# Norwegian: at sea level near the beach



## Grefsen

In response to the question "*Bor du i fjellene?"* (Do you live in the mountains?), I would like to give the following reply:

No, I live at sea level near the beach.

Here is my attempt:

Nei, jeg bor ved havnivå i nærheten av stranden.


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## kirsitn

I would say "Nei, jeg bor nede ved havet". (No, I live down by the sea.)


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## Grefsen

kirsitn said:


> I would say "Nei, jeg bor nede ved havet". (No, I live down by the sea.)


Tusen takk for det *kirsitn!* 

I would still like to know how to write "sea level" *på norsk*.


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## kirsitn

Sea level is havnivå, but it's mostly used as a noun (stigende/synkende havnivå) and not as a "place".


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## Grefsen

kirsitn said:


> Sea level is havnivå, but it's mostly used as a noun (stigende/synkende havnivå) and not as a "place".


Tusen takk for det!

So how would I write the following *på norsk?*

I live near the ocean, but my house is up on a small hill that is about 50 meters above sea level.

Here is my attempt:

Jeg bor nær havet, men huset mitt er opp på en liten bakke som er ca. 50 meter over havnivå.


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## kirsitn

Nearly correct. I would say "Jeg bor nær havet, men huset mitt ligger på en liten haug (eller topp) som er ca 50 meter over havet."


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## basslop

In geograpfic terminology the English *above mean sea level (asl)* corresponds to the Norwegian *meter over havet (moh)*. Formerly *høyde over havet (hoh)* was used. In daily speech both are still used. Linguistically the mean concept is not in the Norwegian term. However for this terminolgy the more unprecise *havet* is defined as  *midlere normalvannstand *(literally: mean normal  sea level).


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## Grefsen

Tusen takk for hjelpen *Kirsitn* og *basslop!* 



basslop said:


> In geograpfic terminology the English *above mean sea level (asl)* corresponds to the Norwegian *meter over havet (moh)*. Formerly *høyde over havet (hoh)* was used. In daily speech both are still used. Linguistically the mean concept is not in the Norwegian term. However for this terminolgy the more unprecise *havet* is defined as  *midlere normalvannstand *(literally: mean normal  sea level).


I recall having seen this abbreviation *moh* before so thanks to you, the next time I see it, I will actually know what it stands for.


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## j0nas

kirsitn said:


> I would say "Nei, jeg bor nede ved havet". (No, I live down by the sea.)



I would've said "Nei, jeg bor nede ved sjøen." 

"Sjøen" is something familiar, "havet" is something vast, unknown and distant.


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## kirsitn

j0nas said:


> I would've said "Nei, jeg bor nede ved sjøen."
> 
> "Sjøen" is something familiar, "havet" is something vast, unknown and distant.



Hehe, I'm originally from the North, so there the sea is both familiar and vast. ;-)


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## basslop

To me havet is the ocean only (salt water at 0m amsl) while sjøen could also be large inland lakes. The word sjøen is actually a bit ambiguous in Norwegian.


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## Grefsen

Velkommen til nordiske språkforumet *j0nas* og takk for hjelpen!   


j0nas said:


> I would've said "Nei, jeg bor nede ved sjøen."
> 
> "Sjøen" is something familiar, "havet" is something vast, unknown and distant.


Thanks for making the distinction between the use of *"sjøen"* and *"havet." * In my particular case since I live near the Pacific Ocean, would it be correct if I wrote the following reply to the original question *"Bor du i fjellene?"* 

Nei, jeg bor nede ved Pacific-havet.


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## kirsitn

Grefsen said:


> Nei, jeg bor nede ved Pacific-havet.
> [/COLOR]



The Pacific = Stillehavet - otherwise the sentence is correct.


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## Grefsen

kirsitn said:


> The Pacific = Stillehavet - otherwise the sentence is correct.


"*Takk,"* but now I'm a little embarrassed that I didn't even know the Norwegian name for this huge body of water that is less than 5 km from my house.


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