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Lesson Transcript

Jasmine: Hi, everyone! All About series lesson 15: the top 5 Norwegian phrases from the hosts!
Filip: Yes, these are phrases that we chose! We chose phrases that we find useful or interesting and that are used a lot in Norwegian.
Jasmine: That's right. So Filip, what's our first phrase?
Filip: "Hvordan går det?"
Jasmine: And what does it mean?
Filip: It means, "How are you doing?"
Jasmine: Do you hear this phrase often?
Filip: Every day. It's normal, a casual phrase.
Jasmine: Is it slang?
Filip: No. It's a little too casual for a business meeting but is very normal for conversation.
Jasmine: So it's kind of like "How ya doin'?" instead of, "How are you?"
Filip: Yes, pretty much.
Jasmine: What's our next phrase?
Filip: "Går bra."
Jasmine: And what does this mean?
Filip: Literally? "I'm well," but we use it like "I'm good."
Jasmine: Do you hear this very often?
Filip: Every day. The full phrase is "Det går bra" and that's what you'd learn from a textbook but no one ever says that in normal conversation. It's always shortened.
Jasmine: Really? That's good to know. What's our next phrase?
Filip: "Hvor" Which means…
Jasmine: "Where."
Filip: "Hvor" is a short, concise, and easy to use sentence.
Jasmine: It appears in the textbooks too, but it is a very practical phrase and should always be included in a Norwegian course.
Filip: "Hvor" is used every day.
Jasmine: What's our next phrase?
Filip: "Sånn er det."
Jasmine: Which means?
Filip: Uhhh that´s a tough one…
Jasmine: Come on Filip you can do it. Give it a try.
Filip: Uhhh…I guess it means "Like that it is?"
Jasmine: Sounds good to me. "Sånn er det” is pretty easy to understand when you see someone using it but is extremely hard to define.
Filip: And people use it all the time. It's used mostly as a filler and it's like saying "yes" without actually agreeing. Like when you don't know what to say. Or when you don't agree with what someone said but you don't want to be disagreeable.
Jasmine: Exactly. And remember, it's a kind thing to say so don't get worked up if someone says that to you.
Filip: Right.
Jasmine: What's our last vocabulary word?
Filip: "Sikkert."
Jasmine: I love this word.
Filip: Really? Why?
Jasmine: It's such an easy word to use and it dismisses all kinds of conversation. Say if you are watching a movie. And someone asks a question like, "Isn't that person actually that person," or something like that.
Filip: Ah, you answer "Sikkert." And the person asking will shut their mouth afterwards, right!?
Jasmine: Yes, it dismisses any sort of conversation you don't want.
Filip: But then again, aren't we here to teach people conversation?
Jasmine: Well, "Sikkert."
Filip: Oh, by the way, "Sikkert" means, "Sure." So we don't confuse you.
Jasmine: Yes. It is much like the English "sure." But that doesn't mean you can use it exactly like "sure."
Filip: Why?
Jasmine: Well, if someone asks you, "Are you driving?" you cannot answer with "Sikkert."
Filip: Good point! Answering "sikkert" means that you agree with the question but aren't really sure of the correct answer. Sort of.
Jasmine: It might be a bit hard to get how to use it first. But don't worry, you'll hear many people use it. Gradually incorporate it into your own Norwegian as well.
Filip: So there you have it! Five phrases that we find really useful that we have now passed on to you! Try using them the next time you have a conversation in Norwegian!
Jasmine: You know this is also the end of our All About series!
Filip: That's right. Thanks for joining us everyone! Make sure you come to NorwegianPod101.com and check out our other lessons, like our Basic Boot Camp, Absolute Beginner, Pronunciation, or Survival Phrases series.
Jasmine: See you next time!
Filip: Bye!

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