Småprat, vær og årstider (small talk, weather and seasons)
Starting a conversation, the weather and the four seasons, and when to use da and når.
15 minutes · A free lesson from A2: Hverdagen (everyday life) · Roman and Urdu pronunciation guides and English meanings are shown under each phrase
Small talk
Starting
- Så fint vær i dag!Say: soh fint vaar ee dag!سو فِنت وار ای داگ!Means: What lovely weather today!
- Hvordan var helgen?Say: vordan var hehlguhn?ووردان وار ہےلگَن?Means: How was your weekend?
- Har du hatt en fin dag?Say: har doo hat ehn feen dag?ہار دُو ہات اےن فین داگ?Means: Have you had a nice day?
Keeping it going
- Ja, det var veldig koselig.Say: ya, deh var vehlli koosehli.یا, دے وار وےللِ کُوسےلِ.Means: Yes, it was really nice.
- Hva gjorde du?Say: va yooruh doo?وا یُورَ دُو?Means: What did you do?
- Å, så hyggelig!Say: oh, soh huegehli!او, سو ہیُگےلِ!Means: Oh, how nice!
Ending
- Ha en fin dag!Say: ha ehn feen dag!ہا اےن فین داگ!Means: Have a nice day!
- Vi ses i morgen.Say: vee sehs ee morn.وی سےس ای مورن.Means: See you tomorrow.
- God helg!Say: goo hehlg!گُو ہےلگ!Means: Have a good weekend!
The weather
The seasons are vinter, vår (spring), sommer and høst (autumn). In the north of Norway the sun does not set for weeks in summer, the midnattssol, and in midwinter it does not rise, the mørketid. Talking about the weather is how many Norwegians start a conversation: at the bus stop, at work, in a shop.
| vinter | Say vintuhr | وِنتَر | Means: winter |
| vår | Say vohr | وور | Means: our (with an en or ei word) |
| sommer | Say sommuhr | سوممَر | Means: summer |
| høst | Say hoest | ہوےست | Means: autumn |
| midnattssol | Say midnatssool | مِدناتسسُول | Means: the midnight sun |
| mørketid | Say moerkehteed | موےرکےتید | Means: the polar night, when the sun does not rise |
Both da and når mean "when". Use da for one event in the past: Da jeg kom til Norge, snakket jeg ikke norsk. Use når for the present and the future, and for things that happened again and again: Når det regner, tar jeg bussen. · Når det snødde, gikk vi på ski.
| da | Say da | دا | Means: when (one event in the past); then |
| når | Say nohr | نور | Means: when |
| Da jeg kom til Norge, snakket jeg ikke norsk. | Say da yai kom teel norguh, snakuht yai ikuh noshk. | دا یائی کوم تیل نورگَ, سناکَت یائی اِکَ نوشک. | Means: When I came to Norway, I didn't speak Norwegian. |
| Når det regner, tar jeg bussen. | Say nohr deh rainuhr, tar yai bussuhn. | نور دے رائنَر, تار یائی بُسسَن. | Means: When it rains, I take the bus. |
| Når det snødde, gikk vi på ski. | Say nohr deh snoeduh, yik vee poh shee. | نور دے سنوےدَ, یِک وی پو شی. | Means: Whenever it snowed, we went skiing. |
Ved bussholdeplassen
Sign in to play the recording. The transcript:
- Per: For et vær! Det har regnet hele uka.Say: for eht vaar! deh har rehngnuht hehluh ooka.فور اےت وار! دے ہار رےنگنَت ہےلَ اُوکا.Means: What weather! It has rained all week.
- Zara: Ja, jeg er så lei av regnet. Da jeg kom hit i august, var det sol hver dag.Say: ya, yai ehr soh lai av rehngnuht. da yai kom heet ee owgust, var deh sool vehr dag.یا, یائی اےر سو لائی او رےنگنَت. دا یائی کوم ہیت ای آؤگُست, وار دے سُول وےر داگ.Means: Yes, I am so tired of the rain. When I came here in August, it was sunny every day.
- Per: Ja, i fjor hadde vi en fin høst. Liker du vinteren?Say: ya, ee fyoor haduh vee ehn feen hoest. leekuhr doo vintehruhn?یا, ای فیُور ہادَ وی اےن فین ہوےست. لیکَر دُو وِنتےرَن?Means: Yes, last year we had a nice autumn. Do you like the winter?
- Zara: Nei, ikke så mye. Når det er minus femten grader, vil jeg bare være inne!Say: nai, ikuh soh mueuh. nohr deh ehr meenoos fehmtuhn graduhr, vil yai baruh vaaruh innuh!نائی, اِکَ سو میُاَ. نور دے اےر مینُوس فےمتَن گرادَر, وِل یائی بارَ وارَ اِننَ!Means: No, not much. When it is minus fifteen, I just want to stay indoors!
- Per: Haha, du blir vant til det. Ha en fin dag!Say: haha, doo bleer vant teel deh. ha ehn feen dag!ہاہا, دُو بلیر وانت تیل دے. ہا اےن فین داگ!Means: Haha, you'll get used to it. Have a nice day!
Say it out loud (45 seconds): Snakk om været og årstidene der du bor. Hvilken årstid liker du best, og hvorfor?Say: snak om vaaruht oh oshteedehnuh dehr doo boor. vilkuhn oshteed leekuhr doo behst, oh vorfohr?سناک اوم وارَت او اوشتیدےنَ دےر دُو بُور. وِلکَن اوشتید لیکَر دُو بےست, او وورفور?Means: Talk about the weather and the seasons where you live. Which season do you like best, and why?
A model answer
Der jeg bor, er vinteren lang og kald, og det snør mye. Jeg liker sommeren best, fordi det er lyst nesten hele døgnet, og vi kan gå tur i skogen. Da jeg kom til Norge, var jeg overrasket over hvor lyst det var om natta.Say: dehr yai boor, ehr vintehruhn lang oh kall, oh deh snoer mueuh. yai leekuhr sommehruhn behst, fordee deh ehr luest nehstuhn hehluh doengnuht, oh vee kan goh toor ee skooguhn. da yai kom teel norguh, var yai oovaraskuht oovuhr voor luest deh var om nata.دےر یائی بُور, اےر وِنتےرَن لانگ او کالل, او دے سنوےر میُاَ. یائی لیکَر سوممےرَن بےست, فوردی دے اےر لیُست نےستَن ہےلَ دوےنگنَت, او وی کان گو تُور ای سکُوگَن. دا یائی کوم تیل نورگَ, وار یائی اُوواراسکَت اُووَر وُور لیُست دے وار اوم ناتا.Means: Where I live, the winter is long and cold, and it snows a lot. I like the summer best, because it is light almost day and night, and we can go for walks in the forest. When I came to Norway, I was surprised at how light it was at night.
Lesson quiz
Check what you have learned. Choose an answer to see whether it is right, and why.
Quick check: Choose the right word: “___ jeg kom til Norge, snakket jeg ikke norsk.”
- Når
- Hvis
- Da
Show the answer
C: Da — One event in the past takes da.
Quick check: Choose the right word: “___ det regner, tar jeg bussen.”
- Da
- Når
- Om
Show the answer
B: Når — Something that happens again and again, or now, takes når.
Quick check: What is “mørketid”?
- The time of year when the sun does not rise in the north
- The night after midsummer
- A cloudy autumn day
Show the answer
A: The time of year when the sun does not rise in the north — In midwinter the sun stays below the horizon in northern Norway: mørketid. In summer it is midnattssol.
Quick check: Which phrase ends a conversation?
- Hvordan var helgen?
- Ha en fin dag!
- Hva gjorde du?
Show the answer
B: Ha en fin dag! — Ha en fin dag! means have a nice day.
Quick check: What does “Det blåser mye” mean?
- It is very windy.
- It is raining a lot.
- It is very cold.
Show the answer
A: It is very windy. — å blåse is to blow, so det blåser means it is windy.
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