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Norwegian language guide

Bokmål vs NynorskWhat's the Difference and Which Should You Learn?

A clear, accurate breakdown of Norway's two written standards — their history, their differences, and which one will actually serve you as a learner.

Quick answer

Bokmål and Nynorsk are the two written standards of Norwegian. Bokmål is used by about 85–90% of Norwegians and is what most learning materials, news, and businesses use. Nynorsk is used by about 10–15%, mostly on the west coast and in some government documents — but it's not spoken; both standards are written, while Norwegians speak regional dialects.

Bokmål vs Nynorsk at a glance

FeatureBokmålNynorsk
OriginDerived from written Danish used in Norway during the 400-year union with Denmark, gradually Norwegianised by reformer Knud Knudsen.Constructed in the 1850s by linguist Ivar Aasen from rural Norwegian dialects, especially western ones, to recover a distinctly Norwegian written form.
% of population using itAbout 85–90% (primary written standard for most Norwegians).About 10–15% (a protected minority standard).
Where it is most usedOslo, eastern Norway, northern Norway, and most urban areas nationwide.Western Norway — Sogn og Fjordane, parts of Møre og Romsdal, Hordaland (excluding Bergen city), and mountain/valley communities.
Spoken or written?Written only. Norwegians speak regional dialects, not Bokmål, though Oslo-area speech is close to it.Written only. Many western dialects are close to Nynorsk, but nobody strictly "speaks Nynorsk".
Learner-friendlinessEasier for most learners — more resources, apps, textbooks, and media. Closer to the Norwegian you will hear in Oslo.Fewer learning resources. Grammar is arguably more consistent, but familiarity with Bokmål usually comes first.
News outletsVG, Dagbladet, Aftenposten, most major commercial media. NRK broadcasts in both.Dag og Tid, Framtida, regional papers in the west. NRK requires at least 25% Nynorsk across its output.
Government usageDefault in most state agencies and Oslo-based institutions; majority of official documents.Mandated in parts of the civil service; municipalities choose one as their official written form. State bodies must produce a minimum share in Nynorsk.
Sample: "I am happy"Jeg er glad.Eg er glad.
Sample: "What is your name?"Hva heter du?Kva heiter du?
Dictionary entriesBokmålsordboka contains roughly 65,000 entries (University of Bergen / Språkrådet).Nynorskordboka contains roughly 90,000 entries — Nynorsk often preserves more dialectal vocabulary.

A short history of the two standards

For roughly 400 years — from the late 1300s to 1814 — Norway was in political union with Denmark, and Danish became the written language of administration, church, and education. Norwegians continued to speak their own dialects, but they wrote in Danish. When Norway gained a new constitution in 1814 and independence from Sweden in 1905, the question of what a Norwegian written language should look like turned political.

Two answers emerged. The self-taught linguist Ivar Aasen travelled across rural Norway in the 1840s and 1850s, recording dialects, and in 1853 published a proposal for a new written standard built from the language country people actually spoke. He called it Landsmål — the language of the country. In parallel, schoolteacher Knud Knudsen argued for a gradual Norwegianisation of the existing Dano-Norwegian written language, pulling spelling and vocabulary toward educated urban speech. This path became Riksmål.

In 1885 the Norwegian parliament made the decision that still defines the language today: it recognised both forms as equal official written standards. A series of reforms in 1907, 1917, 1938, and 1959 reshaped both standards — sometimes trying to pull them closer together ("samnorsk"), a project eventually abandoned. In 1929 the names were changed to Bokmål ("book tongue") and Nynorsk ("new Norwegian"). Today both are constitutionally protected, both are taught in every school, and every Norwegian is expected to read both fluently — even though most write in only one.

Which should you learn?

The honest answer is that for 9 out of 10 learners, Bokmål is the right choice. But the decision does depend on your situation. Use this as a practical guide.

Learn Bokmål if…

  • You are living in or moving to Oslo, eastern Norway, or most Norwegian cities.
  • You are using Duolingo, Babbel, Pimsleur, or almost any mass- market Norwegian textbook — they are essentially all in Bokmål.
  • You want to read mainstream Norwegian news, watch NRK primetime, or follow Norwegian pop culture.
  • You are integrating into the Oslo-area workforce, where Bokmål is effectively universal in writing.
  • You are preparing for Norskprøven. The exam accepts either standard, but Bokmål is by far the more common and better-supported choice for test prep.

Learn Nynorsk if…

  • You are moving to western Norway — the Sognefjord region, inner Hordaland, much of Sunnmøre — where your local municipality and school will use Nynorsk.
  • You are marrying into or joining a Nynorsk-using family and want to write correspondence, read children's school materials, or fit in culturally.
  • You plan to work in Norwegian primary or secondary education, or in a civil-service role where producing Nynorsk is legally required.
  • You want to read Norwegian literature in its older, dialectally richer form — many 20th-century authors like Tarjei Vesaas and Olav H. Hauge wrote in Nynorsk.
  • You already know a Scandinavian language and want a more "purely Norwegian" written form, further from Danish.

Bottom line: Most learners should start with Bokmål. You can always read and recognise Nynorsk later — every Norwegian does. Switching from Bokmål to Nynorsk once you have a solid foundation takes weeks, not years.

Same sentence, both standards

The differences are usually small — a few pronouns, some verb endings, a handful of core words — but consistent. Read these side-by-side to get a feel for it.

I am from Norway.

Bokmål: Jeg er fra Norge.

Nynorsk: Eg er frå Noreg.

What is your name?

Bokmål: Hva heter du?

Nynorsk: Kva heiter du?

I do not know.

Bokmål: Jeg vet ikke.

Nynorsk: Eg veit ikkje.

I have a dog.

Bokmål: Jeg har en hund.

Nynorsk: Eg har ein hund.

She is my sister.

Bokmål: Hun er søsteren min.

Nynorsk: Ho er syster mi.

We are going home.

Bokmål: Vi går hjem.

Nynorsk: Vi går heim.

The weather is nice today.

Bokmål: Været er fint i dag.

Nynorsk: Veret er fint i dag.

I would like a coffee.

Bokmål: Jeg vil gjerne ha en kaffe.

Nynorsk: Eg vil gjerne ha ein kaffi.

What are you doing?

Bokmål: Hva gjør du?

Nynorsk: Kva gjer du?

Now I understand.

Bokmål: Nå forstår jeg.

Nynorsk: No forstår eg.

Common myths about Bokmål and Nynorsk

"Nynorsk is harder"

No — Nynorsk grammar is arguably more consistent than Bokmål's. It feels harder only because you see less of it. Once exposed, most learners find it no more difficult than the standard they already know.

"Nynorsk is dying"

No. Nynorsk is protected by Norwegian law, mandatory in schools nationwide, and guaranteed a minimum share of state broadcasting and official documents. Its user base has been stable for decades — it is a minority standard, not a disappearing one.

"Bokmål is just Danish"

Mostly false. Bokmål descends from written Danish, but 150+ years of reforms have pushed grammar, spelling, and vocabulary toward Norwegian speech. Danes can read Bokmål, but they immediately notice it is a different language.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Bokmål and Nynorsk?

Bokmål and Nynorsk are the two official written standards of Norwegian. Bokmål evolved from the Danish used in Norway during the Dano-Norwegian union and is used by about 85–90% of Norwegians. Nynorsk was built in the 1850s by Ivar Aasen from rural Norwegian dialects and is used by about 10–15%, mostly in western Norway. Neither is actually spoken — Norwegians speak regional dialects, and both standards exist only in writing.

Should I learn Bokmål or Nynorsk?

Most learners should start with Bokmål. It is used by the majority of Norwegians, it dominates learning apps, textbooks, news, and signage, and it is the default for the Norskprøven exam for most students. Learn Nynorsk only if you are moving to western Norway, joining a Nynorsk-speaking family, or working in a field (education, civil service) where it is required.

Do Norwegians speak Bokmål or Nynorsk?

Neither, strictly speaking. Bokmål and Nynorsk are written standards. Norwegians speak regional dialects — there is no "standard spoken Norwegian". Oslo speech is close to Bokmål in writing, and many western dialects align with Nynorsk, but in daily life people speak their local dialect and write in whichever standard their municipality uses.

What percentage of Norwegians use Nynorsk?

Roughly 10–15% of Norwegians use Nynorsk as their primary written language. It is most common in western Norway, with the strongest concentration in the former Sogn og Fjordane county and parts of Hordaland and Møre og Romsdal. About a quarter of Norwegian municipalities officially use Nynorsk.

Is Nynorsk closer to Danish or Old Norse?

Nynorsk is closer to Old Norse than Bokmål is. Ivar Aasen built it from rural dialects that had preserved more of the older Norse grammar and vocabulary, deliberately bypassing the Danish-influenced written language. Bokmål, by contrast, still carries significant Danish heritage, though a century of reforms has made it distinctly Norwegian.

Can a Bokmål speaker understand Nynorsk?

Yes, almost entirely. Every Norwegian learns both standards at school, so educated Norwegians read Nynorsk without difficulty. For a foreign learner who knows Bokmål, Nynorsk looks different at first, but most vocabulary is recognisable and the grammar is similar. Reading Nynorsk comfortably usually takes a few weeks of exposure, not months.

Which Norwegian does Norskprøven test?

Norskprøven, the official Norwegian language test for immigrants, allows candidates to answer in either Bokmål or Nynorsk. The majority of test-takers choose Bokmål because that is what they have studied, and most preparation materials are in Bokmål. Your writing will be assessed on whichever standard you pick — you cannot mix them.

Is Bokmål the same as Danish?

No, though they share deep roots. Bokmål descends from the Danish written language used in Norway until the 1800s, but more than 150 years of reforms have pushed it toward Norwegian pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. Today a Dane reading Bokmål understands most of it, but they also notice immediately that it is not Danish.

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