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Hans Majestet Kongens Gardes 3. gardekompanis Norgesturné 2015 gikk til de nordligere deler av landet. De besøkte en rekke steder, som Alta, Tromsø, Bardufoss-området, Harstad, Narvik og Andøya. En av de mer unike opplevelsene fikk gardistene i Harstad, der de besteg fjellet Keipen (490 m.o.h.) i full paradeuniform med lakksko som et stunt ifm. Arctic Race of Norway, som -en er offisiell partner med. Utsikten på toppen var upåklagelig. // His Majesty the King's Guard Band and Drill Team's (3rd Company) annual tour this year went to the northern parts of Norway. They visited several places, such as Alta, Tromsø, the Bardufoss area, Harstad, Narvik and Andøya. One the more uniqe experiences they got in Harstad, where they ascended the mountain

Get to know Norway

Are there polar bears in Norway? How do you say "thank you" in Norwegian? Find out here.

Updated: 15. Oct 2026 11:00

You might have heard about Vikings, northern lights and polar bears. But Norway is much more than that. Find out more about our country and learn some Norwegian phrases to impress the locals with.

Norwegian phrases

Most Norwegians speak English very well, so you don't have to worry. But if you really want to impress the locals, we have made a small phrasebook for you.

Firstly, note that the Norwegian alphabet has three extra letters: Æ, Ø, and Å.

  • Æ, æ – transcribes as ae. Æ is pronounced as the A in bad.
  • Ø, ø – transcribes as oe. Ø is pronounced as the U in turn.
  • Å, å – transcribes as aa. Å is pronounced as the AU in Paul.

English  Norwegian

  • Hello/Hi: Hallo / Hei (pronounced: haalo and hay)
  • ​Yes / No: Ja / Nei (pron.: yah / nay​)
  • Goodbye: Ha det (pron.: haa-deh)
  • Good morning: God morgen (pron.: goo moh-ohrn)
  • Good evening: God kveld (pron.: goo kvell)
  • Good night: God natt (pron.: goo naat)
  • How are you?: Hvordan går det? (pron.: voord-ahn gawr deh?)
  • My name is … : Jeg heter … (pron.: yei heh-tr)
  • What is your name?: Hva heter du? (pron.: vah heh-tr du)
  • Thank you: Takk  / Tusen takk (pron.: tak / tuusn tak)
  • Please: Vær så snill (pron.: væh soh snil)
  • Sorry/ Excuse me: Unnskyld (pron.: unn-shill)
  • The Armed Forces: Forsvaret (pron.: fosh-vah-reh)
  • Norway is a beautiful country: Norge er et vakkert land (charms every Norwegian)  (pron.: Nor-geh er et vak-uht lann)
  • What happened to the weather?: Hva skjedde med været? (you will get this after a while)  (pron.: vah shedd-uh meh vær-eh)

Norway Fun Facts

Isbjørn på Svalbard
  • Yes, there are polar bears in Norway, but contrary to what you might have heard, there are no polar bears on the mainland. The polar bears are based on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, located midway between the mainland and the North Pole.
  • There are 5.6 million Norwegians, and King Haakon VIII is the monarchical head of state. The de facto head of state is the Prime Minister, currently Mr Jonas Gahr Støre from the Labour Party.
  • Norway borders three countries: Sweden, Finland, and Russia. In addition Norway also shares a sea border with Denmark and the United Kingdom.
  • Norway is an oil-producing country, but gets 98–99 per cent of its electricity from hydroelectric power; more than any other country.
  • Norwegians recycle almost all their drinking bottles and cans. Do not throw these in the rubbish bin. Instead, use the recycling machines for bottles and cans that you will find in every supermarket. This will also give you money back for each bottle!
  • Norway is a winter sports country – like cross-country skiing and alpine. In fact, the words ski and slalom are Norwegian words. And according to a local saying, Norwegians are born with skis on their feet.
  • Traditional Norwegian cuisine normally includes potatoes, root vegetables, fish and meat – normally sheep, goat, and pork. Very often the fish and meat in traditional meals have been preserved, like lutefisk (dried whitefish treated with lye) and smalahove (smoked sheep's head). However, modern Norwegians will cling on to their hot dogs, sushi, pizza, hamburgers and "Friday tacos", just like everyone else.