The best way to learn Norwegian is a mix: mostly Norwegian you can understand, plus review and real conversation, with the balance set by your goal. Norwegian you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input. Below, you'll see what each way of learning builds and the mix that suits six common goals.
Which Ways of Learning Norwegian Work Best?
Reading and listening to Norwegian at your level works best, and each other method adds one skill on top of it.
| Method | What it builds | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and listening at your level | Words, grammar and listening | Most of your time |
| A structured course | An order for the basics | Your first months |
| A tutor or conversation partner | Speaking and quick replies | Using what you know |
| Flashcards or other review | Words that stay with you | A few minutes each session |
| Shows, podcasts and the news | Natural, everyday Norwegian | Fun, once you follow most of it |
| Grammar study | Why a sentence works, such as where the verb goes | Patterns that confuse you |
Input is the base of the mix: a 2016 review of 49 studies in Reading in a Foreign Language, a University of Hawaii journal, found that reading a lot of easy material improves reading in a new language.
What Is the Best Way to Learn Norwegian for Your Goal?
For every goal, the best way is the same base of reading and listening, with the rest of your time on the skill that goal needs most.
- Watch Norwegian TVPut most of your time into listening, starting with podcasts made for learners and moving on to NRK shows with Norwegian subtitles.
- Talk With Family or FriendsRead and hear lots of everyday conversations, and spend the rest of your time talking with them or with a tutor.
- Travel to NorwaySpend most of your time on short dialogues about ordering food and getting around, and say each one out loud.
- Pass NorskprøvenRead and listen at your level most of the time, and try the example tasks on the official Norskprøven site as the test gets close.
- Move to NorwayRead and hear Norwegian about everyday life most of the time, and use nyinorge.no, Norway's website for newcomers, to find courses and easy listening.
- Work in NorwegianRead and hear Norwegian about your field most of the time, and practice talking about your work with a tutor.
To see how many hours each stage takes, read how long it takes to learn Norwegian.
What Are the Best Resources for Each Part?
Each part of the mix has a good free option, such as Duostories for short stories or Anki for review, and an app or service for when you want more. Bubblegum, which appears in a few rows, is a language app where Poppy, an AI tutor, writes Norwegian lessons at your level about things you like.
| Part | Free option | App or service |
|---|---|---|
| A first course | Norwegian on the Web, NTNU's free beginner course, or Duolingo's free Bokmål course | Memrise or Pimsleur's audio lessons |
| Reading and listening at your level | Duostories or Barnebøker for Norge | Bubblegum or LingQ's Mini Stories |
| Shows, podcasts and news | NRK TV for shows, Lær norsk nå! for podcasts | Klar Tale, a newspaper in simple Norwegian, or Language Reactor for YouTube |
| Review | Anki, free on computers and Android | Bubblegum's Regenerative Review™, which brings saved words back in new lessons |
| Conversation | A language exchange on HelloTalk | A tutor on italki or Preply |
| Grammar | Grammar lessons and exercises on Bnorsk.no | Mjølnir Norwegian or Babbel |
What Should You Avoid?
Avoid anything that keeps you from reading real Norwegian sentences you can follow.
- Reading Norwegian Like EnglishLetters like å and ø have their own sounds, as in på (on) and brød (bread), so play the audio as you read.
- Lists With No SentencesSave words from lines you have read, so each noun comes with its en, ei or et and an example of how it is used.
- Shows You Can't Follow YetSave NRK series for when you can follow an episode with Norwegian subtitles on, and listen to the Norsk for Beginners podcast before that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to learn Norwegian with an app or a teacher?
Use an app for the hours of reading and listening, and a teacher for speaking and corrections. Lessons with a tutor on italki or Preply are paid, so spend that time talking, and do your reading and listening on your own.
Should I learn Norwegian grammar first?
No. Learn grammar from the Norwegian you read and hear, and look a pattern up when it confuses you. A rule is easier to learn once you have seen it a few times: after Jeg vil spise (I want to eat) and Jeg vil reise (I want to travel), the pattern for "I want to" is easy to spot.
Should I learn Bokmål or Nynorsk?
Start with Bokmål unless you will live or study where people mostly write Nynorsk. Språkrådet, Norway's language council, calls the two equal written forms of Norwegian, and Nynorsk is the smaller one. Bubblegum and Duolingo teach Bokmål, and Glossika teaches Nynorsk.
Which Norwegian app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Norwegian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Norwegian app comparison covers courses, tutors and speaking apps too.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Jeon and Day (2016), The effectiveness of ER on reading proficiency: A meta-analysis, Reading in a Foreign Language 28(2), University of Hawaii
- HK-dir, example tasks for Norskprøven A1–B2 (the official Norwegian test)
- New in Norway: Learn Norwegian
- Språkrådet: Norsk er både bokmål og nynorsk
- NTNU, LearnNoW (Norwegian on the Web), a free online beginner's course
- Bnorsk.no, free Norwegian courses and grammar exercises
- Anki, official downloads (free computer version and AnkiDroid)
- HelloTalk, Norwegian language partners (free language exchange)
