1000 Words

Learn Norwegian – start with the 1000 most important words

Around 1000 words are enough to understand roughly 85% of everyday speech. That is exactly what 1000 Words focuses on: instead of endless grammar tables, you first learn the Norwegian vocabulary you will actually meet in real life – nouns, verbs, adjectives and full sentences, each with translation, example sentence and native-speaker audio.

Learn the way that fits your day: as a video to read along, as an audiobook for your commute or for falling asleep, as an ebook, or with the built-in vocabulary trainer that shows you every word again at the scientifically optimal moment (spaced repetition). Everything is available on the website and in the free app for iOS and Android.

A taste: Norwegian vocabulary with example sentences

EnglishNorwegianExample sentence
the appleepletI eat the apple.
Jeg spiser eplet.
the bookbokenShe reads the book.
Hun leser boken.
the catkattenThe cat is sleeping.
Katten sover.
the doghundenThe dog is barking.
Hunden bjeffer.
the carbilenHe drives the car.
Han kjører bilen.
the househusetWe live in a house.
Vi bor i et hus.
the chairstolenShe sits on the chair.
Hun sitter på stolen.
the tablebordetPut the book on the table.
Legg boken på bordet.
the windowvinduetOpen the window.
Åpne vinduet.
the doordørenClose the door.
Lukk døren.
the pencilblyantenI write with the pencil.
Jeg skriver med blyanten.
the paperpapiretThe paper is on the table.
Papiret ligger på bordet.
the schoolskolenThe school is big.
Skolen er stor.
the teacherlærerenThe teacher teaches math.
Læreren underviser i matematikk.
the studentstudentenThe student is studying.
Studenten studerer.
the boyguttenThe boy is playing.
Gutten leker.
the girljentaThe girl is singing.
Jenta synger.
the adultden voksneThe adult is working.
Den voksne jobber.
the friendvennenMy friend is here.
Vennen min er her.
the treetreetThe tree is tall.
Treet er høyt.

The 100 most important Norwegian words →

Essential Norwegian verbs & adjectives

to acceptå akseptere
to addå legge til
to agreeå være enig
to allowå tillate
to askå spørre
to believeå tro
to borrowå låne
to breakå knuse
to bringå ta med
to buildå bygge

Norwegian sentences for beginners

I like applesJeg liker epler
She is my friendHun er min venn
It is a sunny dayDet er en solrik dag
He runs fastHan løper fort
We are happyVi er glade
They play soccerDe spiller fotball

How you learn Norwegian with 1000 Words

🎬 Learning videos

Every word narrated and illustrated – read along and repeat.

🎧 Audiobooks

All vocabulary as audio – including a 3x repetition version, perfect for learning while you sleep.

📖 Ebooks & PDFs

All words and sentences to look up and read offline.

🧠 Vocabulary trainer

Spaced-repetition system like flashcards – reviews exactly when you need them.

✨ AI stories

Short stories built from the words you already know, with audio and tap-to-explain.

📴 Offline mode

Download Premium content and keep learning without internet.

Frequently asked questions

How many words do I need to understand Norwegian?

With the 1000 most frequent words you understand about 85% of everyday spoken language. That is why 1000 Words focuses exactly on this core vocabulary – organized into nouns, verbs & adjectives and full sentences.

Does learning Norwegian while sleeping really work?

Research shows the brain consolidates previously learned material during sleep. Our audiobooks with triple repetition are made for this: listen in the evening, relax, and anchor what you learned. Read more in our article on learning while you sleep.

Is 1000 Words free?

Yes, getting started is free: parts of the videos and audiobooks, the vocabulary trainer, the matching game and previews of all content. Premium unlocks everything – including downloads for offline mode.

Who is 1000 Words for?

For beginners and returners (level A1–B1) who want to build a usable Norwegian vocabulary fast – without grammar overload, with native-speaker audio.

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