There are several words in Norwegian that might be misleading for English speakers because they look or sound similar but have different meanings. For example, in Norwegian, the word “gate” (pronounced ‘GAH-teh’) means “street” or “road.” It’s quite different from the English “gate,” which typically refers to a movable barrier. So, when you see signs like “Karl Johans gate” in Norway, it refers to “Karl Johan Street,” not a physical gate. So, don’t look around in the hope of finding a gate 😂.
Similary, gift in Norwegian means “poison” (not a gift as in a present). It can also mean “married,” depending on the context. For instance, “Han er gift” means “He is married.” This is a bit funny because it may make one think a marriage can be poisonous!
More twists like this
- Sulten
- Norwegian: Sulten (meaning hungry)
- English: “Sultan” (a ruler, especially in certain Middle Eastern countries)
- Skatt
- Norwegian: Skatt (meaning tax or treasure)
- English: “Skate” (the verb or the fish, unrelated)
- Artig
- Norwegian: Artig (meaning funny, amusing, or entertaining)
- English: “Artic” (relating to the Arctic, which is unrelated)
- Eventyr
- Norwegian: Eventyr (meaning fairy tale or adventure)
- English: “Event” (which refers to a happening or occurrence, not a fairy tale)
- Stor
- Norwegian: Stor (meaning big or large)
- English: “Store” (meaning a shop or a place to buy goods)
- Hurtig
- Norwegian: Hurtig (meaning fast or quick)
- English: “Hurt” (which means to cause pain or injury)
- Møbel
- Norwegian: Møbel (meaning furniture)
- English: “Möbel” isn’t used in English, but it looks like “mobile,” which means movable (but usually refers to phones or other devices)
8. Fabrikk
- Norwegian: Fabrikk (meaning factory)
- English: “Fabrik” is close, but in English, “fabric” refers to material or textile.
9. Leksjon
- Norwegian: Leksjon (meaning lesson)
- English: “Lexicon” (meaning a dictionary or word list, unrelated to a lesson).
10. Avtale
- Norwegian: Avtale (meaning agreement or appointment)
- English: “A tale” (which refers to a story, not an agreement).
11. Kurs
- Norwegian: Kurs (meaning course or exchange rate)
- English: “Curse” (which refers to a bad or harmful spell, quite different from “course”).
12. Takt
- Norwegian: Takt (meaning rhythm or timing)
- English: “Tact” (meaning sensitivity or diplomacy, not rhythm).
13. Fjell
- Norwegian: Fjell (meaning mountain)
- English: “Fell” (which means hill or slope in some contexts, or a sudden drop).
14. Stol
- Norwegian: Stol (meaning chair)
- English: “Stole” (which is the past tense of steal, meaning to take something without permission).
15. Snill
- Norwegian: Snill (meaning kind or nice)
- English: “Snail” (which is a slow-moving mollusk, not related to being kind).
16. Bilder
– Norwegian: Pictures
– English: “Bilder” isn’t a word, but it sounds like “builder” (someone who constructs buildings)
17. Spise
– Norwegian: To eat
– English: “Spice” (a seasoning, unrelated)
18. Full
Norwegian: Full means drunk or intoxicated. Example: Han er full. (He is drunk.)
English: Full means having no space left or being at capacity.
These are just a few more examples of words that look or sound similar in both languages but have different meanings. Language can be fascinating with these little twists! I
