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Norwegian · A2

Norge: landet og byene (Norway: the country and its cities)

Landscape words, the parts of the country, and comparing things: større, størst.

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

Norway is long and narrow, with mountains, fjords and a very long coast full of islands. About five and a half million people live there. The biggest cities are Oslo, the capital, Bergen on the west coast, Trondheim and Stavanger; north of the Arctic Circle lie Bodø and Tromsø.

The landscape

et fjellSay: eht fyehlاےت فیےلMeans: a mountaina mountainVi gikk tur på fjellet i helgen.Say: vee yik toor poh fyehlluht ee hehlguhn.وی یِک تُور پو فیےللَت ای ہےلگَن.Means: We went hiking in the mountains at the weekend.
en fjordSay: ehn fyorاےن فیورMeans: a fjorda fjordGeirangerfjorden er veldig kjent.Say: yairangarfyorduhn ehr vehlli shehnt.یائرانگارفیوردَن اےر وےللِ شےنت.Means: The Geiranger fjord is very famous.
ei øySay: ai oyآئی اوئیMeans: an islandan islandDet bor få mennesker på øya.Say: deh boor foh mehnnehskuhr poh oya.دے بُور فو مےننےسکَر پو اوئا.Means: Few people live on the island.
en kystSay: ehn shuestاےن شیُستMeans: a coasta coastByen ligger ved kysten.Say: bueuhn liguhr veh shuestuhn.بیُاَن لِگَر وے شیُستَن.Means: The town is on the coast.
en innsjøSay: ehn inshoeاےن اِنشوےMeans: a lakea lakeMjøsa er Norges største innsjø.Say: myoesa ehr norguhs stoeshtuh inshoe.میوےسا اےر نورگَس ستوےشتَ اِنشوے.Means: Mjøsa is Norway's biggest lake.
en landsdelSay: ehn lannsduhlاےن لاننسدَلMeans: a region, a part of the countrya region, a part of the countryNord-Norge er en stor landsdel.Say: nornorguh ehr ehn stoor lannsduhl.نورنورگَ اےر اےن ستُور لاننسدَل.Means: Northern Norway is a large region.
nord, sør, øst, vestSay: nor, soer, oest, vehstنور, سوےر, اوےست, وےستMeans: north, south, east, westnorth, south, east, westBergen ligger på Vestlandet.Say: barguhn liguhr poh vehstlannuht.بارگَن لِگَر پو وےستلاننَت.Means: Bergen is in western Norway.

To compare, most adjectives add -ere and -est: billig, billigere, billigst. Use enn for "than": Oslo er større enn Bergen. Long words use mer and mest instead: mer interessant, mest interessant. With "the", the superlative ends in -e: den største byen.

billig, billigere, billigstSay billi, billeegehruh, billigstبِللِ, بِللیگےرَ, بِللِگستMeans: cheap, cheaper, cheapest
ennSay ehnاےنMeans: than
Oslo er større enn Bergen.Say osloo ehr stoeruh ehn barguhn.اوسلُو اےر ستوےرَ اےن بارگَن.Means: Oslo is bigger than Bergen.
merSay mehrمےرMeans: more
mestSay mehstمےستMeans: most
mer interessantSay mehr intehrehssantمےر اِنتےرےسسانتMeans: more interesting
mest interessantSay mehst intehrehssantمےست اِنتےرےسسانتMeans: most interesting
den største byenSay dehn stoeshtuh bueuhnدےن ستوےشتَ بیُاَنMeans: the biggest city

Comparisons to learn by heart

stor – større – størstSay: stoor, stoeruh, stoeshtستُور, ستوےرَ, ستوےشتMeans: big – bigger – biggestbig – bigger – biggest
liten – mindre – minstSay: leetuhn, minnruh, minstلیتَن, مِننرَ, مِنستMeans: small – smaller – smallestsmall – smaller – smallest
god – bedre – bestSay: goo, buhdreh, behstگُو, بَدرے, بےستMeans: good – better – bestgood – better – best
gammel – eldre – eldstSay: gammuhl, ehllruh, ehllstگاممَل, اےللرَ, اےللستMeans: old – older – oldestold – older – oldest
mange – flere – flestSay: manguh, flehruh, flehstمانگَ, فلےرَ, فلےستMeans: many – more – mostmany – more – most
Comparing cities

Bergen er mindre enn Oslo, men det regner mer i Bergen. · Tromsø er den største byen i Nord-Norge. · Hvilken by er eldst, Oslo eller Bergen?

Bergen er mindre enn Oslo, men det regner mer i Bergen.Say barguhn ehr minnruh ehn osloo, mehn deh rainuhr mehr ee barguhn.بارگَن اےر مِننرَ اےن اوسلُو, مےن دے رائنَر مےر ای بارگَن.Means: Bergen is smaller than Oslo, but it rains more in Bergen.
Tromsø er den største byen i Nord-Norge.Say tromsoe ehr dehn stoeshtuh bueuhn ee nornorguh.ترومسوے اےر دےن ستوےشتَ بیُاَن ای نورنورگَ.Means: Tromsø is the biggest city in Northern Norway.
Hvilken by er eldst, Oslo eller Bergen?Say vilkuhn bue ehr ehllst, osloo ehlluhr barguhn?وِلکَن بیُ اےر اےللست, اوسلُو اےللَر بارگَن?Means: Which city is older, Oslo or Bergen?

Say it out loud (45 seconds): Fortell om en by i Norge eller i hjemlandet ditt, og sammenlign den med en annen by.Say: furtehl om ehn bue ee norguh ehlluhr ee yehmlannuht dit, oh sammuhnlingn dehn meh ehn annuhn bue.فُرتےل اوم اےن بیُ ای نورگَ اےللَر ای یےملاننَت دِت, او ساممَنلِنگن دےن مے اےن آننَن بیُ.Means: Talk about a town in Norway or in your home country, and compare it with another town.

A model answer

Jeg bor i Bergen. Bergen er mindre enn Oslo, men jeg synes den er penere, fordi den ligger mellom fjellene og sjøen. Det regner mer her enn i Oslo, så jeg har alltid en paraply i veska.Say: yai boor ee barguhn. barguhn ehr minnruh ehn osloo, mehn yai suenuhs dehn ehr pehnehruh, fordee dehn liguhr mehlloom fyehlluhnuh oh shoeuhn. deh rainuhr mehr hehr ehn ee osloo, soh yai har alteed ehn paraplue ee vehska.یائی بُور ای بارگَن. بارگَن اےر مِننرَ اےن اوسلُو, مےن یائی سیُنَس دےن اےر پےنےرَ, فوردی دےن لِگَر مےللُوم فیےللَنَ او شوےَن. دے رائنَر مےر ہےر اےن ای اوسلُو, سو یائی ہار آلتید اےن پاراپلیُ ای وےسکا.Means: I live in Bergen. Bergen is smaller than Oslo, but I think it is prettier, because it lies between the mountains and the sea. It rains more here than in Oslo, so I always have an umbrella in my bag.

Lesson quiz

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

Quick check: Choose the right form: “Oslo er ___ enn Bergen.”

  1. stor
  2. større
  3. størst
Show the answer

B: større — With enn (than), use the comparative: større.

Quick check: Choose the right form: “Mjøsa er den ___ innsjøen i Norge.”

  1. større
  2. store
  3. største
Show the answer

C: største — With den and the -en ending, the superlative ends in -e: den største.

Quick check: Which list of forms is correct?

  1. god – bedre – best
  2. god – godere – godest
  3. god – bedre – bedst
Show the answer

A: god – bedre – best — god is irregular: bedre, best.

Quick check: What does “ei øy” mean?

  1. a lake
  2. a coast
  3. an island
Show the answer

C: an island — ei øy is an island; øya is the island.

Quick check: What does “Bergen ligger på Vestlandet” tell you?

  1. Bergen is in the north.
  2. Bergen is in the west of Norway.
  3. Bergen is near Sweden.
Show the answer

B: Bergen is in the west of Norway. — vest means west, and Vestlandet is western Norway.

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