The Norwegian puzzle - find your missing pieces — Podcast

#44 Jeg må fortelle deg noe - I must tell you something [på norsk] 19.05.2026 2m

Send us Fan Mail Support the show Do you like the podcast? :) Feel free to buy me a coffee :) buymeacoffee.com/thenorwegianpuzzle .... This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict. .... Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com .... Questions? Feedback? Get in touch! norskmedsilje@gmail.com .... Other places to find me: www.norsk-med-silje.com www.facebook.com/norskmedsilje www.instagram.com/norsk...

#43 The rolled Norwegian R - how and when to pronounce it [uttale] [pronunciation] 07.05.2026 19m

Send us Fan Mail The Norwegian R is the sound everyone worries about, and it turns out the worry is pointed in the wrong direction. We talk through what many learners are actually hearing in everyday Norwegian: a light tap R that barely “rolls” at all, often so subtle it can resemble a D. From there, we zoom out to the bigger truth about Norwegian dialects, including the skarre-r (the French-style R) in parts of Western and Southern Norway and the more rolled variant you can find around Ålesu...

#42 "Connection" in Norwegian - a concept full of nuances [vokabular] [kultur] 27.04.2026 10m

Send us Fan Mail “Connect” feels like a simple word until you try to say it in Norwegian and realise you’re actually talking about five different things. We unpack the real meanings hiding inside that one word, and we give you Norwegian options you can use immediately in real conversations. Subscribe for more Norwegian language tips, share this with a friend who’s learning, and let me know which word or expression you struggle to translate most. Support the show Do you like the podcast...

#41 "Frisk" or "fersk"? - The finesse of freshness. [vokabular] 25.03.2026 11m

Send us Fan Mail “Fresh” sounds simple until you try to say it in Norwegian and suddenly you have two options that both seem right. We unpack the real difference between frisk and fersk, and it turns out the split is incredibly practical: one word is about how something feels and tastes, the other is about how new it actually is. If you’ve ever stood in a grocery store wondering what a label really promises, this one will save you time and confusion. We start with people, because this ...

#40 "Normalest"? Or "mest normal"? - three rules of comparative and superlative use [grammatikk]] 17.03.2026 12m

Send us Fan Mail We start with the quick foundation: how comparative and superlative forms work (think -ere and -est), and why the English habit of avoiding endings on “long words” doesn’t translate cleanly into Norwegian. From there, we move into the real skill: spotting the adjectives that refuse to inflect, so you can stop guessing and start sounding natural. We also talk about why using mer and mest for everything can sound a bit off, how a dictionary can confirm what’s allowed, and how ...

#39 Tid / gang / time - What do they mean? And how are they used? [vokabular] 10.03.2026 15m

Send us Fan Mail Support the show Do you like the podcast? :) Feel free to buy me a coffee :) buymeacoffee.com/thenorwegianpuzzle .... This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict. .... Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com .... Questions? Feedback? Get in touch! norskmedsilje@gmail.com .... Other places to find me: www.norsk-med-silje.com www.facebook.com/norskmedsilje www.instagram.com/norsk...

#38 Silje lærer å stå på ski! (3/3) [lytteøvelse] [listening practice] 04.03.2026 13m

Send us Fan Mail (Norwegian only from 08:47) I share how a final course day transformed nerves into confidence by framing cross-country skiing around three core “gears,” each designed for a different speed and feel—one led by arms and upper body for fast glide, one that recruits the whole body for steady control, and a third that feels like running when you want more speed. I use a bilingual learning arc: short, slow Norwegian sentences with pauses and English translations, followed by a N...

#37 Skiglede ("ski joy") where are you? - A sceptic’s guide to skiing, gear, and sanity [kultur] [tips] 26.02.2026 28m

Send us Fan Mail Winter can feel endless when the sun disappears, and everyone around you seems to glide across the snow like they were born doing it. I've been there too, and I wanted to make a clear, friendly guide that helps you get outside, shake off the gloom, and find real joy on skis without wasting money, time, or courage. Listen, share with a friend who’s ski‑curious, and tell us what still confuses you—then subscribe and leave a quick review so more newcomers can find their way on...

#36 Silje lærer å stå på ski ... eller?? (2/3) [lytteøvelse] [listening practice] 17.02.2026 14m

Send us Fan Mail (Norwegian only from 09:21) Let's continue with my ski course story from last episode ... First, I guide you through a Norwegian–English sequence with generous pauses for repetition. Then I replay the same content in full Norwegian, so that you can stress-test your comprehension and lock in new words, phrases, and sounds. It’s a gentle but deliberate workout for your ear, your mouth, and your confidence. By tying language to a vivid, authentic scene, recall becomes easier,...

#35 Silje lærer å stå på ski (1/3) [lytteøvelse] [listening practice] 10.02.2026 11m

Send us Fan Mail (Norwegian only from 07:47) A bad day on the trail becomes the perfect language workout. We take you through a true cross-country skiing mishap—too-short poles, the wrong skis, zero technique—and use it to build your Norwegian listening in two steps: first with English support, then as a clean Norwegian-only replay. The story is simple, honest, and packed with phrases you’ll actually use, from asking for help to refusing to give up. Even if you never plan to wax a pair of ...

#34 "I", "inn", "inne" and "inni". I say no more... [vokabular] 03.02.2026 7m

Send us Fan Mail What is the difference in meaning and function of these four words? How can we translate the English word "in" to Norwegian? I hope you will know after listening to this episode :) Support the show Do you like the podcast? :) Feel free to buy me a coffee :) buymeacoffee.com/thenorwegianpuzzle .... This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict. .... Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle....

#33 "Til" or "for"? I have cake for you... or to you? When to use "til" and "for" in Norwegian. [vokabular] 27.01.2026 17m

Send us Fan Mail Support the show Do you like the podcast? :) Feel free to buy me a coffee :) buymeacoffee.com/thenorwegianpuzzle .... This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict. .... Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com .... Questions? Feedback? Get in touch! norskmedsilje@gmail.com .... Other places to find me: www.norsk-med-silje.com www.facebook.com/norskmedsilje www.instagram.com/norsk...

# 32 My language learning journey and personal tips [tips and thoughts] 21.01.2026 29m

Send us Fan Mail We explore why motivation beats method when learning Norwegian and how joy, identity, and daily habits make progress stick. We share hard-won lessons from English, French, Greek, Arabic, and Mandarin, then turn them into practical steps you can use today. • find personal motivation(s) • choose resources that fit your goals • read aloud • write to lock in vocabulary • learn a lot of vocabulary (maybe by using flashcards) • don't be ashamed of your accent • reframe errors as l...

#31 "Å bety" versus "å mene" - because “to mean” means a lot ... [vokabular] 13.01.2026 8m

Send us Fan Mail We start with "å bety", the reliable choice when you ask what a word translates to, define a term, or tie facts to outcomes. Then we switch lanes to "å mene", the verb for staking out a position or clarifying what you intended to say. Along the way, we share a quick rule that saves you from false-friend mistakes: "å mene" never follows anything but people (you can say "jeg mener", but it is not logical to say "boka mener" or "hunden mener"); whereas "å bety" usually nev...

30. God jul! Godt nytt år! "Takk for det gamle!" (+ podcast plan for 2026) 16.12.2025 4m

Send us Fan Mail The shortest days can still spark the biggest plans. We open with Yule—what it actually means, why it isn’t the same as Christmas, and how the return of light offers a practical metaphor for steady progress. From there, I take you behind the scenes of how the show gets made. It’s imperfect by design, and that’s why the feedback loop with listeners matters so much. Looking ahead, I'm committing to weekly releases until I reach fifty episodes, then shifting toward a more inten...

#29 "Erfaring" or "opplevelse"? The 2 nuances of "experience" in Norwegian. [vokabular] 09.12.2025 9m

Send us Fan Mail One word captures the knowledge you carry forward while the other captures the moment you live through. With clear examples from work, language learning, and everyday life, we map the boundary between accumulated wisdom and immediate sensation so you can choose the right word and express yourself with nuance. To make it actionable, I contrast near‑identical sentences and ask you to decide which word fits (best). Want to describe your history with Norwegians? Reach for "erfar...

#28 Meg og meg selv, selv -- me and myself, by myself ... wait, what?? [vokabular] 02.12.2025 13m

Send us Fan Mail Stop second-guessing yourself in Norwegian. In this episode you will learn the three ways to say "myself" (and "yourself", "himself", "herself" etc.) in Norwegian. It is easier and more complicated than you think ... :P Support the show Do you like the podcast? :) Feel free to buy me a coffee :) buymeacoffee.com/thenorwegianpuzzle .... This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict. .... Transcript available he...

#27 Norwegian excitement ... is three different emotions! - So exciting! Så spennende! [vokabular] 25.11.2025 9m

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder why “I’m excited” in English never seems to land quite right in Norwegian? We unpack the three routes Norwegians typically take—spent, så glad, and giret—and show how each one maps to a different feeling: curiosity about the unknown, warm happiness with gratitude, and buzzing, physical energy that pushes you to act. If this helped refine your Norwegian, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s learning, and leave a quick review so others can find it. Have a q...

#26 "At" or "som"? The one where pizza explains it all ... [grammatikk] [on the go] 11.11.2025 25m

Send us Fan Mail We dive into the real logic behind Norwegian "at" and "som", stripping away jargon and showing exactly how these connectors connect the dots. With everyday examples, quick tests you can run in your head, and a few memorable sentences about pizza, we get rid of the guesswork. We start by grounding at in the places you actually meet it: after verbs like think, say, hope, and see. You’ll hear how an at-clause behaves as one piece inside a larger sentence, often acting as the ob...

#25 Preteritum and perfektum - How Norwegians look at the past [grammatikk] [on the go] 04.11.2025 28m

Send us Fan Mail Let's dig into a clear mental model that strips away guesswork and shows exactly when to use preteritum, presens perfektum, and preteritum perfektum. Instead of memorizing lists, you’ll learn a focus rule: is the time window closed and you’re reliving a finished moment, or does the action still shape what matters now? I look at English comparisons that often confuse learners. Norwegian doesn’t split past actions into continuous and simple the way English does—spiste can cove...