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Norwegian · A2

Høytider og feiring (holidays and celebrations)

Constitution Day, Christmas, Easter and Eid in Norway, dates with ordinal numbers, and what to say at a celebration.

12 minutes · A free lesson from A2: Hverdagen (everyday life) · Roman and Urdu pronunciation guides and English meanings are shown under each phrase

Norway's national day is 17 May, Constitution Day, the syttende mai: children's parades with flags and school bands march through every town, and many people wear a bunad, a traditional costume. Jul (Christmas) and påske (Easter) are long holidays, and many families go to a hytte (a cabin). Many Norwegian Muslims celebrate id, and in primary and lower secondary school, pupils who belong to a faith other than the Church of Norway have the right to time off for their own religious holidays.

syttende maiSay suetehnnuh maiسیُتےننَ مائیMeans: the seventeenth of May, Norway's national day
bunadSay boonadبُونادMeans: a traditional Norwegian costume
JulSay yoolیُولMeans: Christmas
påskeSay poskuhپوسکَMeans: Easter
hytteSay huetuhہیُتَMeans: a cabin, a holiday cottage
idSay eedایدMeans: Eid

Celebrations

en høytidSay: ehn hoyteedاےن ہوئتیدMeans: a holiday, a religious or national festivala holiday, a religious or national festivalJul er en viktig høytid i Norge.Say: yool ehr ehn vikti hoyteed ee norguh.یُول اےر اےن وِکتِ ہوئتید ای نورگَ.Means: Christmas is an important holiday in Norway.
et flaggSay: eht flagاےت فلاگMeans: a flaga flagVi henger opp flagget på nasjonaldagen.Say: vee hehnguhr op flaguht poh nashoonallaguhn.وی ہےنگَر اوپ فلاگَت پو ناشُوناللاگَن.Means: We put up the flag on the national day.
et barnetogSay: eht barnehtoogاےت بارنےتُوگMeans: a children's paradea children's paradeBarnetoget går gjennom sentrum.Say: barnehtooguht gohr yehnnoom sehntroom.بارنےتُوگَت گور یےننُوم سےنترُوم.Means: The children's parade goes through the centre.
en bunadSay: ehn boonadاےن بُونادMeans: a traditional costumea traditional costumeHun har på seg bunad på nasjonaldagen.Say: hoon har poh sai boonad poh nashoonallaguhn.ہُون ہار پو سائی بُوناد پو ناشُوناللاگَن.Means: She wears a bunad on the national day.
en gaveSay: ehn gavuhاےن گاوَMeans: a presenta presentBarna får gaver på julaften.Say: barna fohr gavuhr poh yoolaftuhn.بارنا فور گاوَر پو یُولافتَن.Means: The children get presents on Christmas Eve.
en bursdagSay: ehn bushdagاےن بُشداگMeans: a birthdaya birthdayJeg har bursdag i april.Say: yai har bushdag ee apreel.یائی ہار بُشداگ ای آپریل.Means: My birthday is in April.
et selskapSay: eht sehlskapاےت سےلسکاپMeans: a party at someone's homea party at someone's homeVi skal i selskap hos naboen.Say: vee skal ee sehlskap hoos naboan.وی سکال ای سےلسکاپ ہُوس نابوان.Means: We are going to a party at the neighbour's.

Dates use ordinal numbers: den første (1st), den andre (2nd), den tredje (3rd), den fjerde (4th), den femte (5th), den syttende mai (17 May), den tjuefjerde desember (24 December). In writing they are short, 1. mai and 17. mai. Norwegians celebrate Christmas on julaften, the evening of 24 December.

den førsteSay dehn foeshtuhدےن فوےشتَMeans: the first (1st)
den andreSay dehn annruhدےن آننرَMeans: the second (2nd); the other one
den tredjeSay dehn trehdyuhدےن ترےدیَMeans: the third (3rd)
den fjerdeSay dehn fyarduhدےن فیاردَMeans: the fourth (4th)
den femteSay dehn fehmtuhدےن فےمتَMeans: the fifth (5th)
den syttende maiSay dehn suetehnnuh maiدےن سیُتےننَ مائیMeans: the seventeenth of May
den tjuefjerde desemberSay dehn shoouhfyarduh dehsehmbuhrدےن شُوَفیاردَ دےسےمبَرMeans: the twenty-fourth of December
julaftenSay yoolaftuhnیُولافتَنMeans: Christmas Eve

What to say

Congratulations

Good wishes

As a guest

Invitasjon til id

Sign in to play the recording. The transcript:

Say it out loud (50 seconds): Fortell om en høytid som er viktig for deg. Hvordan feirer dere den?Say: furtehl om ehn hoyteed soom ehr vikti for dai. vordan fairuhr dehruh dehn?فُرتےل اوم اےن ہوئتید سُوم اےر وِکتِ فور دائی. ووردان فائرَر دےرَ دےن?Means: Talk about a holiday that is important to you. How do you celebrate it?

A model answer

For meg er id den viktigste høytiden. Om morgenen går vi i moskeen, og etterpå besøker vi familie og venner. Barna får nye klær og penger, og vi spiser mye god mat. I Norge feirer vi også syttende mai sammen med naboene.Say: for mai ehr eed dehn viktigstuh hoyteeduhn om mornuhn gohr vee ee moskehuhn, oh ehtarpoh buhsoekuhr vee fameeleeuh oh vehnnuhr. barna fohr nueuh klaar oh pehnguhr, oh vee speesuhr mueuh goo mat. ee norguh fairuhr vee ossoh suetehnnuh mai sammuhn meh naboanuh.فور مائی اےر اید دےن وِکتِگستَ ہوئتیدَن اوم مورنَن گور وی ای موسکےَن, او اےتارپو بَسوےکَر وی فامیلیَ او وےننَر. بارنا فور نیُاَ کلار او پےنگَر, او وی سپیسَر میُاَ گُو مات. ای نورگَ فائرَر وی اوسسو سیُتےننَ مائی ساممَن مے نابوانَ.Means: For me, Eid is the most important holiday. In the morning we go to the mosque, and afterwards we visit family and friends. The children get new clothes and money, and we eat lots of good food. In Norway we also celebrate the seventeenth of May with our neighbours.

Lesson quiz

Check what you have learned. Choose an answer to see whether it is right, and why.

Quick check: What is celebrated in Norway on 17 May?

  1. Christmas
  2. Constitution Day, the national day
  3. Midsummer
Show the answer

B: Constitution Day, the national day — 17 May is Norway's national day, with children's parades in every town.

Quick check: Which moment is right for “Takk for maten”?

  1. Before a long trip
  2. When you get a present
  3. After a meal
Show the answer

C: After a meal — Norwegians thank the cook after eating: Takk for maten!

Quick check: Which phrase do you say on someone's birthday?

  1. Gratulerer med dagen!
  2. God påske!
  3. Takk for i dag!
Show the answer

A: Gratulerer med dagen! — Gratulerer med dagen! is used on birthdays and on 17 May.

Quick check: What does “den tredje” mean in a date?

  1. the third
  2. the thirteenth
  3. the thirtieth
Show the answer

A: the third — Dates use ordinal numbers: den første, den andre, den tredje.

Quick check: What is a “bunad”?

  1. A Christmas cake
  2. A mountain cabin
  3. A traditional Norwegian costume
Show the answer

C: A traditional Norwegian costume — Many people wear a bunad on the national day.

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