Lenguia | 1000 Most Common Norwegian Words with Audio

Why these 1,000 words matter

Norwegian vocabulary is astonishingly top-heavy: the 100 most frequent words make up about half of everything you will ever hear or read, and the top 1,000 cover roughly 85% of everyday speech. Learn these first and most sentences around you turn from noise into language.

The list below is ranked by how often each word actually occurs in spoken Norwegian — dictionary forms, with concise English translations, the part of speech, the CEFR level at which learners typically meet the word, and audio for every word in a female and a male voice. Show the top 250, 500 or all 1,000, and flip to A–Z when you want to look something up.

#	Word	Translation	Part of speech	Level
1	og	and	conjunction	A1
2	i	in	preposition	A1
3	det	it; that	pronoun	A1
4	er	is; are	verb	A1
5	som	who; which; that (rel.)	pronoun	A1
6	en	a; an; one	article	A1
7	på	on; at	preposition	A1
8	til	to	preposition	A1
9	å	to (infinitive marker)	particle	A1
10	han	he	pronoun	A1
11	av	of; off	preposition	A1
12	for	for; because	preposition	A1
13	med	with	preposition	A1
14	at	that (conj.)	conjunction	A1
15	jeg	I	pronoun	A1
16	et	a; an (neuter)	article	A1
17	den	it; that (common)	pronoun	A1
18	ikke	not	particle	A1
19	om	about; if	preposition	A1
20	de	they	pronoun	A1
21	var	was; were	verb	A1
22	seg	himself; herself; themselves	pronoun	A1
23	så	so; then	adverb	A1
24	vi	we	pronoun	A1
25	men	but	conjunction	A1
26	du	you (singular)	pronoun	A1
27	kan	can; is able to	verb	A1
28	være	to be	verb	A1
29	ha	to have	verb	A1
30	ble	became; got	verb	A1
31	hun	she	pronoun	A1
32	fra	from	preposition	A1
33	vil	will; wants to	verb	A1
34	sin	his; her; its (own)	determiner	A1
35	ett	one (neuter)	number	A1
36	her	here	adverb	A1
37	meg	me	pronoun	A1
38	også	also; too	adverb	A1
39	da	then; when	adverb	A1
40	ved	by; at; near	preposition	A1
41	bli	to become; to get	verb	A1
42	skal	shall; will; is going to	verb	A1
43	over	over; above	preposition	A1
44	etter	after	preposition	A1
45	få	to get; to receive	verb	A1
46	denne	this (common)	determiner	A1
47	noen	some; any; someone	determiner	A1
48	sa	said	verb	A1
49	gjøre	to do; to make	verb	A1
50	nå	now	adverb	A1
51	mot	against; towards	preposition	A1
52	komme	to come	verb	A1
53	når	when	conjunction	A1
54	ut	out	adverb	A1
55	gå	to go; to walk	verb	A1
56	må	must; has to	verb	A1
57	se	to see; to look	verb	A1
58	ta	to take	verb	A1
59	opp	up	adverb	A1
60	god	good	adjective	A1
61	ville	to want to; would	verb	A1
62	kunne	to be able to; could	verb	A1
63	år	year	noun	A1
64	ja	yes	interjection	A1
65	to	two	number	A1
66	si	to say	verb	A1
67	ned	down	adverb	A1
68	oss	us	pronoun	A1
69	inn	in; into	adverb	A1
70	ny	new	adjective	A1
71	mye	much; a lot	adverb	A1
72	under	under; below	preposition	A1
73	bare	only; just	adverb	A1
74	eller	or	conjunction	A1
75	ingen	no one; none	determiner	A1
76	hva	what	pronoun	A1
77	dag	day	noun	A1
78	skulle	should; was going to	verb	A1
79	hvor	where; how	adverb	A1
80	tid	time	noun	A1
81	enn	than	conjunction	A1
82	mann	man; husband	noun	A1
83	sitt	his; her; its (own, neuter)	determiner	A1
84	visst	apparently; certainly	adverb	A2
85	der	there	adverb	A1
86	hvis	if; whose	conjunction	A1
87	annen	other; another	determiner	A1
88	stor	big; large	adjective	A1
89	hele	the whole; entire	determiner	A1
90	tre	three; tree	number	A1
91	vite	to know	verb	A1
92	gang	time; occasion	noun	A1
93	mer	more	adverb	A1
94	nei	no	interjection	A1
95	hos	at (someone's); with	preposition	A2
96	gi	to give	verb	A1
97	alt	everything; all	pronoun	A1
98	hvordan	how	adverb	A1
99	siden	since; ago	preposition	A2
100	ligge	to lie; to be located	verb	A1
101	del	part; portion	noun	A1
102	liten	small; little	adjective	A1
103	stå	to stand	verb	A1
104	mange	many	determiner	A1
105	tro	to believe; to think	verb	A2
106	noe	something; anything	pronoun	A1
107	begge	both	determiner	A2
108	sette	to set; to put	verb	A1
109	finne	to find	verb	A1
110	hånd	hand	noun	A1
111	gjennom	through	preposition	A2
112	barn	child	noun	A1
113	kvinne	woman	noun	A1
114	sist	last; latest	adjective	A1
115	holde	to hold; to keep	verb	A1
116	liv	life	noun	A1
117	bit	piece; bit	noun	A2
118	føle	to feel	verb	A1
119	sende	to send	verb	A1
120	land	country; land	noun	A1
121	igjen	again; left (remaining)	adverb	A1
122	sted	place	noun	A1
123	ganske	quite; rather	adverb	A2
124	ankomme	to arrive	verb	B1
125	ord	word	noun	A1
126	dere	you (plural)	pronoun	A1
127	hvem	who	pronoun	A1
128	både	both (…and)	conjunction	A2
129	siste	the last; the final	adjective	A1
130	hus	house	noun	A1
131	lang	long	adjective	A1
132	tenke	to think	verb	A1
133	hver	each; every	determiner	A1
134	dette	this (neuter)	determiner	A1
135	flere	several; more	determiner	A2
136	kalle	to call; to name	verb	A1
137	godt	well; good	adverb	A1
138	seks	six	number	A1
139	gammel	old	adjective	A1
140	mor	mother	noun	A1
141	nokså	fairly; rather	adverb	B1
142	far	father	noun	A1
143	hvorfor	why	adverb	A1
144	øye	eye	noun	A1
145	begynne	to begin; to start	verb	A1
146	vaske	to wash	verb	A1
147	vann	water	noun	A1
148	fire	four	number	A1
149	natt	night	noun	A1
150	bra	good; fine	adjective	A1
151	dårlig	bad; poor	adjective	A1
152	fem	five	number	A1
153	verden	world	noun	A1
154	lite	little; not much	adverb	A1
155	hjem	home	noun	A1
156	aldri	never	adverb	A1
157	snakke	to talk; to speak	verb	A1
158	menneske	human being; person	noun	A1
159	kvitt	rid (of); quits	adjective	B2
160	arbeid	work; labour	noun	A2
161	forestille	to imagine; to represent	verb	B1
162	flink	clever; skilled; good at	adjective	A2
163	ingenting	nothing	pronoun	A1
164	hjelpe	to help	verb	A1
165	penger	money	noun	A1
166	spørre	to ask	verb	A1
167	ung	young	adjective	A1
168	plass	space; room; square	noun	A1
169	jo	indeed (particle)	particle	A2
170	vei	road; way	noun	A1
171	bruke	to use	verb	A1
172	venn	friend	noun	A1
173	jobb	job	noun	A1
174	fram	forward; forth	adverb	A2
175	egen	own	determiner	A2
176	lese	to read	verb	A1
177	dør	door	noun	A1
178	time	hour; lesson	noun	A1
179	snart	soon	adverb	A1
180	fortelle	to tell	verb	A1
181	minutt	minute	noun	A1
182	skrive	to write	verb	A1
183	deg	you (object)	pronoun	A1
184	selv	self; even	pronoun	A1
185	sammen	together	adverb	A1
186	imot	against; opposed	preposition	B1
187	ansikt	face	noun	A1
188	gutt	boy	noun	A1
189	jente	girl	noun	A1
190	døgn	day and night; 24 hours	noun	B1
191	trenge	to need	verb	A2
192	ryke	to smoke; to break	verb	B2
193	setning	sentence	noun	B1
194	ennå	still; yet	adverb	A2
195	tekst	text	noun	A2
196	ute	outside; out	adverb	A1
197	inne	inside; indoors	adverb	A1
198	hode	head	noun	A1
199	kjenne	to know; to feel	verb	A1
200	bok	book	noun	A1
201	uttrykk	expression; phrase	noun	B2
202	alltid	always	adverb	A1
203	mellom	between; among	preposition	A2
204	kjøpe	to buy	verb	A1
205	foran	in front of; before	preposition	A2
206	spise	to eat	verb	A1
207	drikke	to drink	verb	A1
208	morgen	morning; tomorrow	noun	A1
209	kveld	evening	noun	A1
210	uke	week	noun	A1
211	måned	month	noun	A1
212	klokke	clock; watch; bell	noun	A1
213	sitte	to sit	verb	A1
214	bo	to live; to reside	verb	A1
215	bil	car	noun	A1
216	by	city; town	noun	A1
217	sekund	second	noun	A2
218	sju	seven	number	A1
219	åtte	eight	number	A1
220	ni	nine	number	A1
221	ti	ten	number	A1
222	hundre	hundred	number	A1
223	tusen	thousand	number	A1
224	første	first	number	A1
225	andre	second; others	number	A1
226	ferdig	finished; ready	adjective	A1
227	åpne	to open	verb	A1
228	lukke	to close; to shut	verb	A1
229	vanskelig	difficult	adjective	A1
230	lett	easy; light	adjective	A1
231	viktig	important	adjective	A1
232	riktig	correct; right	adjective	A1
233	feil	wrong; mistake	noun	A1
234	takk	thanks	interjection	A1
235	unnskyld	sorry; excuse me	interjection	A1
236	hei	hi; hello	interjection	A1
237	kanskje	maybe; perhaps	adverb	A1
238	kaffe	coffee	noun	A1
239	mat	food	noun	A1
240	melk	milk	noun	A1
241	brød	bread	noun	A1
242	fisk	fish	noun	A1
243	kjøtt	meat	noun	A1
244	frukt	fruit	noun	A2
245	eple	apple	noun	A1
246	kjøkken	kitchen	noun	A1
247	rom	room	noun	A1
248	bord	table	noun	A1
249	stol	chair	noun	A1
250	seng	bed	noun	A1
251	vindu	window	noun	A1
252	gulv	floor	noun	A1
253	vegg	wall	noun	A1
254	leilighet	apartment; flat	noun	A2
255	skole	school	noun	A1
256	lære	to learn; to teach	verb	A1
257	lærer	teacher	noun	A1
258	elev	pupil; student	noun	A2
259	student	student	noun	A1
260	språk	language	noun	A1
261	forstå	to understand	verb	A1
262	svare	to answer; to reply	verb	A1
263	spørsmål	question	noun	A1
264	svar	answer	noun	A1
265	navn	name	noun	A1
266	familie	family	noun	A1
267	bror	brother	noun	A1
268	søster	sister	noun	A1
269	sønn	son	noun	A1
270	datter	daughter	noun	A1
271	foreldre	parents	noun	A2
272	kone	wife	noun	A2
273	gift	married	adjective	A2
274	elske	to love	verb	A1
275	like	to like	verb	A1
276	glad	happy; glad	adjective	A1
277	lei	sad; tired of	adjective	A2
278	redd	afraid; scared	adjective	A1
279	sint	angry	adjective	A1
280	trøtt	tired	adjective	A1
281	syk	ill; sick	adjective	A1
282	frisk	healthy; fresh	adjective	A2
283	lege	doctor	noun	A1
284	sykehus	hospital	noun	A2
285	kropp	body	noun	A1
286	arm	arm	noun	A1
287	bein	leg; bone	noun	A1
288	fot	foot	noun	A1
289	hår	hair	noun	A1
290	munn	mouth	noun	A1
291	øre	ear	noun	A1
292	nese	nose	noun	A1
293	tann	tooth	noun	A2
294	hjerte	heart	noun	A1
295	blod	blood	noun	A2
296	klær	clothes	noun	A1
297	sko	shoe	noun	A1
298	bukse	trousers; pants	noun	A2
299	skjorte	shirt	noun	A2
300	jakke	jacket	noun	A2
301	kle	to dress; to clothe	verb	B1
302	farge	colour	noun	A1
303	rød	red	adjective	A1
304	blå	blue	adjective	A1
305	grønn	green	adjective	A1
306	gul	yellow	adjective	A1
307	svart	black	adjective	A1
308	hvit	white	adjective	A1
309	brun	brown	adjective	A2
310	grå	grey	adjective	A2
311	vær	weather	noun	A1
312	sol	sun	noun	A1
313	regn	rain	noun	A1
314	snø	snow	noun	A1
315	vind	wind	noun	A2
316	sky	cloud	noun	A2
317	kald	cold	adjective	A1
318	varm	warm; hot	adjective	A1
319	himmel	sky; heaven	noun	A2
320	sommer	summer	noun	A1
321	vinter	winter	noun	A1
322	vår	spring	noun	A1
323	høst	autumn; fall	noun	A1
324	natur	nature	noun	A2
325	fjell	mountain	noun	A1
326	skog	forest	noun	A1
327	sjø	sea; lake	noun	A1
328	elv	river	noun	A2
329	strand	beach	noun	A2
330	blomst	flower	noun	A1
331	dyr	animal	noun	A1
332	hund	dog	noun	A1
333	katt	cat	noun	A1
334	hest	horse	noun	A1
335	fugl	bird	noun	A2
336	ku	cow	noun	A2
337	reise	to travel; journey	verb	A1
338	kjøre	to drive	verb	A1
339	fly	to fly; airplane	verb	A1
340	tog	train	noun	A1
341	buss	bus	noun	A1
342	båt	boat	noun	A2
343	sykkel	bicycle	noun	A2
344	gate	street	noun	A1
345	butikk	shop; store	noun	A1
346	marked	market	noun	A2
347	betale	to pay	verb	A1
348	koste	to cost	verb	A1
349	kostbar	expensive; precious	adjective	B1
350	billig	cheap	adjective	A2
351	pris	price	noun	A2
352	krone	krone (currency)	noun	A2
353	nummer	number	noun	A1
354	telefon	telephone	noun	A1
355	ringe	to call; to ring	verb	A1
356	melding	message	noun	A2
357	brev	letter	noun	A2
358	bilde	picture; image	noun	A1
359	film	film; movie	noun	A1
360	musikk	music	noun	A1
361	sang	song	noun	A2
362	synge	to sing	verb	A2
363	spille	to play	verb	A1
364	lek	game; play	noun	A2
365	ball	ball	noun	A2
366	idrett	sport	noun	A2
367	løpe	to run	verb	A1
368	hoppe	to jump	verb	A2
369	svømme	to swim	verb	A2
370	danse	to dance	verb	A2
371	sove	to sleep	verb	A1
372	våkne	to wake up	verb	A2
373	vekke	to wake someone; to awaken	verb	B1
374	legge	to lay; to put down	verb	A1
375	hvile	to rest	verb	A2
376	lande	to land	verb	B1
377	møte	to meet; meeting	verb	A1
378	besøke	to visit	verb	A2
379	vente	to wait	verb	A1
380	starte	to start; to launch	verb	A2
381	slutte	to stop; to quit	verb	A1
382	prøve	to try	verb	A1
383	klare	to manage; to cope	verb	A2
384	rekke	to reach; to manage in time	verb	B1
385	huske	to remember	verb	A1
386	glemme	to forget	verb	A1
387	vise	to show	verb	A1
388	høre	to hear	verb	A1
389	lytte	to listen	verb	A2
390	smake	to taste	verb	A2
391	lukte	to smell	verb	A2
392	røre	to touch; to stir	verb	A2
393	kaste	to throw	verb	A2
394	bære	to carry	verb	A2
395	dra	to go; to pull	verb	A1
396	flytte	to move	verb	A2
397	falle	to fall	verb	A2
398	stoppe	to stop	verb	A1
399	åpen	open	adjective	A1
400	lukket	closed; shut	adjective	A2
401	full	full; drunk	adjective	A1
402	tom	empty	adjective	A2
403	ren	clean; pure	adjective	A2
404	skitten	dirty	adjective	A2
405	moderne	modern	adjective	A2
406	tung	heavy	adjective	A2
407	sterk	strong	adjective	A2
408	svak	weak	adjective	A2
409	høy	high; tall; loud	adjective	A1
410	lav	low	adjective	A2
411	bred	wide; broad	adjective	A2
412	smal	narrow	adjective	A2
413	rask	fast; quick	adjective	A2
414	langsom	slow	adjective	A2
415	fin	fine; nice	adjective	A1
416	pen	pretty; good-looking	adjective	A1
417	stygg	ugly	adjective	A2
418	snill	kind; nice	adjective	A1
419	slem	mean; naughty	adjective	A2
420	morsom	funny; amusing	adjective	A2
421	kjedelig	boring	adjective	A2
422	interessant	interesting	adjective	A2
423	spennende	exciting	adjective	A2
424	farlig	dangerous	adjective	A2
425	trygg	safe; secure	adjective	A2
426	mulig	possible	adjective	A2
427	umulig	impossible	adjective	A2
428	sann	true	adjective	A2
429	falsk	false; fake	adjective	B1
430	sikker	sure; certain	adjective	A2
431	usikker	unsure; uncertain	adjective	B1
432	nok	enough; probably	adverb	A1
433	litt	a little; a bit	adverb	A1
434	veldig	very	adverb	A1
435	ofte	often	adverb	A1
436	sjelden	rarely; seldom	adverb	A2
437	iblant	sometimes; occasionally	adverb	B1
438	allerede	already	adverb	A2
439	fortsatt	still	adverb	A2
440	straks	immediately	adverb	B1
441	umiddelbart	right away; at once	adverb	B2
442	endelig	finally; at last	adverb	A2
443	plutselig	suddenly	adverb	A2
444	muligens	possibly	adverb	B1
445	sikkert	surely; certainly	adverb	A2
446	egentlig	actually; really	adverb	A2
447	nesten	almost; nearly	adverb	A2
448	omtrent	approximately; about	adverb	B1
449	akkurat	exactly; just	adverb	A2
450	særlig	especially; particularly	adverb	B1
451	spesielt	especially	adverb	A2
452	heller	rather; either	adverb	A2
453	heldigvis	fortunately	adverb	B1
454	dessverre	unfortunately	adverb	A2
455	derfor	therefore; so	adverb	A2
456	likevel	still; nevertheless	adverb	A2
457	altså	thus; so; that is	adverb	A2
458	nemlig	namely; you see	adverb	B1
459	dessuten	besides; moreover	adverb	B1
460	uansett	anyway; regardless	adverb	B1
461	forresten	by the way	adverb	B1
462	fordi	because	conjunction	A1
463	ettersom	since; as (reason)	conjunction	B1
464	dersom	if; in case	conjunction	B1
465	mens	while	conjunction	A2
466	før	before	preposition	A1
467	etterpå	afterwards	adverb	A2
468	uten	without	preposition	A1
469	trass	defiance; in spite of	noun	B2
470	ifølge	according to	preposition	B1
471	blant	among	preposition	B1
472	rundt	around	preposition	A2
473	bak	behind	preposition	A2
474	innenfor	within; inside	preposition	B1
475	langs	along	preposition	B1
476	nær	near; close	preposition	A2
477	hjelp	help	noun	A1
478	problem	problem	noun	A1
479	løsning	solution	noun	B1
480	grunn	reason; ground	noun	A2
481	sak	matter; case; thing	noun	A2
482	ting	thing	noun	A1
483	greie	thing; gadget	noun	B1
484	måte	way; manner	noun	A2
485	mening	opinion; meaning	noun	A2
486	tanke	thought	noun	A2
487	idé	idea	noun	A2
488	håp	hope	noun	A2
489	håpe	to hope	verb	A1
490	ønske	to wish; wish	verb	A2
491	drøm	dream	noun	A2
492	drømme	to dream	verb	A2
493	føre	to lead; to drive	verb	A2
494	følge	to follow; to accompany	verb	A2
495	dukke	to duck; to appear	verb	B2
496	delta	to take part; to participate	verb	B1
497	velge	to choose	verb	A2
498	bestemme	to decide	verb	A2
499	mene	to mean; to think	verb	A2
500	anbefale	to recommend	verb	B1
501	lure	to wonder; to trick	verb	A2
502	undre	to wonder	verb	B1
503	oppleve	to experience	verb	B1
504	oppdage	to discover	verb	B1
505	skje	to happen	verb	A2
506	hende	to happen; to occur	verb	B1
507	passe	to fit; to suit; to watch	verb	A2
508	gjelde	to apply; to concern	verb	B1
509	bety	to mean	verb	A2
510	handle	to act; to shop	verb	A2
511	lage	to make	verb	A1
512	bygge	to build	verb	A2
513	skape	to create	verb	B1
514	ødelegge	to destroy; to ruin	verb	B1
515	reparere	to repair; to fix	verb	B1
516	endre	to change; to alter	verb	B1
517	forandre	to change	verb	B1
518	utvikle	to develop	verb	B2
519	øke	to increase	verb	B1
520	minke	to decrease	verb	B2
521	vokse	to grow	verb	A2
522	vinne	to win	verb	A2
523	tape	to lose	verb	A2
524	miste	to lose (drop)	verb	A2
525	vinner	winner	noun	B1
526	kamp	match; fight	noun	A2
527	lag	team; layer	noun	A2
528	gruppe	group	noun	A2
529	medlem	member	noun	B1
530	samling	gathering; collection	noun	B1
531	fest	party	noun	A2
532	feire	to celebrate	verb	B1
533	gave	gift; present	noun	A2
534	ferie	holiday; vacation	noun	A2
535	jul	Christmas	noun	A2
536	bursdag	birthday	noun	A2
537	gjest	guest	noun	B1
538	nabo	neighbour	noun	A2
539	folk	people	noun	A1
540	befolkning	population	noun	B2
541	samfunn	society	noun	B2
542	regjering	government	noun	B2
543	stat	state	noun	B1
544	lov	law; permission	noun	A2
545	rett	right; court; dish	noun	A2
546	rettighet	right; entitlement	noun	B2
547	plikt	duty; obligation	noun	B2
548	ansvar	responsibility	noun	B1
549	makt	power	noun	B1
550	valg	choice; election	noun	A2
551	politikk	politics	noun	B1
552	politiker	politician	noun	B1
553	president	president	noun	A2
554	konge	king	noun	A2
555	dronning	queen	noun	A2
556	krig	war	noun	A2
557	fred	peace	noun	A2
558	soldat	soldier	noun	B1
559	våpen	weapon	noun	B1
560	kjempe	to fight; giant	verb	B1
561	angripe	to attack	verb	B2
562	forsvare	to defend	verb	B2
563	beskytte	to protect	verb	B1
564	redde	to rescue; to save	verb	B1
565	drepe	to kill	verb	B1
566	dø	to die	verb	A2
567	død	death; dead	noun	A2
568	leve	to live	verb	A1
569	føde	to give birth	verb	B2
570	oppvekst	upbringing; childhood	noun	B2
571	alder	age	noun	A2
572	ungdom	youth; young person	noun	B1
573	voksen	adult; grown-up	adjective	A2
574	pensjonist	pensioner; retiree	noun	B2
575	befinne	to be situated	verb	B2
576	helse	health	noun	B1
577	sykdom	illness; disease	noun	B1
578	smerte	pain	noun	B1
579	vondt	painful; hurting	adjective	A2
580	medisin	medicine	noun	B1
581	behandle	to treat	verb	B2
582	operasjon	operation; surgery	noun	B2
583	ulykke	accident; misfortune	noun	B1
584	skade	injury; damage	noun	B1
585	brann	fire	noun	B1
586	brenne	to burn	verb	B1
587	slokke	to put out; to extinguish	verb	B2
588	politi	police	noun	A2
589	fengsel	prison; jail	noun	B2
590	straff	punishment; penalty	noun	B2
591	skyld	guilt; fault; blame	noun	B2
592	skyldig	guilty	adjective	B2
593	uskyldig	innocent	adjective	B2
594	stjele	to steal	verb	B1
595	lyve	to lie; to tell a lie	verb	B1
596	løgn	lie	noun	B1
597	sannhet	truth	noun	B1
598	love	to promise	verb	A2
599	garantere	to guarantee	verb	B2
600	stole	to trust	verb	B1
601	tillit	trust; confidence	noun	B2
602	mynt	coin	noun	B1
603	økonomi	economy	noun	B2
604	firma	company; firm	noun	B1
605	bedrift	business; enterprise	noun	B2
606	sjef	boss; chief	noun	A2
607	ansatt	employee; hired	noun	B1
608	kollega	colleague	noun	B1
609	kunde	customer; client	noun	B1
610	selge	to sell	verb	A2
611	kjøpmann	merchant; shopkeeper	noun	B2
612	produkt	product	noun	B1
613	tjeneste	service; favour	noun	B1
614	lønn	wage; salary	noun	B1
615	skatt	tax; treasure	noun	B2
616	regning	bill; invoice	noun	B1
617	konto	account	noun	B1
618	bank	bank	noun	A2
619	spare	to save	verb	B1
620	tjene	to earn; to serve	verb	B1
621	forbruke	to consume	verb	B2
622	rik	rich; wealthy	adjective	A2
623	fattig	poor	adjective	B1
624	utdanning	education	noun	B2
625	universitet	university	noun	B1
626	eksamen	exam; examination	noun	B1
627	kurs	course	noun	B1
628	fag	subject; trade	noun	B1
629	kunnskap	knowledge	noun	B2
630	erfaring	experience	noun	B1
631	evne	ability	noun	B2
632	ferdighet	skill	noun	B2
633	øve	to practise	verb	B1
634	undersøke	to examine; to investigate	verb	B2
635	forske	to research	verb	B2
636	forskning	research	noun	B2
637	vitenskap	science	noun	B2
638	teori	theory	noun	B2
639	bevis	proof; evidence	noun	B2
640	bevise	to prove	verb	B2
641	resultat	result; outcome	noun	B1
642	årsak	cause; reason	noun	B2
643	virkning	effect; impact	noun	B2
644	konsekvens	consequence	noun	B2
645	sammenheng	connection; context	noun	B2
646	forskjell	difference	noun	B1
647	likhet	similarity; equality	noun	B2
648	eksempel	example	noun	A2
649	mulighet	possibility; opportunity	noun	B1
650	situasjon	situation	noun	B1
651	tilstand	state; condition	noun	B2
652	forhold	relationship; circumstance	noun	B1
653	utvikling	development	noun	B2
654	framtid	future	noun	B1
655	fortid	past	noun	B2
656	nåtid	present time	noun	B2
657	øyeblikk	moment; instant	noun	B1
658	periode	period	noun	B1
659	stund	while; moment	noun	B1
660	evig	eternal; forever	adjective	B2
661	stadig	constant; increasingly	adverb	B2
662	vanlig	usual; common	adjective	A2
663	uvanlig	unusual	adjective	B2
664	spesiell	special	adjective	B1
665	normal	normal	adjective	B1
666	merkelig	strange; odd	adjective	B1
667	rar	weird; strange	adjective	A2
668	tydelig	clear; obvious	adjective	B1
669	klar	clear; ready	adjective	A2
670	uklar	unclear; vague	adjective	B2
671	enkel	simple; single	adjective	A2
672	komplisert	complicated	adjective	B2
673	nødvendig	necessary	adjective	B1
674	nyttig	useful	adjective	B1
675	unyttig	useless	adjective	B2
676	nøyaktig	precise; exact	adjective	B2
677	omtrentlig	approximate; rough	adjective	B2
678	gjennomsnitt	average	noun	B2
679	antall	number; count	noun	B1
680	mengde	quantity; amount	noun	B1
681	halvpart	half	noun	B2
682	halv	half	adjective	A2
683	dobbelt	double	adjective	B1
684	meter	metre	noun	A2
685	kilometer	kilometre	noun	A2
686	kilo	kilogram	noun	A2
687	liter	litre	noun	A2
688	grad	degree	noun	B1
689	vekt	weight	noun	B1
690	høyde	height; altitude	noun	B1
691	lengde	length	noun	B1
692	bredde	width; breadth	noun	B2
693	avstand	distance	noun	B1
694	retning	direction	noun	B1
695	side	side; page	noun	A2
696	ende	end	noun	B1
697	begynnelse	beginning; start	noun	B1
698	slutt	end; finish	noun	A2
699	midt	middle	noun	A2
700	hjørne	corner	noun	B1
701	kant	edge; corner	noun	B1
702	toppen	the top; the peak	noun	B2
703	topp	top; summit	noun	B1
704	bunn	bottom	noun	B1
705	flate	surface; plane	noun	B2
706	form	form; shape	noun	B1
707	linje	line	noun	B1
708	punkt	point; dot	noun	B1
709	sirkel	circle	noun	B1
710	firkant	square; rectangle	noun	B2
711	stein	stone; rock	noun	A2
712	jern	iron	noun	B1
713	gull	gold	noun	B1
714	sølv	silver	noun	B1
715	metall	metal	noun	B1
716	papir	paper	noun	A2
717	glass	glass	noun	A2
718	plast	plastic	noun	B1
719	stoff	material; substance; fabric	noun	B1
720	materiale	material	noun	B2
721	olje	oil	noun	B1
722	gass	gas	noun	B1
723	luft	air	noun	A2
724	ild	fire; flame	noun	B1
725	jord	earth; soil	noun	A2
726	friluft	the open air; outdoors	noun	B2
727	miljø	environment	noun	B2
728	klima	climate	noun	B2
729	energi	energy	noun	B2
730	kraft	force; power	noun	B2
731	lys	light	noun	A2
732	mørke	darkness	noun	B1
733	lyd	sound	noun	A2
734	stille	quiet; still	adjective	A2
735	støy	noise	noun	B2
736	stemme	voice; to vote	noun	B1
737	rope	to shout; to call out	verb	B1
738	hviske	to whisper	verb	B2
739	le	to laugh	verb	A2
740	gråte	to cry	verb	A2
741	smile	to smile	verb	A2
742	humre	to chuckle	verb	B2
743	latter	laughter	noun	B1
744	gråt	crying; weeping	noun	B2
745	tåre	tear	noun	B1
746	følelse	feeling; emotion	noun	B1
747	glede	joy; delight	noun	B1
748	sorg	sorrow; grief	noun	B2
749	sinne	anger	noun	B1
750	frykt	fear	noun	B1
751	engste	to worry; to be anxious	verb	B2
752	kjærlighet	love	noun	B1
753	hat	hatred	noun	B2
754	hate	to hate	verb	B1
755	savne	to miss	verb	B1
756	bekymre	to worry	verb	B1
757	begjære	to desire; to covet	verb	B2
758	lengte	to long; to yearn	verb	B2
759	nyte	to enjoy	verb	B1
760	kose	to cuddle; to enjoy	verb	B1
761	trives	to thrive; to feel at home	verb	B2
762	orke	to have the energy for	verb	B1
763	gidde	to bother; to be bothered	verb	B2
764	unngå	to avoid	verb	B2
765	nekte	to refuse; to deny	verb	B2
766	tillate	to allow; to permit	verb	B2
767	forby	to forbid; to ban	verb	B2
768	tvinge	to force	verb	B2
769	kreve	to demand; to require	verb	B2
770	be	to ask; to pray	verb	A2
771	takke	to thank	verb	A2
772	hilse	to greet	verb	A2
773	møtes	to meet (each other)	verb	B1
774	snakkes	to talk (to each other)	verb	B1
775	diskutere	to discuss	verb	B1
776	krangle	to quarrel; to argue	verb	B1
777	enig	in agreement	adjective	B1
778	uenig	in disagreement	adjective	B2
779	avtale	agreement; appointment	noun	B1
780	beslutning	decision	noun	B2
781	forslag	suggestion; proposal	noun	B1
782	foreslå	to suggest; to propose	verb	B1
783	nevne	to mention	verb	B1
784	forklare	to explain	verb	A2
785	beskrive	to describe	verb	B1
786	forklaring	explanation	noun	B1
787	beskjed	message; notice	noun	B1
788	informasjon	information	noun	B1
789	nyhet	news; novelty	noun	B1
790	avis	newspaper	noun	A2
791	artikkel	article	noun	B1
792	blad	magazine; leaf	noun	B1
793	roman	novel	noun	B1
794	historie	story; history	noun	A2
795	fortelling	tale; narrative	noun	B2
796	eventyr	fairy tale; adventure	noun	B1
797	dikt	poem	noun	B2
798	forfatter	author; writer	noun	B1
799	kunst	art	noun	B1
800	kunstner	artist	noun	B2
801	maleri	painting	noun	B2
802	male	to paint	verb	B1
803	tegne	to draw	verb	A2
804	tegning	drawing	noun	B1
805	teater	theatre	noun	B1
806	skuespiller	actor	noun	B2
807	scene	stage; scene	noun	B2
808	konsert	concert	noun	B1
809	instrument	instrument	noun	B2
810	tone	tone; note	noun	B2
811	melodi	melody; tune	noun	B2
812	dans	dance	noun	B1
813	kultur	culture	noun	B2
814	tradisjon	tradition	noun	B2
815	religion	religion	noun	B2
816	gud	god	noun	A2
817	kirke	church	noun	A2
818	kristen	Christian	adjective	B2
819	bønn	prayer	noun	B2
820	sjel	soul	noun	B2
821	ånd	spirit; ghost	noun	B2
822	paradis	paradise	noun	B2
823	helvete	hell	noun	B2
824	engel	angel	noun	B2
825	djevel	devil	noun	B2
826	mirakel	miracle	noun	B2
827	skjebne	fate; destiny	noun	B2
828	flaks	luck; good fortune	noun	B1
829	lykke	happiness; luck	noun	B1
830	uflaks	bad luck	noun	B2
831	tilfeldig	random; accidental	adjective	B2
832	tilfelle	case; instance	noun	B2
833	hemmelighet	secret	noun	B1
834	hemmelig	secret	adjective	B1
835	overraskelse	surprise	noun	B1
836	overraske	to surprise	verb	B1
837	forvente	to expect	verb	B2
838	regne	to calculate; to rain	verb	B1
839	anta	to assume; to suppose	verb	B2
840	tvile	to doubt	verb	B2
841	tvil	doubt	noun	B2
842	sikre	to secure; to ensure	verb	B2
843	påstå	to claim; to assert	verb	B2
844	innrømme	to admit	verb	B2
845	benekte	to deny	verb	B2
846	godta	to accept	verb	B2
847	avvise	to reject; to turn down	verb	B2
848	vurdere	to consider; to assess	verb	B2
849	bedømme	to judge	verb	B2
850	sammenligne	to compare	verb	B2
851	utelukke	to exclude; to rule out	verb	B2
852	foretrekke	to prefer	verb	B2
853	bytte	to swap; to exchange	verb	B1
854	dele	to share; to divide	verb	A2
855	samle	to gather; to collect	verb	B1
856	spre	to spread	verb	B2
857	blande	to mix	verb	B1
858	skille	to separate; to distinguish	verb	B2
859	koble	to connect; to link	verb	B2
860	feste	to fasten; to attach	verb	B2
861	løse	to solve; to loosen	verb	B1
862	knytte	to tie; to knot	verb	B2
863	binde	to bind; to tie	verb	B1
864	henge	to hang	verb	A2
865	trekke	to pull; to draw	verb	B1
866	skyve	to push; to shove	verb	B1
867	løfte	to lift; promise	verb	B1
868	slippe	to let go; to drop	verb	B1
869	gripe	to grab; to seize	verb	B2
870	slå	to hit; to beat	verb	A2
871	sparke	to kick	verb	B1
872	skyte	to shoot	verb	B1
873	sikte	to aim	verb	B2
874	treffe	to hit; to meet	verb	B1
875	bomme	to miss (a shot)	verb	B2
876	jage	to chase; to hunt	verb	B2
877	flykte	to flee; to escape	verb	B2
878	gjemme	to hide	verb	B1
879	søke	to search; to apply	verb	B1
880	lete	to look for; to search	verb	A2
881	utforske	to explore	verb	B2
882	gjenkjenne	to recognise	verb	B2
883	merke	to notice; mark	verb	B1
884	bemerke	to remark; to note	verb	B2
885	observere	to observe	verb	B2
886	betrakte	to regard; to contemplate	verb	B2
887	stirre	to stare	verb	B2
888	kikke	to peek; to glance	verb	B1
889	blikk	glance; gaze	noun	B2
890	utsikt	view; prospect	noun	B2
891	syn	sight; view; vision	noun	B1
892	utseende	appearance; looks	noun	B2
893	inntrykk	impression	noun	B2
894	oppfatning	perception; view	noun	B2
895	holdning	attitude	noun	B2
896	vane	habit	noun	B1
897	oppførsel	behaviour	noun	B2
898	opptre	to behave; to perform	verb	B2
899	egenskap	quality; property	noun	B2
900	karakter	character; grade	noun	B2
901	personlighet	personality	noun	B2
902	person	person	noun	A2
903	individ	individual	noun	B2
904	menneskehet	humanity; mankind	noun	B2
905	medmenneske	fellow human being	noun	B2
906	reagere	to react	verb	B1
907	kjæreste	boyfriend; girlfriend	noun	A2
908	ekteskap	marriage	noun	B2
909	skilsmisse	divorce	noun	B2
910	forlovelse	engagement	noun	B2
911	bryllup	wedding	noun	B1
912	begravelse	funeral	noun	B2
913	slektning	relative	noun	B2
914	onkel	uncle	noun	A2
915	tante	aunt	noun	A2
916	bestemor	grandmother	noun	A2
917	bestefar	grandfather	noun	A2
918	barnebarn	grandchild	noun	B2
919	fetter	male cousin	noun	B1
920	kusine	female cousin	noun	B1
921	baby	baby	noun	A2
922	unge	kid; young one	noun	B1
923	oppdra	to raise; to bring up	verb	B2
924	ivareta	to look after; to safeguard	verb	B2
925	omsorg	care	noun	B2
926	støtte	to support; support	verb	B1
927	oppmuntre	to encourage	verb	B2
928	trøste	to comfort; to console	verb	B2
929	skuffe	to disappoint	verb	B2
930	skuffelse	disappointment	noun	B2
931	såre	to hurt; to wound	verb	B2
932	plage	to bother; to torment	verb	B2
933	irritere	to annoy; to irritate	verb	B2
934	ergre	to annoy; to vex	verb	B2
935	forstyrre	to disturb	verb	B2
936	avbryte	to interrupt	verb	B2
937	fortsette	to continue	verb	B1
938	gjenta	to repeat	verb	B1
939	avslutte	to finish; to conclude	verb	B1
940	ferdigstille	to complete; to finalise	verb	B2
941	gjennomføre	to carry out; to accomplish	verb	B2
942	oppnå	to achieve; to attain	verb	B2
943	lykkes	to succeed	verb	B2
944	mislykkes	to fail	verb	B2
945	suksess	success	noun	B1
946	nederlag	defeat	noun	B2
947	seier	victory	noun	B1
948	framgang	progress; advance	noun	B2
949	framskritt	progress; breakthrough	noun	B2
950	utfordring	challenge	noun	B2
951	hinder	obstacle; hindrance	noun	B2
952	vanske	difficulty	noun	B2
953	tiltak	measure; initiative	noun	B2
954	strategi	strategy	noun	B2
955	plan	plan	noun	A2
956	planlegge	to plan	verb	B1
957	organisere	to organise	verb	B2
958	forberede	to prepare	verb	B1
959	ordne	to arrange; to sort out	verb	B1
960	fikse	to fix; to sort	verb	B1
961	gjennomtenkt	well-considered	adjective	B2
962	formål	purpose; aim	noun	B2
963	hensikt	intention; purpose	noun	B2
964	behov	need	noun	B1
965	krav	requirement; demand	noun	B2
966	betingelse	condition	noun	B2
967	regel	rule	noun	A2
968	lovlig	legal; lawful	adjective	B2
969	ulovlig	illegal	adjective	B2
970	forbudt	forbidden; prohibited	adjective	B1
971	tillatelse	permission	noun	B2
972	frihet	freedom	noun	B1
973	rettferdig	fair; just	adjective	B2
974	urettferdig	unfair; unjust	adjective	B2
975	likestilling	gender equality	noun	B2
976	demokrati	democracy	noun	B2
977	frihandel	free trade	noun	B2
978	handel	trade; commerce	noun	B1
979	industri	industry	noun	B2
980	landbruk	agriculture	noun	B2
981	jordbruk	farming	noun	B2
982	bonde	farmer	noun	B1
983	fabrikk	factory	noun	B1
984	maskin	machine	noun	A2
985	motor	engine; motor	noun	B1
986	verktøy	tool	noun	B2
987	teknologi	technology	noun	B2
988	datamaskin	computer	noun	B1
989	skjerm	screen	noun	B1
990	nett	net; network; web	noun	B1
991	nettverk	network	noun	B2
992	kobling	connection; link	noun	B2
993	system	system	noun	B1
994	metode	method	noun	B2
995	framgangsmåte	procedure; approach	noun	B2
996	prosess	process	noun	B2
997	oppgave	task; assignment	noun	B1
998	prosjekt	project	noun	B1
999	århundre	century	noun	B2
1000	tiår	decade	noun	B2

Showing the top 1000 of 1000 words, by frequency · audio: female voice

Put the list to work

Frequently asked questions

Why learn Norwegian words by frequency?

Word frequency is brutally top-heavy: a small core of words does almost all the work in everyday speech. Learning in frequency order front-loads exactly those words, so every hour of study unlocks the largest possible share of real conversations, shows and books — instead of textbook chapter vocabulary you might not meet for months.

How many Norwegian words do I need to understand conversations?

The 100 most common Norwegian words already cover roughly half of everyday speech, the top 1,000 around 85%, and about 2,500–3,000 words push you past 95%. That last stretch is the long tail — but this list is the highest-value first mile: master it and most sentences you hear will be built from words you know.

What do the CEFR levels next to the words mean?

Each word carries the CEFR level (A1–B2) at which learners typically study it. Most of the top 1,000 is A1–A2 — high frequency and beginner vocabulary largely overlap — with the tail reaching into B1–B2. If the B1 and B2 words in the list feel unfamiliar, that is a normal place for an A2 learner to be.

How was the audio made?

Every word was recorded individually with two studio-grade neural text-to-speech voices — one female, one male — so you can hear each word in isolation and compare pronunciations. Use the voice toggle above the table to switch; the clips are short, natural and free to replay as often as you like.

Is this a list of dictionary forms or word forms?

Norwegian verbs are listed in the bare infinitive without 'å' (være 'to be', ha 'to have', gjøre 'to do'); nouns appear in the singular indefinite, without the en/ei/et article or the definite -en/-a/-et ending.

How should I study this list?

Don't memorize it top to bottom in one go. Work in slices (the Top 250 view is a good first target), listen to every word as you review it, and meet the same words in context as fast as possible — graded stories and podcasts at your level are where frequency vocabulary actually sticks. Spaced-repetition flashcards work well for the concrete nouns and verbs in the tail.

Don't just read the list — learn it

Lenguia turns vocabulary like this into a daily Norwegian plan: graded stories and podcasts built from high-frequency words, spaced-repetition flashcards, grammar, writing and speaking practice — all at exactly your level.

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How many of these words do you already know?

Take the free Norwegian placement test — grammar, reading, vocabulary, listening, writing and speaking, graded A1 to C1 — and find out exactly where to start in this list.

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