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We dive into the real logic behind Norwegian "at" and "som", stripping away jargon and showing exactly how these connectors connect the dots. With everyday examples, quick tests you can run in your head, and a few memorable sentences about pizza, we get rid of the guesswork.

We start by grounding at in the places you actually meet it: after verbs like think, say, hope, and see. You’ll hear how an at-clause behaves as one piece inside a larger sentence, often acting as the object, and how Norwegian prefers det up front when an at-clause functions as the subject. We share a simple replacement test—swap the clause with “something”—to confirm you’re dealing with content, plus when you should keep at in fixed pairs like for at.

Then we pivot to som, the workhorse of relative clauses. Instead of memorizing who versus which, you’ll learn that som attaches cleanly to people and things alike, adding precise description right after the noun or pronoun. We break down when you can drop "som", when you must keep it (hint: verb right after), and how commas signal whether a detail is essential or just an extra.

Enjoy the episode, try the mini-exercise at the end, and tell me your answers. If this helped, follow the show, share it with a fellow learner, and leave a quick review to help others find this podcast! 

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Let's dig into a clear mental model that strips away guesswork and shows exactly when to use preteritum, presens perfektum, and preteritum perfektum. Instead of memorizing lists, you’ll learn a focus rule: is the time window closed and you’re reliving a finished moment, or does the action still shape what matters now?

I look at English comparisons that often confuse learners. Norwegian doesn’t split past actions into continuous and simple the way English does—spiste can cover “I ate,” “I was eating,” and even emphatic “I did eat,” depending on context. Then we unpack why presens perfektum shines for present relevance: "har spist" explains why you’re not hungry, "har sett" anchors whether you’ll rewatch that film now, and "har bodd" marks an experience that continues up to now. 

You’ll also hear how Norwegians treat boundary moments—like asking "Hvordan har dagen vært?" while the day still unfolds and switching to "Hvordan var dagen?" when the day is considered over (i.e. the time window has closed and is considered past).

Expect practical, real‑life examples—pizza gone missing, movie invites, and Monday morning small talk—that (hopefully) help the logic stick fast.

If this helped, follow, rate, and send it to a friend who’s learning Norwegian!

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In this episode, I contrast two traditions that shape this season in Norway. Halloween on October 31 brings costumes, door-to-door visits, and the classic trick-or-treat phrase. All Saints Day, observed the first Sunday in November, invites a quieter vocabulary—candles at the cemetery, memories of loved ones. Halloween took hold in Norway during the 1990s while All Saints Day remained an older, less common tradition with Catholic roots.

Using a clear, repeatable structure—slow sentences, English translation for grounding, then natural-speed Norwegian—to help you hear every sound, catch the rhythm, and build confidence without getting overwhelmed.

To make the practice stick, we build in space for repetition, shadowing, and accent variety, moving from Eastern-accent Bokmål to a Bergen accent so you can tune your ear to differences you’ll hear in real life. You can follow without a transcript while walking, or use the linked text to mark stress, note vowel length, silent letters, highlight new words, etc. 

Skip the first part iwith translations f you want pure pronunciation work, or loop back to the slow pace if normal speed feels too fast. 

If this helped, subscribe, share the episode with a friend learning Norwegian, and leave a quick review telling me how you found this episode :) 

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This notorious word pair confuses even advanced learners, but today I'm breaking it down into simple, manageable parts that will transform your understanding.

The secret lies in recognizing three distinct usage patterns. 

First, when these words stand alone, "noe" means "something/anything" while "noen" means "someone/anyone." Norwegian doesn't distinguish between these pairs the way English does—it's all about context. 

Second, when talking about plurals (books, people, cars), always use "noen" regardless of whether you'd say "some" or "any" in English. Uncountable nouns in singular form need "noe", no matter the gender. 

And third, with singular countable nouns, the gender dictates your choice: "noe" for neuter nouns and "noen" for masculine/feminine ones.

What makes this topic fascinating is how native speakers often bypass grammar rules entirely. They might say "noe penger" (technically incorrect) because they conceptualize money as a mass rather than countable units.

Let me know how it went :) 

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In this pronunciation-focused episode, we break down three connected but distinct Norwegian vowel sounds: A, E, and Æ. Rather than getting caught up in complex terminology, we use visual imagery and physical awareness to help you feel the difference between these sounds. The beauty of these particular vowels? Your tongue gets to relax completely – it's all about your lips and jaw!

For the A sound, think of a vertical rectangle – open your mouth downward without smiling. When pronouncing E, imagine a horizontal rectangle – slightly open with a smile. And for the challenging Æ sound (that letter that doesn't exist in English), visualize a perfect square with your mouth – combining elements of both A and E.

We also explore an important distinction between letters and sounds in Norwegian, noting that while the letter Æ is always pronounced as Æ, the letter E can sometimes be pronounced as Æ depending on the word.

Ready to practice? I've made a "song" with the melody of a Norwegian children's song to help you distinguish between these sounds in a fun, memorable way. 

Give it a try and feel the difference in your mouth! ;) 

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Struggling with those mysterious S-endings on Norwegian verbs? 

The secret is that there isn't just one explanation – there are three distinct reasons why Norwegian verbs might end with S. 

First, there's the reciprocal S, which you'll encounter in everyday phrases like "vi snakkes" (we'll talk to each other) and "vi ses" (we'll see each other). This clever construction eliminates the need for saying "each other" separately.

Then there's the S-passive, which transforms active sentences into passive ones. Rather than saying "I eat the cake," you can shift focus by saying "the cake is being eaten" (kaka spises). This construction works beautifully for present tense statements but comes with limitations – you generally can't use it for past events. 

Finally, we have true S-verbs – those that naturally end with S in their dictionary form. Verbs like "å synes" (to think/find something a certain way) and "å finnes" (to exist) maintain their S-ending through all tenses. Some of these evolved from the other categories, becoming so commonly used that they developed into full verbs with complete conjugation patterns.

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Struggling with how to express future actions in Norwegian? You're not alone. The difficulty lies in the crucial distinctions between "skal," "vil," and "kommer til å" – three expressions that all translate to "will" in English but carry significantly different meanings in Norwegian. This episode dives deep into these differences, revealing how choosing the wrong one can accidentally make you sound controlling or create unintended meanings.

We explore how "skal" is perfect for expressing plans you can control (things you could put in your calendar), while "kommer til å" is the go-to choice for future events that will happen naturally without your direct control. You'll discover why saying "Du skal like jobben din" sounds like you're ordering someone to enjoy their job, and why weather forecasts often use "skal" in a completely different way that has nothing to do with planning.

The episode also unpacks secondary meanings of these expressions, including the idiomatic "Det skal ikke være lett" (It's not supposed to be easy), which Norwegians use to sympathize with life's difficulties. We clarify how the past tense "skulle" typically means "was going to" rather than "should," and why "burde" is often the safer choice when you want to express what someone should do.

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 This episode dives into some of the most common translation mistakes that nearly all Norwegian learners make, regardless of their level. Welcome to the world of being språkforvirret – language confused!

Have you ever tried to directly translate "I am talking" to Norwegian and ended up saying something that sounds like "I am speaks"? You're not alone. Norwegian doesn't use the continuous tense like English does, making this one of the most persistent errors among English speakers. Or perhaps you've tried to tell someone you're doing great by saying "jeg er greit" – accidentally claiming you're an average person rather than expressing your excellent mood!

We explore the fascinating false friends between languages, like how "greit" means "okay" not "great," and why "bare" doesn't always translate to "just." Discover how to translate"nice". And learn why saying "noe som det" for "something like that" immediately marks you as a non-native speaker.

Have you encountered any puzzling translation moments in your Norwegian journey? Share your stories in the comments – your confusion might help someone else! 

And if you found this episode helpful, feel free to share it and support the podcast on Buy Me A Coffee so we can continue unraveling Norwegian's linguistic mysteries together.

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Starting with good news - you can always use "om" if you're uncertain, though native speakers typically differentiate between the two in conversation. But when should you use each one correctly? The key distinction lies in their grammatical functions. 

"Hvis" introduces hypothetical situations with consequences. For example, "Hvis du vil ha dessert, må du spise grønnsakene først" (If you want dessert, you must eat your vegetables first). A helpful trick: if you can mentally insert "then" (så/da) after the conditional clause, "hvis" is usually your best choice.

Meanwhile, "om" serves a specific purpose - it introduces indirect questions, in this case yes/no questions without question words like "når" (when) or "hva" (what). Think of "om" as equivalent to "whether" in English. When transforming direct questions like "Går det bra?" (Is it going well?) into indirect speech, you'd say "Jeg spør OM det går bra" (I'm asking whether it's going well).

The episode includes practical examples to test your understanding, with explanations that make this grammar point much clearer. Whether you're a beginner struggling with basic conditionals or an intermediate learner fine-tuning your grammar, this episode provides the clarity you need to sound more natural in Norwegian. 

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This episode tackles one of the most confusing aspects of Norwegian grammar: the different forms of "annet," "annen," and "andre" and when to use each one.

I start by clarifying a fundamental distinction that English speakers often miss – the difference between "one more of something" (enda en/et) versus "a different one" (annen/annet/andre). 

I also address common pronunciation shortcuts that native speakers use, and explain how definiteness works with these words (and how to know whether "andre" means "second" or "other"). 

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This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict.

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Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com

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Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!

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