Moments · Learning Norwegian

On the wrong side of the water

You've missed the ferry. There's nothing to chase now.

Nesoddtangen → Oslo

You watch the boat pull away towards Aker brygge. You keep watching for a little longer than is useful.

Then you remember the person waiting for you on the other side.

You take out your phone.

The same moment, a little more language

What would you say?

Start with what you know. Stay for something new. All three levels are here to explore.

Learn all 9 phrases

All three levels, introduced gradually in order: A1 → B1 → C1. Earlier phrases return for review as you learn more. A free account is needed.

A1 · The essentials

Say it simply

Three short sentences to let someone know you'll be late.

You take out your phone. You don’t have the Norwegian to explain the missing glove, the hurried walk, or how close you came.

But you can tell your friend what matters.

A1 includes these 3 phrases.

English

I'm late.

Norwegian

Jeg er sen.

English

I'm waiting for the boat.

Norwegian

Jeg venter på båten.

English

I'll come later.

Norwegian

Jeg kommer senere.

Put the three sentences together and you have a message. Your friend knows you’re waiting, and that you’ll arrive later.

A small thing to try

Cover the Norwegian with your hand. Tell your friend you're waiting for the boat.

B1 · Make a new plan

Explain a little more

Explain what happened, suggest what to do, and promise an update.

Your friend has already started making lunch. You want to explain why you’ll be late and make sure they don’t sit there watching their food go cold.

B1 includes these 3 phrases.

English

I didn't make the boat, so I'll be a little late.

Norwegian

Jeg rakk ikke båten, så jeg blir litt forsinket.

English

Go ahead and start without me.

Norwegian

Bare begynn uten meg.

English

I'll let you know when I arrive.

Norwegian

Jeg gir deg beskjed når jeg er framme.

Så connects what happened with its consequence. Bare begynn gives the other person permission to carry on. Gi beskjed means to let someone know.

A small thing to try

Now imagine you missed the train on your way to a café. Explain the delay and suggest what your friends should do.

C1 · Add nuance

Make it sound like you

A little self-mockery, an implied meaning, and consideration for your friend.

Unfortunately, you also told your friend you had plenty of time.

Du blir stående og se etter båten, som om den kanskje skulle ombestemme seg. Så tar du fram telefonen. «Jeg har god tid», skrev du for ti minutter siden.

Read the scene in English

You keep watching the boat, as though it might change its mind. Then you take out your phone. “I have plenty of time,” you wrote ten minutes ago.

C1 includes these 3 phrases.

English

Apparently, I was a little too optimistic about the timing.

Norwegian

Jeg beregnet visst tiden litt vel optimistisk.

English

Now I'm standing here enjoying the view.

Norwegian

Nå står jeg her og nyter utsikten.

English

Don't delay the meal on my account.

Norwegian

Ikke vent med maten for min skyld.

Visst presents the mistake as something you’ve now discovered. Litt vel softens the admission that you were too optimistic. “Enjoying the view” can make light of being stuck waiting.

The humour depends on the relationship. A close friend might enjoy it; someone repeatedly kept waiting might prefer a direct apology.

A small thing to try

Write to a close friend, then to someone you're meeting for the first time. Keep the facts the same; change the tone.

The boat is still gone. But now you have the words.

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A note on levels and language

A1, B1 and C1 describe the focus of each section, not a test of your ability. You may recognise phrases at any level. These are teaching examples guided by the CEFR descriptions, not official ratings of individual sentences.

The scene is imagined along the Nesodden–Aker brygge boat connection. The Norwegian uses Bokmål.