Bokmål vs Nynorsk: Which Norwegian Should You Learn?
Why Norway Has Two Written Standards
Norway's linguistic situation is unique in Europe. When Norway gained independence from Denmark in 1814, the educated classes wrote Danish — a legacy of four centuries of union. Two competing movements emerged in the 19th century. Bokmål ('book language') was a gradual Norwegianization of Danish, championed by writer and linguist Knud Knudsen. Nynorsk ('new Norwegian') was created by Ivar Aasen from scratch, based on rural dialects that had survived without Danish influence. Today both are legally equal, and all government agencies must serve citizens in whichever form they prefer. Schools teach both, but students take exams primarily in whichever form the school uses.
The Numbers: Who Actually Uses Each Form
Roughly 85–90% of Norwegians write Bokmål, including all major newspapers, most books, and the dominant media. About 10–15% write Nynorsk, concentrated in western Norway — particularly in the counties of Vestland and Møre og Romsdal. On the national broadcaster NRK, around 25% of content is required to be in Nynorsk. For a learner, the statistical reality is clear: if you want to read Norwegian media, write emails to Norwegian colleagues, or consume the vast majority of digital content, Bokmål is where you should start.
How Different Are They, Really?
Bokmål and Nynorsk are mutually intelligible to any literate Norwegian, but they look noticeably different on paper. Consider the word for 'I write': Bokmål says 'jeg skriver', Nynorsk says 'eg skriv'. The word for 'girl' is 'jente' in Bokmål and 'jente' or 'gjente' in Nynorsk. Verbs in Nynorsk typically have stronger endings: the Bokmål plural past tense ending '-et' often becomes '-a' in Nynorsk. Nynorsk also preserves some phonological features lost in Bokmål — features it shares with Icelandic and Faroese. If you learn Bokmål thoroughly, you can read Nynorsk with moderate effort after some exposure.
Spoken Norwegian: The Dialect Reality
Here is where Norwegian gets genuinely interesting for learners: spoken Norwegian has no standard. Norwegians speak their regional dialects in every context — television, radio, parliament, university lectures, job interviews. There is no spoken equivalent of 'BBC English' or 'Hochdeutsch' that educated Norwegians converge toward in formal settings. Oslo dialect (Østnorsk) is de facto understood everywhere because of media concentration, and western Norwegian dialects have closer ties to Nynorsk. This means whichever written form you choose, you will still need to train your ear for dialect variation — which makes early listening practice especially important.
When Nynorsk Matters for Learners
There are specific situations where learning Nynorsk becomes worthwhile. If you are marrying into a Nynorsk-dominant family, working in local government in western Norway, studying Norwegian literature (Nynorsk has a rich tradition including Tarjei Vesaas and Jon Fosse, the 2023 Nobel laureate), or simply want full literacy in the language, Nynorsk knowledge pays off. Jon Fosse writes in Nynorsk, which means anyone reading his Nobel-recognized work in the original faces Nynorsk text. For most professional and everyday purposes, however, Bokmål gives you more return per hour of study.
Which to Learn: The Practical Recommendation
Start with Bokmål. The learning resources are vastly more abundant — from Duolingo to university courses to Norwegian public television's NRK Super. You will be understood everywhere and able to read most of what you encounter. After reaching B1 in Bokmål, begin passive exposure to Nynorsk: read a Nynorsk newspaper, watch NRK Nynorsk content, and notice the systematic differences. You will find the transition faster than starting from scratch because the core vocabulary and grammar logic are shared. On Unox, Norwegian tutors can work in either form — mention your preference in your first trial lesson and your tutor will adapt their written materials accordingly.
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