The language spoken in Norway is Norwegian, a North Germanic language with two official written standards: Bokmal, used by roughly 85% of the population, and Nynorsk, used by about 15%. Norwegian is the mother tongue of around 5.4 million people, and the country also recognises several Sami languages as co-official in parts of the north. English is spoken fluently almost everywhere, making Norway one of the easiest countries in Europe for visitors to navigate.
Norwegian: One Spoken Language, Two Written Forms
Norwegian belongs to the North Germanic branch of the Indo-European family, alongside Swedish, Danish, Icelandic, and Faroese. What makes it unusual is not how it sounds but how it is written. Norway has two officially sanctioned written standards, both taught in schools, used by the government, and printed in newspapers.
Bokmal, meaning "book language," is the dominant form. It grew out of the Danish-influenced writing used during Norway's long union with Denmark and is favoured in cities and across eastern Norway. Nynorsk, or "new Norwegian," was assembled in the 1800s from rural dialects and is most common in western Norway. Crucially, there is no single "spoken Norwegian"; people speak their local dialect and then choose a written standard. Dialects vary so much that a speaker from Bergen and one from Tromso may sound quite different, yet both are simply speaking Norwegian.
Where Bokmal and Nynorsk Came From
For more than four centuries, from 1380 to 1814, Norway was governed in union with Denmark, and Danish became the language of administration, the church, and literature. When Norway gained greater independence in the 19th century, two competing visions of a national language emerged.
One camp gradually "Norwegianised" the Danish-based written language, producing what became Bokmal. The other followed the linguist Ivar Aasen, who travelled the country on foot in the 1840s and 1850s, recording the grammar and vocabulary of rural dialects he considered closer to Old Norse. From this fieldwork he constructed Landsmal, later renamed Nynorsk. The two forms still carry cultural weight: Bokmal is linked with urban, eastern Norway, while Nynorsk is tied to rural and coastal identity. Today every public agency must respond to citizens in whichever form they use, and pupils study both during their schooling.
The Sami Languages of the North
Norway is also home to indigenous Sami languages, which are completely unrelated to Norwegian. They belong to the Uralic (Finno-Ugric) family, making them distant relatives of Finnish and Hungarian rather than of the Germanic tongues. Northern Sami is the largest, with roughly 15,000 speakers in Norway, and is co-official in several municipalities in the far north.
Smaller Sami languages such as Lule Sami and Southern Sami have far fewer speakers and are considered endangered, prompting revitalisation efforts in schools, media, and place-naming. Sami place names appear on road signs across the northern counties, and the Sami Parliament in Karasjok works to protect the languages as part of Sami cultural heritage. Kven, a Finnic minority language spoken near the Finnish border, is also officially recognised.
English and Other Languages in Daily Life
English proficiency in Norway is among the highest in the world. It is taught from the early years of primary school, and Norwegian television and cinema usually subtitle English-language content rather than dubbing it, so people are exposed to spoken English from childhood. Travellers can comfortably ask directions, order food, and handle transport entirely in English.
Immigration has added further linguistic diversity, with sizeable communities speaking Polish, Lithuanian, Urdu, Arabic, Somali, and other languages. German, French, and Spanish are common second foreign languages in schools. If you want to greet locals in their own tongue, a few phrases go a long way: Hei (hello), Takk (thank you), Ja and Nei (yes and no), Snakker du engelsk? (Do you speak English?), and Hvor mye koster det? (How much does it cost?).
To put the language in its wider context, you can explore the country's geography, regions, and culture in our norway country guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Norwegian the same as Swedish and Danish?
No, but they are closely related. Speakers of Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish can often understand one another with some effort, a feature known as Scandinavian mutual intelligibility. Norwegian tends to sit in the middle, sharing much vocabulary with Danish and a pronunciation closer to Swedish.
What is the difference between Bokmal and Nynorsk?
They are two written standards of the same spoken language. Bokmal descends from the Danish-influenced written form and is used by about 85% of Norwegians, while Nynorsk was built from rural dialects and is used by around 15%. Both are official and taught in schools.
Can I get by in Norway with only English?
Yes. English is very widely spoken, especially among younger people and in cities and tourist areas. Signs, menus, and transport information are frequently available in English, so visitors rarely struggle to communicate.
How many people speak Norwegian?
Norwegian is spoken by roughly 5.4 million people, the vast majority of them in Norway, along with Norwegian communities abroad and people learning it as a second language.