Dialogue

Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

In this lesson, we’ll continue to learn more phrases that will help you with basic etiquette. In Norwegian, phrases of gratitude are used often. Even if you don’t get the chance to use berre hyggjeleg, which means “You're welcome,” during your trip to Western Norway, there’s a very big chance you'll hear it. So let’s have a closer look at it!
In Nynorsk the most common way of saying “You’re welcome” is
Berre hyggjeleg.
Let's break it down:
(slow) Ber-re hyg-gje-leg.
Once more:
Berre hyggjeleg.
The word berre means “just” or “only”
(slow) Ber-re.
Berre.
Hyggjeleg means “nice, sweet, lovely.”
(slow) Hyg-gje-leg.
Hyggjeleg.
Literally, this means “just nice,” but it’s translated as the English “You’re welcome.”
All together that’s
(slow) Ber-re hyg-gje-leg.
Berre hyggjeleg.
Another way of responding to someone who thanked you is by saying Det var ingenting. In English this means “it was nothing.”
Let's break it down:
(slow) Det var ing-en-ting.
Once more:
Det var ingenting.
The first word, det, means “it.”
(slow) Det
Det
The second word, var, means “was.”
(slow) Var
Var
The final word, ingenting, means “nothing.”
(slow) Ing-en-ting
Ingenting
All together, that’s
(slow) Det var ing-en-ting.
Det var ingenting.
The two expressions berre hyggjeleg and det var ingenting are used to say “you're welcome” when someone thanks you for doing them a favor.
But if someone thanks you for giving them something, then a different expression is used in Nynorsk:
Ver så god
Let’s break it down:
(slow) Ver så god
Once more:
Ver så god.
The first word, ver, means “be.”
(slow) Ver
Ver
The second word, så, means “so.”
(slow) Så
The final word, god, means “good.”
(slow) God
God
Again, the whole phrase is
(slow) Ver så god.
Ver så god.
Ver så god literally means “be so good,” but of course, in English we would translate it as “you're welcome.”
Remember:
Berre hyggjeleg means “just nice” and is the equivalent of “You're welcome.”
Det var ingenting means “It was nothing.”
Both these expressions are used when someone thanks you for doing them a favor.
The phrase Ver så god means “You're welcome” and is used after giving something.
All of the expressions can be used in any situation, formal or informal, special, or casual.

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