You may have heard two names in your Norwegian course or textbook: Bokmål and Nynorsk.

Why are there two types of Norwegian?

Do people speak two different languages?

Which one should I learn?

These are really common questions.

It can be overwhelming to realize that a small country like Norway (with only about 5.4 million people) has two official written standards.

But don’t worry.

It’s actually much simpler than it looks.

I’ll explain exactly what the difference is, why we have two written forms, and most importantly, which one you should focus on as a beginner.

What are Bokmål and Nynorsk?

The first and most important thing you need to know is this:

Bokmål and Nynorsk are written languages, not spoken languages.

When Norwegians speak, they speak a dialect. When they write (in newspapers, books, or emails), they use either Bokmål or Nynorsk.

Think of it a little bit like British English and American English. They are mutually intelligible (you can understand both), but they have different spellings and vocabulary.

Here is the quick breakdown:

Bokmål:

• Literally translates to “Book Tongue” or “Book Language”.
• It is the most common form. About 85% to 90% of the population writes in Bokmål.
• It is the primary language used in major cities like Oslo.
• It is used in most major newspapers, TV subtitles, and translations of foreign books.

Nynorsk:

• Literally translates to “New Norwegian”.
• It is used by about 10% to 15% of the population.
• It is most common in the Western part of Norway (Vestlandet) and the rural central regions.
• It is an official language, so the government and public broadcasters (NRK) are required to use at least 25% Nynorsk in their content.

A very brief history (why do we have two?)

To understand why we have this split, we have to look at history.

For over 400 years (until 1814), Norway was in a union with Denmark. During this time, the written language in Norway became Danish. Even after the union ended, the educated elite in cities continued writing in Danish.

Eventually, this Danish-Norwegian writing style was gradually modified to sound more “Norwegian.” The spelling was changed to match the way Norwegians in the cities spoke.

This evolved into Bokmål.

However, in the mid-1800s, a linguist named Ivar Aasen traveled around the Norwegian countryside. He listened to how “regular people” spoke in the rural villages, far away from the Danish influence of the cities.

He collected these dialects and created a written standard that represented the “true” Norwegian ancestry.

This evolved into Nynorsk.

So, Bokmål comes from the Danish heritage, and Nynorsk comes from a collection of traditional rural dialects.

The main differences between them

For a learner, the differences might look small at first, but they affect grammar, pronouns, and vocabulary.

If you know Bokmål, you can usually read Nynorsk with a little bit of effort, and vice-versa.

Vocabulary differences

Some question words and pronouns are different. This is usually the first thing students notice.

Here is a simple comparison table:

Grammar endings

Another big difference is the gender of nouns and the article endings.

In Bokmål, we often have the option to combine feminine and masculine words into a “common gender” (using en). In Nynorsk, the three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) are strictly maintained.

For example, looking at the indefinite article “a”:

English: A car / A girl Bokmål: En bil / En jente (or Ei jente) Nynorsk: Ein bil / Ei jente

Let’s look at a full sentence to see the difference in flow.

As you can see, the structure is the same, but the spelling of almost every word changes slightly.

Dialects vs written language

This is the part that confuses students the most.

Nobody speaks “pure” Bokmål or Nynorsk.

Technically, you cannot speak a written standard. However, people from Eastern Norway (Oslo region) speak a dialect called Standard Østnorsk (Standard East Norwegian). This dialect sounds very close to how Bokmål is written.

People from the West (like Bergen, Stavanger, or Ålesund) speak dialects that often sound much closer to Nynorsk grammar.

But everyone speaks a dialect.

When you watch the news in Norway, the news anchor might speak in Standard East Norwegian (close to Bokmål), but the person they are interviewing might speak a heavy dialect from the North.

Everyone understands everyone (mostly!), but the local variations are strong.

Which one should you learn first?

If you are living outside of Norway, or if you are planning to live in Oslo or any major city, my advice is simple:

Start with Bokmål.

Here is why:

• Availability of resources: 95% of textbooks, online courses, and apps teach Bokmål. It is much harder to find materials for Nynorsk as a beginner.
• Utility: Since 85-90% of the writing you will see in Norway (menus, signs, newspapers) is in Bokmål, you will get around easier.
• Simplicity: Bokmål grammar is slightly simpler for English speakers because it is closer to Danish and English in structure, whereas Nynorsk has more complex verb conjugations.

So, when should you learn Nynorsk?

• If you plan to move specifically to a rural area in Western Norway (Vestlandet).
• If you have a family connection to a Nynorsk-using region.
• If you are an advanced learner who wants to master the full scope of the Norwegian language.

For most beginners, Bokmål is the gateway.

Once you are fluent in Bokmål, understanding Nynorsk becomes much easier, just like an American eventually understands Scottish slang.

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Don’t let the “two languages” issue scare you away from learning Norwegian.

Here is the summary:

• Norway has two written standards: Bokmål (majority) and Nynorsk (minority).
• They are written forms, not spoken dialects.
• Bokmål is closer to Danish; Nynorsk is based on rural dialects.
• Start by learning Bokmål. It is the most useful for 90% of learners.

Lykke til (Good luck) with your studies!