Moments · Learning Norwegian

Still in sight

You can still see the bus. You just can’t get on it.

At the bus stop

You slow from a run to a walk, hoping the change looks intentional.

The bus turns the corner. Another person reaches the stop and looks from you to the empty road.

For a moment, you have something in common.

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

Ask about the bus and the next departure.

The other person looks as though they know the stop. You can begin with a small question.

A1 includes these 3 phrases.

English

Has the bus left?

Norwegian

Har bussen gått?

English

When does the next one leave?

Norwegian

Når går den neste?

English

I’ll wait here.

Norwegian

Jeg venter her.

Gått is the past participle of gå. With a bus, har gått means “has left”. Once you’ve named the bus, den neste can stand for the next one.

A small thing to try

You arrive at an empty bus stop. Ask two short questions about the departure.

B1 · A little more language

Explain a little more

Share what happened and check your route.

You’re both waiting now. The conversation can last one sentence, or a little longer.

B1 includes these 3 phrases.

English

I didn’t make the bus, even though I ran.

Norwegian

Jeg rakk ikke bussen, selv om jeg løp.

English

Do you know when the next one leaves?

Norwegian

Vet du når den neste går?

English

I’m going to the city centre. Are you going the same way?

Norwegian

Jeg skal til sentrum. Skal du samme vei?

Rakk ikke means you didn’t make it in time. Compare Når går den neste? with Vet du når den neste går?: the question inside the longer sentence has a different word order.

A small thing to try

Ask a stranger about the next departure, then say where you’re going.

C1 · Tone and nuance

Make it sound like you

Turn a small annoyance into a shared joke.

Du vurderer å late som om du bare var ute og jogget. Men personen ved siden av deg har sett både spurten og bussen. Dere smiler litt til hverandre.

Read the scene in English

You consider pretending you were simply out jogging. But the person beside you has seen both the sprint and the bus. You exchange a small smile.

C1 includes these 3 phrases.

English

That was close, but not quite close enough.

Norwegian

Det var nære på, men ikke helt nært nok.

English

I suppose I got a little exercise out of it, at least.

Norwegian

Jeg fikk i det minste litt mosjon ut av det.

English

If I’d left a minute earlier, I’d be on it now.

Norwegian

Hadde jeg gått hjemmefra et minutt tidligere, hadde jeg sittet på den nå.

I det minste finds a small consolation. The last sentence imagines a different past and its result now. You can leave out hvis by starting with hadde jeg.

A small thing to try

Describe a minor mishap twice: once plainly, then as something you can smile about with another person.

You both look at the display. Neither of you needs to explain the sigh.

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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 Norwegian uses Bokmål.