NONorwegian · Norsk

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Learn Norwegian free in your browser — 80 lessons from A1 to B2, with flashcards and pronunciation practice. No subscription, no download.

Start learning Norwegian free →26 languages · A1–B2 · no sign-up
Lesson 1
hei
héi
hello

Why learn Norwegian with Langula?

Your key to all of Scandinavia

Linguistically, Norwegian sits between Swedish and Danish. Once you know it, you can often understand spoken Swedish and written Danish with ease—one language gives you access to three Nordic countries.

Clear Bokmål from day one

Norwegian has two written standards. Langula consistently teaches Bokmål—the most widely used form by far—so you can focus on one clear standard that is understood everywhere and easily make sense of Nynorsk later.

Targeted pitch-accent practice

The Norwegian tonelag distinguishes otherwise identical words through melody alone. Langula’s pronunciation scoring shows you in real time whether your pitch pattern is right, making Norwegian’s distinctive sing-song quality easy to hear and grasp.

en, ei or et? No more guessing

Norwegian has three genders, and there is rarely an obvious way to tell which one a noun belongs to. Langula’s Leitner flashcards repeatedly bring back the exact nouns you misclassify until their gender is firmly fixed in your memory.

Familiar vocabulary, a faster start

hus, bok, vann, komme—as a German speaker, you will recognize countless Norwegian words instantly. The A1 lessons make the most of this Germanic connection, helping you progress from your very first hour.

Free through B2—with certificates

All 80 lessons, the Leitner flashcards, and pronunciation scoring are available at no cost and without an account. At the end of every CEFR level, you earn a certificate to mark your achievement.

How it works

1

Pick your language

Norwegian is preselected — add your source language and go.

2

Short daily lessons

5–20 minutes a day: new words plus due reviews.

3

Pronunciation & progress

Repeat aloud, watch your streak and unlock badges.

Your first Norwegian words

After the very first lesson you can greet people and say thank you.

hei
héi
hello
ha det
ha-dé
goodbye
god morgen
gu-mór-gen
good morning
god kveld
gu-kvéll
good evening

From A1 to B2 — your structured learning path

Here is how your journey is built: four CEFR levels, 80 lessons. Each lesson teaches 20 new words and 6 example sentences — flashcards and pronunciation practice lock them in before the next level unlocks.

4CEFR levels · A1–B2
80lessons · 20 per level
26words & sentences per lesson
A1
Alphabet & Essentials · Beginner
Lessons 1–20
Learn the 29-letter alphabet with æ, ø and å, practice the front rounded vowels y, ø and u, and master the soft kj and skj sounds. Get your first introduction to pitch accent and the three-gender system (en/ei/et). Learn the suffixed definite article (bok → boka), numbers, greetings, and simple V2 sentences for everyday situations.
After this you can
greet people and introduce yourself
ask about numbers, time and prices
order something in a café
ask and answer simple questions
A2
Everyday Life & Routines · Elementary
Lessons 21–40
Handle shopping, travel, and everyday conversations in Norwegian. Practice past-tense forms (preteritum and perfektum with har), modal verbs (kan, vil, skal, må), adjective agreement (fin/fint/fine), and double definiteness (den store byen). Reinforce pitch patterns in common words and refine the distinction between kj and skj.
After this you can
talk about family, work and hobbies
go shopping and ask for directions
tell stories in the past
make appointments and arrange to meet
B1
Communicate Independently · Intermediate
Lessons 41–60
Express opinions, experiences, and plans. Master subordinate-clause word order (the ikke rule), relative clauses with som, the s-passive and bli-passive, comparatives and superlatives, and your first phrasal verbs. Understand news articles and simple literature, and use the linguistic similarities to make sense of Swedish and Danish texts.
After this you can
express and justify your opinion
travel alone and solve problems
report on experiences and plans
roughly follow films and podcasts
B2
Fluent & Nuanced · Advanced
Lessons 61–80
Communicate spontaneously about abstract and professional topics. Use complex phrasal verbs (slå på, huske på), formal and informal registers, idioms, and discourse markers. Read newspapers and fiction with ease, follow Norwegian media across its many dialects, and produce well-structured argumentative texts with a near-native tone.
After this you can
follow long discussions effortlessly
express yourself spontaneously and fluently
use Norwegian at work
understand complex texts and news
Your goal: fluent in everyday life
Level B2 complete — including a PDF certificate for every level you reach.
Start at A1 →

Learn more languages

Learn Norwegian — free and at your own pace

Norwegian is the native language of around 5 million people and is therefore spoken by almost the entire population of Norway. Geographically and linguistically, it sits right at the heart of Scandinavia—and that is its greatest appeal: if you know Norwegian, you can understand spoken Swedish almost effortlessly and read Danish texts with little difficulty. Of the three mainland Scandinavian languages, Norwegian is the best bridge: learn it, and you also open the door to two more Nordic cultures.

What surprises learners most is that Norwegian has two equally recognized written standards. Bokmål, which developed from Danish, is used by around 85 to 90 percent of people—it is the language of cities, newspapers, and books. Nynorsk, by contrast, was deliberately created from rural dialects in the 19th century. There is no standard spoken form at all: on the radio, on television, at university, and even in parliament, everyone speaks their local dialect. Norwegian’s distinctive sound comes from its musical pitch accent (tonelag), with two melodic patterns, as well as the letters æ, ø and å.

Norwegian’s accessibility is reflected in the well-known classification by the US Foreign Service Institute: it estimates around 600 to 750 hours to reach professional working proficiency, placing Norwegian in the easiest category—alongside Dutch. This is due to the close relationship between the Germanic languages: nouns have no cases, word order follows the familiar verb-second pattern, and a huge proportion of the basic vocabulary resembles German. The real challenge is the sound—the melody of sentences and sounds such as kj and skj. With daily study, B1 is usually within reach after six to nine months, and B2 after just over a year.

That is where Langula comes in. Right in your browser, you say every word aloud and get instant feedback—for example, on whether your kj sounds soft enough and whether the pitch pattern is right; your audio recording never leaves your device. Norwegian’s three genders (en, ei, et) simply have to be memorized, so Langula uses a five-box Leitner system: anything you frequently confuse comes back more often until it sticks. Across 80 progressive Bokmål lessons, you move step by step from your first sounds to phrasal verbs—free, with no account required, on your phone or computer, and with a CEFR certificate at the end of every level.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Bokmål and Nynorsk?
Norwegian has two official written standards. Bokmål (“book language”) developed from Danish and is used by around 85 to 90 percent of Norwegians—it is the form used in major cities and by most newspapers and books. Nynorsk (“New Norwegian”) was created from rural dialects in the 19th century. Both have equal status, but Bokmål is the clear starting point for learners: Langula teaches Bokmål consistently, so you will be understood everywhere.
Is Norwegian difficult to learn?
For German speakers, Norwegian is one of the most accessible foreign languages of all. The US Foreign Service Institute places it in the easiest learning category and estimates only around 600 to 750 hours to reach professional working proficiency. Nouns without cases, verbs without personal endings, and closely related vocabulary make it easy to get started. The challenge is not the grammar but the sound—the melody of sentences and the kj and skj sounds.
Does Norwegian really have tones?
Yes, it has a two-pattern pitch accent (tonelag). As in Swedish, two pitch patterns distinguish otherwise identical words—a well-known example is “bønder” (farmers) versus “bønner” (beans). It is not a tonal system like Mandarin, but rather a melodic pattern that gives Norwegian its distinctive sing-song quality. Langula’s pronunciation scoring helps you practice both pitch patterns.
Why do Norwegians speak dialect on television?
Because Norwegian has no official spoken standard. Unlike in many countries, it is completely normal to speak your local dialect on television, in parliament, and at work. This can sound confusing to learners at first, but it is also enriching: with Langula, you learn clear Bokmål as your foundation and gradually become accustomed to the vibrant range of dialects used in Norwegian media.
How many genders and cases does Norwegian have?
Traditional Bokmål has three genders—masculine (en), feminine (ei), and neuter (et)—although many speakers are allowed to treat feminine nouns as masculine. Nouns have practically no case system, apart from a possessive -s. That makes Norwegian considerably easier than German. The tricky part is that noun gender is hard to predict—which is exactly what Langula’s Leitner flashcards are designed to help you master.
Does Norwegian help you understand Swedish and Danish?
Yes—more than any other Scandinavian language. Norwegian largely shares its vocabulary with Danish and its pronunciation and melody with Swedish. That is why Norwegians often understand both of their neighbors better than the other two understand each other. Learning Norwegian gives you a major head start in understanding Swedish and Danish too—ideal if you want to explore all of Scandinavia.

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