Family vocabulary comes up early in Norwegian — when you introduce yourself, at the doctor, at school, in social situations with neighbours and colleagues, and in the Norskprøven oral exam where describing your family is a common task. This guide covers immediate family, extended family, relationships, and useful phrases for talking about your family in Norwegian.
Immediate Family
| Norwegian | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| familie | family | "fah-MEE-lyeh" |
| mor / mamma | mother / mum | mor is formal; mamma is everyday |
| far / pappa | father / dad | far is formal; pappa is everyday |
| foreldre | parents | Always plural |
| barn | child / children | Same word for singular and plural |
| sønn | son | "sønn" |
| datter | daughter | "DAT-ter" |
| bror | brother | "broor" |
| søster | sister | "SØS-ter" |
| søsken | siblings | Collective word for brothers and sisters |
| ektefelle | spouse | Gender-neutral — husband or wife |
| mann | husband | Also means "man" |
| kone | wife | "KOO-neh" |
| partner | partner | Commonly used for unmarried couples |
| kjæreste | boyfriend / girlfriend | Gender-neutral — used for both |
Extended Family
| Norwegian | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bestemor / farmor / mormor | grandmother | farmor = father's mother; mormor = mother's mother |
| bestefar / farfar / morfar | grandfather | farfar = father's father; morfar = mother's father |
| besteforeldre | grandparents | General word |
| barnebarn | grandchild | Literally "child-child" |
| onkel | uncle | "OON-kel" |
| tante | aunt | "TAN-teh" |
| fetter | male cousin | Norwegian distinguishes gender for cousins |
| kusine | female cousin | "koo-SEE-neh" |
| søskenbarn | cousins (general) | Collective term — literally "siblings' children" |
| nevø | nephew | "neh-VØ" |
| niese | niece | "nee-EH-seh" |
| svigermor | mother-in-law | "SVEE-ger-moor" |
| svigerfar | father-in-law | "SVEE-ger-far" |
| svoger | brother-in-law | "SVOO-ger" |
| svigerinne | sister-in-law | "svee-ger-IN-neh" |
| svigerfamilie | in-laws (as a group) | The whole family by marriage |
| slektninger | relatives | Do not say "relativaler" — that is not a Norwegian word |
Talking About Your Family
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Har du søsken? | Do you have siblings? |
| Jeg har en bror og to søstre. | I have one brother and two sisters. |
| Jeg er enebarn. | I am an only child. |
| Har du barn? | Do you have children? |
| Vi har to barn. | We have two children. |
| Jeg er gift / ugift. | I am married / unmarried. |
| Jeg er skilt. | I am divorced. |
| Jeg er enkemann / enke. | I am a widower / widow. |
| Familien min bor i [land]. | My family lives in [country]. |
| Jeg savner familien min. | I miss my family. |
Family in the Norskprøven
The oral Norskprøven frequently includes a task where you describe yourself — your background, where you live, and your family. You should be comfortable saying how many people are in your family, their names, ages, and where they live. A typical answer might be:
"Jeg er gift og har to barn. Sønnen min heter Jonas og er åtte år. Datteren min heter Ida og er fem år. Foreldrene mine bor i Polen, men vi besøker dem hvert år."
(I am married and have two children. My son is called Jonas and is eight years old. My daughter is called Ida and is five years old. My parents live in Poland, but we visit them every year.)
Practice building a version of this for your own family before the exam.