Norwegians mainly speak Norwegian, and English is also widely spoken. Norway also recognizes Sámi as an official language, and Norwegian has two written forms: Bokmål and Nynorsk.

Quick Scoop

  • Main language: Norwegian.
  • Written forms: Bokmål and Nynorsk.
  • Other official language: Sámi in relevant regions and communities.
  • Common second language: English is widely used.

In plain terms

If you hear someone in Norway speaking day-to-day, it will usually be Norwegian, often in a local dialect. In bigger cities and many workplaces, English is commonly understood too.

Tiny example

A simple greeting in Norwegian is “Hallo” or “Hei” , and “Takk” means “thank you”.

TL;DR: Norwegians speak Norwegian, many also speak English, and Sámi is also an official language in Norway.