge“: „kjøtt“ sounds like „hyurt“.
- sk before i, y, ei
- Becomes „sh“: „ski“ is „shee“.
- d at the end of a word
- Often silent: „brød“ sounds like „brur“.
At the restaurant
| Norwegisch | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| unnskyld | oon-shewl | Excuse me. This is how you get attention. |
| kan jeg få menyen? | kan yigh faw meh-new-en | The menu, please. |
| hva anbefaler du? | va an-beh-fah-ler doo | What do you recommend? |
| kan jeg få regningen? | kan yigh faw rye-ning-en | The bill, please. |
| det smakte veldig godt | deh smahk-teh vel-dee got | It tasted very good. |
| vel bekomme | vel beh-kom-meh | The reply to „takk for maten“ – „you're welcome“. |
At the table
| Norwegisch | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| koselig | koo-suh-lee | Cosy. The Norwegian counterpart to Danish hygge – likewise a condition for eating, not a property of the food. |
| takk for maten | tahk for mah-ten | Thank you for the food. Said after the meal, often while rising, and not left out out of politeness. |
| matpakke | maht-pah-kuh | The packed lunch. An institution, not a fallback: greaseproof paper, two slices, cheese between them. |
Ingredients
| Norwegisch | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| kjøtt | hyurt | Meat. pinnekjøtt is salted lamb ribs steamed over birch twigs – the Christmas meal of the west coast. |
| brunost | broo-noost | Brown whey cheese, sweet and caramel-like. Shaved into thin slices with a cheese slicer and laid on bread. |
| multe | mool-tuh | Cloudberry. Grows in the bog, ripens briefly and is guarded like a secret; with cream it is the dessert of the north. |
| syltetøy | sool-tuh-toy | Jam. eplesyltetøy is apple jam – literally „preserving stuff“. |
| skinke | shin-kuh | Ham. It sits in makaronigrateng med skinke, the macaroni bake every child knows. |
In the kitchen
| Norwegisch | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| grøt | grurt | Porridge. havregrøt is oat porridge, byggrynsgrøt the barley one – staple food, not invalid food. |
| lefse | lef-suh | A thin potato flatbread off the hot griddle, rolled soft with butter, sugar and cinnamon. |
| grateng | grah-teng | A bake. Anything that comes together under a crust in the oven goes by this name. |
| bakt | bahkt | Baked. bakt byggrynsgrøt is the barley porridge that forms a skin in the oven. |