Register and style

The same message can be informal, neutral or formal. Here you learn to adapt your language to the situation and the reader.

We teach Bokmål, the written standard most people in Norway use.

In short: Register means how formally you express yourself. Norwegian is generally informal, but the written language has clear levels of style.

Rules

Spoken and written: in speech we use short sentences and little words like «liksom», «altså» and «da». Kommer du, da?
Informal: for friends and colleagues you know well. Hei! Kan du sende meg fila?
Neutral: fits almost everywhere. Kan du sende meg dokumentet?
Formal: used by public authorities and in official letters. Vi ber om at dokumentet sendes innen fredag.
Slang: words like «digg» (lovely, great), «chille» (chill out) and «kjip» (boring, lousy). Use them only in informal situations.
Du and De: «De» was the polite form of address until around 1970. Today almost everyone says du, even to the boss. De can sound old-fashioned or stiff.
Politeness in emails: Norwegian politeness lies in the wording, not in titles. Kunne du sendt meg rapporten? Jeg lurer på om det er mulig å…
Greeting: «Hei» plus first name is normal, even at work. «Kjære» (dear) is mostly used in private letters.
Closing: «Med vennlig hilsen» (formal, 'kind regards'), «Hilsen» or «Mvh» (neutral), «Ha en fin dag!» (friendly).
Formal written style: many nouns and the s-passive. Søknaden behandles fortløpende.
Ask yourself: Who am I writing to, and how well do we know each other?

Typical mistake: starting a work email with «Kjære herr Hansen» like 'Dear Mr Hansen'. It sounds stiff – write «Hei, Per» or «Hei, Per Hansen».

Hei! Gidder du å sende meg bildene fra i går?Hi! Could you be bothered to send me the photos from yesterday?
Kunne du sendt meg referatet fra møtet?Could you send me the minutes from the meeting?
Vi ber om at skjemaet fylles ut og returneres innen 1. mars.Please complete and return the form by 1 March.
Jeg lurer på om det er mulig å flytte møtet til torsdag.I was wondering if it would be possible to move the meeting to Thursday.
Konserten i går var helt digg!The concert yesterday was totally awesome!
Søknader som kommer inn etter fristen, vil ikke bli behandlet.Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
Takk for svaret! Ha en fin helg.Thanks for your reply! Have a nice weekend.
«Ønsker De noe mer å drikke?» spurte den eldre kelneren.Would you like anything more to drink? asked the elderly waiter (very formal).