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Norwegian · A2

På telefonen: avtaler og beskjeder (phone calls)

Booking, moving and cancelling an appointment, leaving a message, and spelling your name.

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

On the phone

Starting

Appointments

When you do not understand

Messages

Norwegians usually say a phone number in pairs: 40 12 34 56 is førti, tolv, trettifire, femtiseks. To spell a name, they often use a name for each letter: K som i Karin, A som i Anna.

førti, tolv, trettifire, femtiseksSay foertee, tol, trehteefeeruh, fehmteesehksفوےرتی, تول, ترےتیفیرَ, فےمتیسےکسMeans: forty, twelve, thirty-four, fifty-six
K som i KarinSay koh soom ee kareenکو سُوم ای کارینMeans: K as in Karin
A som i AnnaSay aa soom ee annaآ سُوم ای آنناMeans: A as in Anna

Words for calls and appointments

en timeSay: ehn teemuhاےن تیمَMeans: an appointmentan appointmentJeg har time hos tannlegen klokka to.Say: yai har teemuh hoos tanlehguhn kloka too.یائی ہار تیمَ ہُوس تانلےگَن کلوکا تُو.Means: I have a dentist's appointment at two.
å avlyseSay: oh avluesuhاو آولیُسَMeans: to cancelto cancelJeg må avlyse timen i morgen.Say: yai moh avluesuh teemuhn ee morn.یائی مو آولیُسَ تیمَن ای مورن.Means: I have to cancel the appointment tomorrow.
å flytteSay: oh fluetuhاو فلیُتَMeans: to move (house)to move (an appointment)Kan vi flytte møtet til fredag?Say: kan vee fluetuh moetuht teel frehda?کان وی فلیُتَ موےتَت تیل فرےدا?Means: Can we move the meeting to Friday?
en beskjedSay: ehn buhshehdاےن بَشےدMeans: a messagea messageHun er ikke her. Vil du legge igjen en beskjed?Say: hoon ehr ikuh hehr vil doo lehguh iyuhn ehn buhshehd?ہُون اےر اِکَ ہےر وِل دُو لےگَ اِیَن اےن بَشےد?Means: She isn't here. Would you like to leave a message?
å ringe tilbakeSay: oh ringuh tilbakuhاو رِنگَ تِلباکَMeans: to call backto call backJeg ringer deg tilbake om en time.Say: yai ringuhr dai tilbakuh om ehn teemuh.یائی رِنگَر دائی تِلباکَ اوم اےن تیمَ.Means: I'll call you back in an hour.
å staveSay: oh stavuhاو ستاوَMeans: to spellto spellHvordan staver du etternavnet ditt?Say: vordan stavuhr doo ehtarnavnuht dit?ووردان ستاوَر دُو اےتارناونَت دِت?Means: How do you spell your surname?

Barnet er sykt

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Say it out loud (40 seconds): Ring tannlegen og flytt timen din. Si hvem du er, når timen er, og når det passer bedre.Say: ring tanlehguhn oh fluet teemuhn deen. see vehm doo ehr, nohr teemuhn ehr, oh nohr deh passuhr buhdreh.رِنگ تانلےگَن او فلیُت تیمَن دین. سی وےم دُو اےر, نور تیمَن اےر, او نور دے پاسسَر بَدرے.Means: Call the dentist and move your appointment. Say who you are, when the appointment is, and when would suit you better.

A model answer

Hei, dette er Kamran Ali. Jeg har time hos dere på mandag klokka ni, men jeg må dessverre flytte den. Passer det på onsdag i stedet, gjerne etter klokka tolv?Say: hai, dehtuh ehr kamran alee. yai har teemuh hoos dehruh poh manna kloka nee, mehn yai moh dehssvaruh fluetuh dehn. passuhr deh poh onsda ee stehduh, yarnuh ehtuhr kloka tol?ہائی, دےتَ اےر کامران الی. یائی ہار تیمَ ہُوس دےرَ پو ماننا کلوکا نی, مےن یائی مو دےسسوارَ فلیُتَ دےن. پاسسَر دے پو اونسدا ای ستےدَ, یارنَ اےتَر کلوکا تول?Means: Hello, this is Kamran Ali. I have an appointment with you on Monday at nine, but unfortunately I need to move it. Would Wednesday suit instead, preferably after twelve?

Lesson quiz

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

Quick check: How do Norwegians usually say the phone number 40 12 34 56?

  1. Digit by digit only
  2. In pairs: førti, tolv, trettifire, femtiseks
  3. As one big number
Show the answer

B: In pairs: førti, tolv, trettifire, femtiseks — Phone numbers are said in pairs.

Quick check: What does “å avlyse” mean?

  1. to cancel
  2. to book
  3. to move
Show the answer

A: to cancel — Jeg må dessverre avlyse: unfortunately I have to cancel.

Quick check: Which phrase asks someone to speak more slowly?

  1. Kan du stave det?
  2. Kan jeg legge igjen en beskjed?
  3. Kan du snakke litt saktere?
Show the answer

C: Kan du snakke litt saktere? — saktere means more slowly.

Quick check: What does “Hva feiler det henne?” mean?

  1. Where is she?
  2. What is wrong with her?
  3. When is she coming?
Show the answer

B: What is wrong with her? — A common way to ask what illness someone has.

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