# Norwegian:  Use of English during conversations



## Grefsen

I have traveled to Norway a total of 10 times and have been to Norway each of the past two years, but had a gap of over 4 1/2 years when I did not travel to Norway. During the time from October 1999 to May  2005, one of the biggest changes I noticed in everyday Norwegian conversation was the use of English expressions.  

It really struck me one evening when I went out to dinner with a friend up at Ekeberg on a beautiful summer night   at the end of June 2005.  I happened to overhear several conversations at other tables that were probably over 90% Norwegian, but it really surprised me to hear English used as often as it was especially for emphasis at times or even as a punchline to a joke. 

I would be interested to know if other native speaking Norwegians have noticed an increase in the use of English intheir  everyday conversations with fellow Norwegians.  Perhaps too this is something that I just happened to notice while I was in Oslo because that is where I spent almost all of my time during my last two trips to Norway.  For the record, in 2005 I lived in Nordstrand for almost the entire month of June (I was also out on the island of Hankø the last three days of May) and then last fall I lived in Grefsen for 3 1/2 weeks.  Since this trip was mainly a "fotball" vacation I also spent a lot of time at or around Ullevål Stadion and Bislett as well.


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## Aleco

Cool  I live right next to Hankø 

But yes, English expressions are stratign to get really common...
What kind fo expressiosn did you hear - any examples?

I've started to use other more "Norwegianized" words, instead of English or international words like tanks > panservogn, even though it's not used much....


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## Setwale_Charm

I had the same experience in Iceland.


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## Grefsen

Aleco said:


> Cool  I live right next to Hankø



When I arrived at Gardemoen at the end of May 2005, I spent one night in Oslo and then took the train to Fredrikstad the next morning.  Unfortunately it was early Sunday afternoon and there were no buses running so it was a bit of an expensive taxi ride to where I ended up catching the ferry boat to Hankø.  

I was working as a journalist and stayed for three days at the fjordhotel where the Norwegian Women's National Team was training in preparation for Euro 2005.  I attended all of their training sessions, and did lots of great interviews and ended up having a wonderful time there.  



Aleco said:


> But yes, English expressions are stratign to get really common...
> What kind fo expressiosn did you hear - any examples?



One expression that I remember in particular was "Thank you very much!"  That night I was at the Ekeberg Restaurant everyone was speaking Norwegian around me so fast that I really wasn't even attempting to understand any of the other coversations.  At the table right next to us, there was a group of around 8 and one person was speaking in Norwegian and then suddenly she says "Thank you very much!" and everyone starts laughing at the table. 

The next time I go to Norway I will have to pay closer attention to the English that is used and make a few notes.  I'd be interested to know from those of you living in Norway if there are some other English words and expressions besides "bye-bye" or "thank you  very much" that are becoming more commonly used in typical Norwegian conversations.


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## Grefsen

Setwale_Charm said:


> I had the same experience in Iceland.



Just out of curiosity, have you been to Iceland several times and if so, was there a noticeable increase in the amount of English used during your last trip there?


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## Christhiane

I sometimes tend to have conversations wholly in English with my friends, but I don't mix the languages all that much.

*Around Oslo:*
For one thing English curse-words are widely used, especially the f-word, not so nice names on girls, etc. you get my drift.
Whatever
Boo-ya
Yeah, right
Yay
Party
Whoohoo
Wham! (I think)
Shut up!


*
Some words have found a place in Norwegian such as:*
Jogge (to jog)
Jazz
Juice
Gear... 
But for an exhaustive list on more formal words with suggestions for Norwegian words go here.

I personally tend to use 'whatever, man,' 'dude' 'no way,' 'yahoo.'


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## Grefsen

Christhiane said:


> I sometimes tend to have conversations wholly in English with my friends, but I don't mix the languages all that much.
> 
> *Around Oslo:*
> For one thing English curse-words are widely used, especially the f-word, not so nice names on girls, etc. you get my drift.
> Whatever
> *Boo-ya*
> Yeah, right
> Yay
> Party
> Whoohoo
> *Wham!* (I think)
> Shut up!
> 
> 
> *
> Some words have found a place in Norwegian such as:*
> Jogge (to jog)
> Jazz
> Juice
> Gear...
> But for an exhaustive list on more formal words with suggestions for Norwegian words go here.
> 
> I personally tend to use 'whatever, man,' 'dude' 'no way,' 'yahoo.'



"Tusen takk" for your English lists  *Christhiane*.    I don't recall ever hearing a few of the words you have listed as being used around Oslo, but that probably has more to do with the fact that I am over 30 and so are most of the friends I spend time with while I am in Oslo.  

The only time I have ever heard *boo-ya* used here in the U.S. was on television and I don't recall ever hearing *wham!* used by itself - I have mainly heard it used as part of the not so nice  "wham bam thank-you mam"  expression.  I'm also curious to know what context  *wham!* is typically used in when you have heard it said in Oslo?


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## Christhiane

Grefsen said:


> "Tusen takk" for your English lists  *Christhiane*.    I don't recall ever hearing a few of the words you have listed as being used around Oslo, but that probably has more to do with the fact that I am over 30 and so are most of the friends I spend time with while I am in Oslo.
> 
> The only time I have ever heard *boo-ya* used here in the U.S. was on television and I don't recall ever hearing *wham!* used by itself - I have mainly heard it used as part of the not so nice  "wham bam thank-you mam"  expression.  I'm also curious to know what context  *wham!* is typically used in when you have heard it said in Oslo?



Hm.... Maybe it wasjust my friends that used 'wham,' then. Although, I think I recall having heard it used in the sense that you run into things at great spead, e.g. 'and I like wham into the car.' However, when words are borrowed they often tend to change slightly. 

Also, my friends also used 'boo-ya' a great deal, and I think my little siser nad her friends use it, too.

And today I read 'and by the way.'


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## Grefsen

Christhiane said:


> Hm.... Maybe it wasjust my friends that used 'wham,' then. Although, I think I recall having heard it used in the sense that you run into things at great spead, e.g. 'and I like wham into the car.' However, when words are borrowed they often tend to change slightly.



Here's the link for some definitions of 'wham' in something called the Urban Dictionary:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Wham




> A flexible word, can be a sound, or a verb, usually having to do with a hitting action.
> 1) as a sound: "...all of a sudden, WHAM!, my mom was on fire..."


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## Aleco

Grefsen said:


> One expression that I remember in particular was "Thank you very much!"  That night I was at the Ekeberg Restaurant everyone was speaking Norwegian around me so fast that I really wasn't even attempting to understand any of the other coversations.  At the table right next to us, there was a group of around 8 and one person was speaking in Norwegian and then suddenly she says "Thank you very much!" and everyone starts laughing at the table.
> 
> The next time I go to Norway I will have to pay closer attention to the English that is used and make a few notes.  I'd be interested to know from those of you living in Norway if there are some other English words and expressions besides "bye-bye" or "thank you  very much" that are becoming more commonly used in typical Norwegian conversations.



Thank you very much? Sounds like they were making fun of that line in English, or maybe a joke? I can't imagine that people would start using that line - especially since most people can't pronounce the TH (THe or THing).

And "Whatever" is the only English word used around here + 'Duh!'...


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## Grefsen

Aleco said:


> Thank you very much? Sounds like they were making fun of that line in English, or maybe a joke? I can't imagine that people would start using that line - especially since most people can't pronounce the TH (THe or THing).



Yes, in this case I'm quite sure that this English expression was used as part of a joke.  I might add too that it was apparently quite effective since everyone at the other table was laughing.  

That is interesting what you wrote about the "TH" sound.  I'd hadn't really given that much thought before, but do you think there is a tendency for Norwegians to pronounce English words like "THing" more like "Ting?"


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## Lemminkäinen

Grefsen said:


> That is interesting what you wrote about the "TH" sound.  I'd hadn't really given that much thought before, but do you think there is a tendency for Norwegians to pronounce English words like "THing" more like "Ting?"



As we don't have the sound in Norwegian, I'd think there's a tencdency to pronounce the voiced variant as 'd' (the -> de) and the unvoiced as 't' (thing -> ting), yes.


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## Christhiane

Lemminkäinen said:


> As we don't have the sound in Norwegian, I'd think there's a tencdency to pronounce the voiced variant as 'd' (the -> de) and the unvoiced as 't' (thing -> ting), yes.



Although, I think more and more people are able to pronounce it these days.

I asked my sisters what words they used. I found 'sweety' 'ILU (I love you),' 'I don't know,' 'I know,' 'Thank you,' and 'I hate you.' As a joke 'LOL' and 'Oh, my good (or OMG)' might be used.   

The oldest of the two said she hardly every use any English words in her speach, but not a minute later while arguing with the youngest a small 'ever' slipped in.


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## Grefsen

Christhiane said:


> I asked my sisters what words they used. I found 'sweety' 'ILU (I love you),' 'I don't know,' 'I know,' 'Thank you,' and 'I hate you.' As a joke 'LOL' and 'Oh, my good (or OMG)' might be used.


 
So do your sisters actually say ILU, LOL, and OMG or do you mean that they use these abbreviations only in emails and SMSs?   I just thought I would let you know too that the most popular use for OMG  is as an abbreviation for 'Oh My God.'  It is also used as an abbreviation for 'One Man Gang' and 'Oh My Goodness' too, but those uses aren't nearly as popular as it is for 'Oh My God.'


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## Christhiane

Grefsen said:


> So do your sisters actually say ILU, LOL, and OMG or do you mean that they use these abbreviations only in emails and SMSs?   I just thought I would let you know too that the most popular use for OMG  is as an abbreviation for 'Oh My God.'  It is also used as an abbreviation for 'One Man Gang' and 'Oh My Goodness' too, but those uses aren't nearly as popular as it is for 'Oh My God.'




The ILU is mainly in chat, but my sister uses LOL and OMG (only short of 'oh, my god') as a joke in conversation.


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## Grefsen

Christhiane said:


> The ILU is mainly in chat, but my sister uses LOL and OMG (only short of 'oh, my god') as a joke in conversation.



So when your sister uses LOL and OMG in conversation, does she actually spell the abbreviations out and say "L-O-L" and "O-M-G" emphasizing each letter?   I actually don't think I have ever heard anyone else do this in the U.S. before.


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## Grefsen

Christhiane said:


> I sometimes tend to have conversations wholly in English with my friends, but I don't mix the languages all that much.
> 
> *Around Oslo:*
> For one thing English curse-words are widely used, especially the f-word, not so nice names on girls, etc. you get my drift.



Norway's best female golfer, Suzann Pettersen, was back in the news here in the U.S. on Sunday when she "gave away" what should have been a victory in a major golf tournament:

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/sports/article1721509.ece

Pettersen (aka "Tutta") got lots of media attention here in the U.S. for all of the wrong reasons when she dropped the "F-Bomb" during a "live" interview on NBC sports 4 1/2 years ago.   

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/sports/article404520.ece

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/sports/article405284.ece?service=print


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