50 Norwegian Workplace Phrases You Need on Your First Day

Starting a new job in Norway when your Norwegian is still developing is uncomfortable. Conversations move fast, people use informal language, and asking someone to repeat themselves three times feels embarrassing. This guide gives you the 50 phrases that come up most often in Norwegian workplaces — so you can handle the basics with confidence from day one.

Each phrase is written in standard Bokmål. Pronunciation notes are included where English speakers commonly struggle.

Greetings and everyday openers

#	Norwegian	English	Note
1	Hei	Hi	Standard greeting, used all day — not just in the morning
2	God morgen	Good morning	Used in the morning; switch to "hei" after roughly 9–10am — varies by workplace
3	Hvordan går det?	How's it going?	"Vor-dan gor deh" — very common opener
4	Bare bra, takk	Just fine, thanks	The standard response to #3
5	Ha en god dag	Have a good day	Said when leaving or when someone else is leaving
6	Ha det bra	Take care / Goodbye	Casual farewell; often shortened to just "ha det"
7	Vi ses i morgen	See you tomorrow	"Vi ses" = "we'll see each other"
8	God helg	Have a good weekend	Said on Fridays; you will hear this every single Friday

Introducing yourself

#	Norwegian	English	Note
9	Jeg heter [navn]	My name is [name]	"Yai hay-ter" — the most important sentence you'll say
10	Jeg er ny her	I'm new here	Signals that people should be patient with you
11	Jeg jobber i [avdeling]	I work in [department]	"avdeling" = department
12	Hyggelig å møte deg	Nice to meet you	"Hüg-lig å mø-teh day"
13	Jeg er fra [land]	I'm from [country]	People will ask. Have this ready.
14	Jeg lærer meg norsk	I'm learning Norwegian	Says a lot — Norwegians appreciate the effort

Asking for help and clarification

These are the most important phrases for a new employee. Use them freely — asking for clarification is professional, not a sign of weakness.

#	Norwegian	English	Note
15	Kan du hjelpe meg?	Can you help me?	Always appropriate to ask
16	Jeg forstår ikke	I don't understand	Say this early, not after nodding along for five minutes
17	Kan du si det igjen?	Can you say that again?	Polite way to ask for repetition
18	Kan du snakke litt saktere?	Can you speak a bit slower?	Most Norwegians will happily slow down
19	Hva betyr [ord]?	What does [word] mean?	Useful in meetings when a term is unfamiliar
20	Kan du skrive det ned?	Can you write that down?	Especially useful for names, addresses, numbers
21	Hvem skal jeg spørre om dette?	Who should I ask about this?	Navigate the organisation by asking this directly
22	Er det sånn man gjør det her?	Is that how it's done here?	Shows awareness that every workplace has its own way

Meetings and scheduling

#	Norwegian	English	Note
23	Har du et øyeblikk?	Do you have a moment?	"øyeblikk" = moment, literally "eye blink"
24	Kan vi ta et møte?	Can we have a meeting?	"møte" = meeting, pronounced "mø-teh"
25	Når passer det for deg?	When works for you?	Standard scheduling phrase
26	Jeg er opptatt akkurat nå	I'm busy right now	Direct and perfectly polite
27	Vi møtes klokken to	We meet at two o'clock	Replace "to" with your time
28	Møterommet er opptatt	The meeting room is occupied	"møterom" = meeting room
29	Hva er agendaen?	What is the agenda?	Same word, borrowed from Latin

Tasks and work

#	Norwegian	English	Note
30	Jeg jobber med dette	I'm working on this	Use to signal you're on it
31	Jeg er ferdig med [oppgaven]	I'm done with [the task]	"ferdig" = done/finished
32	Jeg trenger mer tid	I need more time	Say this before the deadline, not after
33	Hva er fristen?	What is the deadline?	"frist" = deadline
34	Kan du sjekke dette?	Can you check this?	"sjekke" is borrowed from English "check"
35	Kan du sende meg [filen]?	Can you send me [the file]?	"fil" = file
36	Jeg sender det i dag	I'll send it today	Good for setting expectations
37	Det er klart	It's ready / It's done	Short and to the point

Lunch and breaks

#	Norwegian	English	Note
38	Skal du ta pause?	Are you taking a break?	An invitation to take a break together
39	Skal vi spise lunsj sammen?	Shall we have lunch together?	Good for building early workplace relationships
40	Jeg tar en kort pause	I'm taking a short break	Signal to colleagues you'll be back
41	Hva spiser du til lunsj?	What are you having for lunch?	Classic small talk — Norwegians often bring food from home
42	Kantina er i [etasje]	The canteen is on [floor]	"kantine" = canteen/cafeteria

Absences and practical situations

#	Norwegian	English	Note
43	Jeg er syk i dag	I'm sick today	Call or message your manager before your shift starts
44	Jeg kommer litt sent	I'll be a bit late	Always communicate this in advance
45	Jeg jobber hjemmefra i dag	I'm working from home today	"hjemmefra" = from home
46	Kan jeg ta fri [dag]?	Can I take [day] off?	"fri" = time off
47	Hvor er toalettet?	Where is the toilet?	"toalett" — you will need this on day one

Positive responses and social phrases

#	Norwegian	English	Note
48	Takk for hjelpen	Thanks for the help	Use this freely — it's appreciated
49	Bra jobba!	Good job! / Well done!	Slightly informal but commonly used
50	Det er ingen sak	No problem / It's nothing	The standard response to "takk" in informal settings

One thing most people get wrong

When you don't understand something, many people nod along rather than ask for clarification. In Norwegian workplaces, this backfires quickly — tasks get done wrong, misunderstandings build up, and colleagues assume you understood when you didn't.

Phrases 16–22 are the most important in this list. Use them confidently. Norwegians generally prefer directness to polite confusion.

Why Norwegians switch to English — and how to stop them

If your Norwegian is limited, colleagues will often switch to English the moment they sense you're struggling. This is well-intentioned but counterproductive for your learning.

When someone switches to English, you can respond in Norwegian and gently signal that you want to keep the conversation in Norwegian: "Jeg foretrekker å snakke norsk" (I prefer to speak Norwegian). Most colleagues will respect this.

Want to build beyond these basics? Learning set phrases gets you started, but fluency in workplace Norwegian requires a more systematic approach. NorwegianClass101 has audio lessons built around exactly these kinds of everyday situations. For focused speaking practice with a Norwegian tutor, iTalki lets you book sessions with native speakers who can help you practise workplace conversations directly.

Next steps

Print or save this list and review it before your first week. Focus on the greeting phrases (1–8) and the help-seeking phrases (15–22) first — those will carry you through the most common situations.

As your Norwegian improves, the goal is to move from memorised phrases to actual conversational ability. That takes time, but starting with these 50 phrases gives you a working foundation from day one.