Knowing how to greet people correctly is the first step to connecting with locals in Norway.

Norwegians are generally polite but prefer a casual and relaxed tone in most everyday interactions.

This means you rarely need overly formal language when saying hello to someone.

I’ll show you exactly which Norwegian greetings to use in every type of social situation.

Everyday casual greetings

You can use casual greetings in almost every situation in Norway.

Whether you’re entering a shop, meeting a friend, or greeting a coworker, these phrases are perfectly acceptable.

Hei and hallo

Hei is the absolute most common way to say hello in Norwegian.

It works in formal situations, informal situations, and everything in between.

Hallo is another very common greeting that translates directly to “hello”.

You’ll hear it frequently, especially when Norwegians answer the phone.

Hei hei and heisann

Norwegians love to double up on their greetings to sound extra friendly.

Saying hei hei is a very cheerful way to greet someone at a café, a checkout counter, or in passing.

Heisann is another upbeat, informal variation of hello.

It translates roughly to “hi there” and is used to sound welcoming and approachable.

Time-specific greetings

Sometimes it makes more sense to greet someone based on the time of day.

These phrases are slightly more formal than a simple hei, but they’re still used constantly in everyday life.

God morgen

God morgen translates directly to “good morning”.

You should use this phrase from the time you wake up until around noon.

God dag

God dag translates to “good day” and is used in the afternoon.

This is considered slightly formal and polite.

You’ll often hear shop assistants, bank tellers, or older generations use this greeting.

God kveld

God kveld means “good evening”.

You can start using this phrase after the sun goes down or after normal working hours end.

Asking how someone is doing

Following up a greeting with a polite question is a great way to keep the conversation going.

Just remember that Norwegians usually expect an honest answer to these questions rather than just a polite nod.

Hvordan går det?

Hvordan går det? is the standard way to ask “how is it going?” or “how are you?”.

This phrase is understood everywhere in Norway.

Norway has incredibly diverse regional dialects, so you’ll hear many variations of this phrase depending on where you travel.

In Eastern Norway (around Oslo), people often say Åssen går det? instead.

In Northern Norway or Trøndelag, you’re much more likely to hear Korsn går det?.

Går det bra?

If you want a shorter alternative, you can simply ask går det bra?.

This translates to “is it going well?” or “are you okay?”.

Saying goodbye in Norwegian

Once your conversation is over, you need to know how to properly excuse yourself.

Here are the most common ways to say goodbye in Norway.

Ha det bra

Ha det bra is the standard, foolproof way to say goodbye in Norwegian.

It literally translates to “have it good”.

In relaxed everyday speech, Norwegians usually shorten this phrase to just ha det.

Vi snakkes

If you’re talking to a friend or someone you expect to see again soon, you can say vi snakkes.

This translates roughly to “we’ll speak later” or “talk to you later”.

Norwegian greetings summary table

Here’s a quick reference table of all the essential greetings we covered in this guide.

With these phrases memorized, you’ll be prepared for your next Norwegian conversation.