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While English speakers casually "put" things anywhere, Norwegians must choose between three specific verbs—å legge, å sette, and å putte—depending on an object's final position. This episode breaks down this unique linguistic feature with clear examples and memorable rules that will transform your understanding of Norwegian.

You'll discover the clever "creature with a head" technique that helps determine whether an object is "standing" or "lying"—even when it's not obvious. Find out why a plate is considered "standing" even when it appears flat on a table, and why objects can never "sit", only stand or be lying down.

This quirky feature of Norwegian offers more than just grammar knowledge—it provides a window into how language shapes perception.

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Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com

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Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!

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Norway's Constitution Day transforms the entire country into a sea of red, white, and blue flags, joyous celebrations, and the rhythmic march of children's parades. Through this unique listening comprehension episode, you'll get to know "Syttende Mai" (May 17th) while strengthening your Norwegian language skills through carefully crafted repetition and translation.

What makes this episode particularly valuable is its three-part structure. First, you'll hear each Norwegian sentence followed by its English translation and then repeated in Norwegian. Next, the entire text is presented in standard Eastern Norwegian without translations to test your comprehension. Finally, you'll experience the same content in Bergen dialect (Bergensk), exposing you to regional pronunciation differences in an accessible way. The episode concludes with vocabulary practice focusing on some key terms.

Whether you're preparing for your first Syttende Mai celebration or looking to deepen your Norwegian language skills, this immersive listening experience offers both practical vocabulary and cultural understanding. Listen multiple times, challenge yourself to understand more with each repetition, and soon you'll be ready to join in with a hearty "Gratulerer med dagen!" when the big day arrives.

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Do you like the podcast? :)

Feel free to buy me a coffee :)

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This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict.

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Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com

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Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!

norskmedsilje@gmail.com

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Other places to find me:

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Norwegian nouns operate within a three-gender system with unique rules for articles and definiteness that differ significantly from English. We explore how nouns transform when expressing "the" through suffixes rather than separate articles.

• Nouns are words that can have "a" or "the" placed before them in English.
• Norwegian has three grammatical genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter.
• The definite article ("the") is added as a suffix to the end of Norwegian nouns.
• Masculine nouns use "en" and add "-en" for definiteness (en kopp → koppen).
• Feminine nouns use "ei" and add "-a" for definiteness (ei bok → boka).
• Neuter nouns use "et" and add "-et" for definiteness (et hus → huset).
• All feminine nouns can alternatively be treated as masculine if preferred.
• Danish influence explains why feminine forms are considered less formal.
• Plural forms typically add "-er" and "-ene" regardless of gender.
• Short neuter nouns don't change form in the indefinite plural.
• Some nouns (particularly family words) have irregular plural forms.
• The demonstrative "den" (that) is different from the definite article "the".

You can find the transcript of this episode in the description, which might be helpful when following along with the Norwegian examples.

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Do you like the podcast? :)

Feel free to buy me a coffee :)

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This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict.

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Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com

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Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!

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Other places to find me:

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Norwegian's multiple verbs for expressing thoughts and opinions create a fascinating linguistic puzzle for learners. Moving beyond simple translation reveals a rich system for communicating certainty, preference, and reflection with precision.

"Å tro" captures belief and uncertainty – use it when discussing weather predictions or forming opinions about things you haven't directly experienced. It acknowledges there's a verifiable answer, even if you don't know it yet. When you say "Jeg tror kaffe er godt," you're admitting you've never tasted coffee, but have reasons to believe it might be pleasant.

By contrast, "å synes" expresses subjective personal truth. This is your go-to verb for preferences, feelings, and opinions that can't be proven right or wrong. There's a beautiful honesty in saying "Jeg synes demokrati er viktig" – you're sharing your perspective without claiming universal truth. Norwegian doesn't let you use this verb for future events you haven't experienced yet.

"Å tenke" focuses on the actual thinking process – reflection, consideration, having something on your mind. Meanwhile, "å mene" occupies a special position for reasoned opinions you can defend with arguments, and for clarifying your intended meaning.

Ready to test your understanding? Try distinguishing between "Jeg tror norsk er lett" and "Jeg synes norsk er lett" – the difference reveals the clarity these verbs bring to Norwegian expression! :)

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Do you like the podcast? :)

Feel free to buy me a coffee :)

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This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict.

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Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com

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Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!

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Other places to find me:

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Norwegian teacher Silje provides a detailed guide to mastering the challenging KJ sound in Norwegian with three practical techniques and plenty of practice examples. The tutorial includes both the technical aspects of tongue positioning and real-world context about how this sound is evolving in modern Norwegian speech.

• The KJ sound can be written as KJ, K+I, K+Y, and sometimes TJ.
• Unlike English "sh," the KJ sound requires that the tongue lies flat.
• First tip: prolong a K sound and let air pass through while relaxing the tongue.
• Second tip: start with "h" then whisper it,
• Third tip: Avoid associating the KJ sound with the English "sh" sound in your mind.
• Being able to pronounce the sound correctly helps you hear the difference better!

Good luck with your practice! And please tell me how it went!

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Do you like the podcast? :)

Feel free to buy me a coffee :)

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This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict.

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Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com

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Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!

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Other places to find me:

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The Norwegian verb "å pleie" differs significantly from the English "used to" despite seeming like a direct translation. This episode breaks down how to correctly use this verb for habitual actions in Norwegian, avoiding a common mistake made even by native speakers.

• "Å pleie" must always be followed by another verb.
• Unlike English "used to," it can be used in both past and present tense.
• Only appropriate for repeatable habits, not stable states or conditions.
• Test your usage by replacing with "usually" in English – if it sounds natural, you're using it correctly.
• "Pleide" (past tense) for past habits, "pleier" (present tense) for current habits.
• Some sentences can work with or without "å pleie" depending on whether you want to emphasize the habitual nature.

Try making your own sentences with "å pleie" in the comments, and I'll let you know how you did!

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Do you like the podcast? :)

Feel free to buy me a coffee :)

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This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict.

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Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com

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Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!

norskmedsilje@gmail.com

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Other places to find me:

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Norwegian grammar appears intimidating at first glance but actually offers surprising simplicity in many areas compared to other languages. This episode provides essential knowledge about Norwegian grammar patterns and pronunciation features that will help beginners understand key language mechanics.

• Norwegian verb conjugation is straightforward with only two main past tenses and no changes based on subject
• Nouns have three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter), but you can simplify by treating feminine nouns as masculine
• Definite articles ("the") attach to the end of nouns rather than appearing as separate words
• Word order follows strict rules with verbs (almost) always in second position (called inversion).
• Prepositions often don't translate directly from English.
• Norwegian has three additional letters (Æ, Ø, Å) and several letters pronounced differently than in English
• Advanced pronunciation includes compound word stress patterns and tonal distinctions (tonems).

All of these subjects will be treated more in detail in further episodes, stay tuned!

Support the show

Do you like the podcast? :)

Feel free to buy me a coffee :)

buymeacoffee.com/thenorwegianpuzzle

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This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict.

....

Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com

....

Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!

norskmedsilje@gmail.com

....

Other places to find me:

www.norsk-med-silje.com

www.facebook.com/norskmedsilje

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www.linkedin.com/in/silje-linn-moss

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Learning Norwegian and just discovering my podcast?

In this episode you'll learn a bit about me and the concept behind my podcast!

Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions :)

Lykke til med å lære norsk :)

Good luck learning Norwegian :)

Support the show

Do you like the podcast? :)

Feel free to buy me a coffee :)

buymeacoffee.com/thenorwegianpuzzle

....

This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict.

....

Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com

....

Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!

norskmedsilje@gmail.com

....

Other places to find me:

www.norsk-med-silje.com

www.facebook.com/norskmedsilje

www.instagram.com/norskmedsilje

www.linkedin.com/in/silje-linn-moss