B1Norwegian

Your First Day at Work

Essential phrases for surviving your first day at a Norwegian workplace, from navigating the office and asking for help to chatting with your new colleagues.

Key Phrases

Voice
Introducing yourself · 2 ways to say it

Hei, jeg heter navn. Jeg har min første arbeidsdag i dag.

casual

Hi, my name is name. I'm having my first day of work today.

A warm, natural way to introduce yourself to teammates.

Hei, jeg er den nye kollegaen deres, navn.

neutral

Hi, I am your new colleague, name.

Good for greeting a group or an entire team.

Asking for locations · 2 ways to say it

Hvor kan jeg finne kaffemaskinen?

casual

Where can I find the coffee machine?

Absolutely essential for surviving any Norwegian office.

Vet du hvor jeg skal sitte, eller hvem jeg bør spørre?

neutral

Do you know where I am supposed to sit, or who I should ask?

Notice the word order in the subordinate clauses after 'hvor' and 'hvem'.

Finding the right person · 2 ways to say it

Hvem er det som fikser IT-problemer her?

casual

Who is it that fixes IT problems here?

A very common, everyday way to ask about responsibilities.

Hvem snakker jeg med hvis jeg mangler tilgang til systemet?

neutral

Who do I talk to if I lack access to the system?

Professional but natural phrasing for a common first-day issue.

Asking about routines · 2 ways to say it

Når pleier folk å spise lunsj?

casual

When do people usually eat lunch?

Great for figuring out the unspoken social schedule.

Er det noen spesielle rutiner som forventes av meg i denne avdelingen?

polite

Are there any special routines that are expected of me in this department?

Uses the -s passive ('forventes'), which is common in formal workplace communication.

Seeking clarification

Kan du vise meg hvordan dette programmet fungerer?

neutral

Can you show me how this program works?

A straightforward request for help with new software.

Asking about colleague's role · 2 ways to say it

Hva driver du med her, egentlig?

casual

What do you actually do here?

The word 'egentlig' (actually) makes it sound very conversational and relaxed.

Hvilke prosjekter er det du jobber mest med?

neutral

What projects do you work with the most?

A great conversation starter for getting to know your coworkers' daily tasks.

Asking about colleague's tenure · 2 ways to say it

Har du jobbet her lenge?

casual

Have you worked here long?

Perfect for quick small talk by the coffee machine.

Hvor lenge har du vært ansatt i bedriften?

neutral

How long have you been employed in the company?

A bit more formal, useful in bigger corporations.

Saying thanks and wrapping up · 2 ways to say it

Tusen takk for at du tar deg tid til å vise meg rundt.

polite

Thank you very much for taking the time to show me around.

A polite way to acknowledge their help before getting to your own work.

Kult, da snakkes vi senere!

casual

Cool, then we'll talk later!

A very common, relaxed way to end a quick chat with a friendly colleague.

Practice Dialogue

New Employee
Hei! Jeg er den nye prosjektlederen. Jeg heter Jens.
Colleague
Hei Jens, velkommen! Jeg er Line. Har du funnet pulten din ennå?
New Employee
Nei, ikke ennå. Vet du hvor jeg skal sitte?
Colleague
Ja, du skal sitte borte ved vinduet, ved siden av IT-avdelingen.
New Employee
Så bra. Hvem snakker jeg med hvis jeg mangler tilgang til PC-en?
Colleague
Da må du spørre Thomas. Han fikser alt som har med IT å gjøre.
New Employee
Fint. Forresten, når pleier folk å spise lunsj her?
Colleague
De fleste spiser rundt halv tolv. Vi pleier å gå ned sammen.
New Employee
Høres bra ut. Tusen takk for at du tar deg tid til å hjelpe meg.
Colleague
Bare hyggelig! Vi sees i lunsjen.

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