Making Small Talk
These phrases will help you comfortably navigate small talk in Norwegian, from asking about weekends and work to naturally exiting a conversation.
Key Phrases
Hei! Hvordan går det med deg for tiden, har du mye å gjøre?
casualHey! How are things with you lately, do you have a lot to do?
Common with coworkers you know well.
God morgen! Hvordan står det til med deg i dag?
neutralGood morning! How are things with you today?
A safe, standard greeting for colleagues and acquaintances.
Ikke så verst, jeg har bare slappet av fordi jeg var skikkelig sliten.
casualNot too bad, I have just been relaxing because I was really tired.
Use 'skikkelig' (really/properly) in informal contexts instead of 'veldig'.
Det går helt greit, men jeg har hatt ganske mye å gjøre i det siste.
neutralThings are going fine, but I have had quite a lot to do lately.
A polite way to say you are busy without sounding overwhelmed.
For et drittvær vi har fått, jeg håper at det snart slutter å regne.
casualWhat crappy weather we've gotten, I hope it stops raining soon.
Norwegians love to complain about 'drittvær' (crap weather), but keep it out of formal meetings.
Det er utrolig fint vær ute, vi er jammen heldige som endelig har sol.
neutralIt is incredibly nice weather out, we are certainly lucky to finally have sun.
'Jammen' is a great discourse marker to add light emphasis (surely/certainly).
Gjorde du noe gøy i helgen, eller var du bare hjemme og slappet av?
casualDid you do anything fun this weekend, or were you just at home relaxing?
A very standard Monday-morning conversation starter.
Har du hatt en fin helg siden sist vi snakket sammen?
neutralHave you had a nice weekend since we last spoke?
Slightly more structured; great for colleagues you don't work with every day.
Går det bra med det nye prosjektet som du driver med på jobben?
neutralIs it going well with the new project that you are doing at work?
Shows active interest in what the other person is currently working on.
Hvordan trives du egentlig i den nye avdelingen som du har byttet til?
politeHow do you actually like the new department that you have switched to?
A warm, respectful way to ask about someone's new role or situation.
Har du fortsatt tid til å trene, selv om du jobber så mye for tiden?
neutralDo you still have time to work out, even though you are working so much lately?
You can replace 'trene' (work out) with any other hobby they have mentioned before.
Å ja, ikke sant! Det høres jo ut som at dere har hatt det gøy.
casualOh yeah, right! It sounds like you guys have had fun.
'Ikke sant' literally means 'not true', but is used constantly to mean 'right?' or 'I agree'.
Så spennende, du må fortelle meg mer om hvordan det egentlig fungerer.
neutralHow exciting, you have to tell me more about how that actually works.
An excellent phrase for showing active listening and encouraging the speaker.
Uansett, jeg må nesten stikke nå, men vi snakkes sikkert litt senere i uka!
casualAnyway, I almost have to head out now, but we will probably talk later in the week!
'Må nesten stikke' is the classic Norwegian casual exit phrase.
Vel, jeg burde vel egentlig komme meg tilbake til pulten min for å jobbe videre.
neutralWell, I suppose I should really get back to my desk to keep working.
Use 'vel' (well) as a soft transition out of a conversation.
Det var veldig hyggelig å snakke med deg, men jeg skal i et møte nå.
politeIt was very nice speaking with you, but I am going to a meeting now.
A polite, unarguable reason for ending the conversation.