Recommended resources
The freely available resources this lesson will direct you to.
Hei! This module is about moving beyond practical exchanges and into everyday social conversation. Here you will focus on its edges: how to greet someone, make a natural first move, and leave without an abrupt stop. The useful surprise is that you need fewer greetings than you might expect—but choosing the right farewell depends on what happens next.
Start with hei
For most encounters, Hei! is the safest opening. It works with a friend, a neighbour, someone you have just met, or a colleague. You do not need a more elaborate greeting to sound respectful. Hei hei! adds a little warmth, while Unnskyld (“excuse me”) is useful when you need to get someone’s attention before speaking.
Read the opening of Elon.io’s Greetings and Leave-Takings for the distinction between a greeting and a call for attention. Its section on time-of-day greetings will also help you avoid translating English habits too literally.
Greetings and Leave-Takings | Norwegian Grammar | Elon.io
Read Elon.io’s guide to establish a reliable default greeting and understand when a more specific one fits.
Under “hei — the word that does everything,” read from the introduction to hei through the example with “hei hei.” Continue through the paragraph beginning “hallo exists too,” ending with its comparison to a face-to-face greeting. Under “The time-of-day greetings — more formal than English speakers expect,” read the opening explanation and its register table. Then read the discussion of god dag. Focus on what you would actually say to a peer, rather than memorising every option in the table.
There is a practical distinction here. God morgen (“good morning”) can be a warm morning greeting, but you never need it in place of hei. God dag is not the ordinary daytime equivalent of hei; with a friend, it may sound stiff. God natt (“good night”) belongs at departure or bedtime, not on arrival.
You may hear Hallo! used as a greeting, too. But when you are choosing an easy, dependable face-to-face opening, choose Hei! Save hallo? especially for checking whether someone is there or getting their attention.
Give the other person a way in
After hei, you can either state why you have approached someone or offer a brief social question. With someone you know, Hvordan går det? (“How’s it going?”) makes room for a short exchange. It does not require a long account of your day.
A useful response is Bare bra, takk. Og med deg? (“Fine, thanks. And you?”). If things are merely okay, Det går bra (“It’s going okay”) also works. What makes the exchange feel conversational is returning the question, not finding an unusually interesting answer.
Listen to the questions and replies in the following short segment. Use it for the sound and shape of the phrases; you do not need to adopt every alternative it mentions.
Simple Norwegian #2 - Greetings, Introductions & Goodbyes
In Simple Norwegian #2 - Greetings, Introductions & Goodbyes, the Simple Norwegian channel presents short ways to ask and answer how someone is doing.
Watch the check-in phrases. Listen for “Hvordan går det?” and “Det går bra,” and notice that the reply can be brief before the conversation moves on.
A first meeting calls for a slightly different continuation. Once names have been exchanged, Hyggelig å hilse på deg! means “Nice to meet you!” You can treat it as a complete phrase rather than analysing each word. To approach someone you do not yet know, Unnskyld can come before your question: it signals “Excuse me,” not “Hello, we are already chatting.”
The dialogue in the next reading shows both situations: an initial approach and a meeting the following day. It also includes hallo as one speaker’s reply—a reminder that real speakers have more than one option, even though hei remains your reliable default.
1M From Bergen by boat - NoW - NTNU
Read the short dialogues in NTNU’s 1M From Bergen by boat to see how an opening changes when two people meet for the first time and then recognise each other later.
Under “Fra Bergen med båt,” read the Norwegian exchange from the first approach, including the speakers’ introductions. Then, under “Maria møter Lisa neste dag,” read from the next-day greeting through both farewells, stopping before “ENGLISH.” Check the English version beneath the Norwegian dialogues afterward. Focus on where the greeting ends and the actual conversation begins; you do not need to learn the travel details.
Notice that an opening need not follow a rigid script. The first conversation starts with a reason to speak; the second can start with a greeting and Hvordan går det? In either case, one short phrase invites a response without demanding one.
Leave naturally, not suddenly
When you are ready to go, Ha det! is the everyday “Bye!” Ha det bra! is a slightly fuller, warm version. If you expect to meet again, Vi ses! means “See you!” If you expect to speak again—perhaps after a call or message—Vi snakkes! means “Talk to you!”
Before the farewell, a brief signal makes the ending smoother. Jeg må gå nå (“I have to go now”) is straightforward; Jeg må stikke nå (“I have to run now”) is more casual. After an enjoyable chat, Takk for praten (“Thanks for the chat”) can add warmth. You do not need all these phrases at once: a reason to leave followed by ha det is enough.
Greetings and Leave-Takings | Norwegian Grammar | Elon.io
Return to Elon.io’s guide for the everyday goodbyes and the difference between expecting to meet and expecting to speak again.
Under “ha det — the everyday ‘bye’,” read the explanation of ha det and the two examples immediately beneath it. Under “‘See you’ — vi ses and vi snakkes,” read from the two set phrases, including their examples. Focus on choosing a phrase by the likely next contact, not on the verb forms behind it.
Here is how the pieces might frame a conversation with someone you know:
You: Hei! Hvordan går det?
Hi! How’s it going?Other person: Bare bra, takk. Og med deg?
Fine, thanks. And you?You: Det går bra!
I’m doing okay!After you have talked for a while:
You: Jeg må stikke nå. Vi ses!
I have to run now. See you!Other person: Ja, vi ses. Ha det!
Yes, see you. Bye!
The conversation in between can be as short or long as the situation allows. The opening acknowledges the person and offers a way to continue; the closing signals that you are leaving and ends warmly. If another meeting is not likely, simply use Ha det! rather than promising Vi ses!
What to carry into your next conversation
Keep hei as your default, add Hvordan går det? when a social check-in fits, and use ha det as your dependable goodbye. Vi ses and vi snakkes give a little more information about whether you expect to meet or speak again. You can sound natural with just these few phrases, used at the right moment.
In the next lesson, you will build on the opening: understanding and answering the common questions that follow about home, work, interests, and daily routines.