Learn how to answer the first question you are asked at a restaurant
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| There are a wide variety of Norwegian dishes, and your job as a visitor is to try as many different types of food as possible! However, before you start eating, you have to get to the table. In this lesson, we'll talk about getting a table in a restaurant. |
| ・ |
| When entering a Norwegian restaurant, you may be greeted with |
| Velkomen! |
| which is translated as “welcome.” |
| (slow) Vel-ko-men! |
| Velkomen! |
| ・ |
| When you enter a restaurant, a waiter or waitress will greet you and make a guess as to how many people are in your party. For this lesson, the waitress is guessing that your party consists of two people. |
| Eit bord for to? |
| “A table for two?” |
| Let’s break it down: |
| (slow) Eit bord for to? |
| Once more: |
| Eit bord for to? |
| The first two words, eit bord, mean “a table.” |
| (slow) Eit bord. |
| Eit bord. |
| After this comes for, which means “for,” just like in English. |
| (slow) For. |
| For. |
| Finally we have to, which is the number “two” in English. |
| (slow) To. |
| To. |
| Let’s hear it one more time: |
| (slow) Eit bord for to? |
| Once more: |
| Eit bord for to? |
| ・ |
| Alternatively, the waitress may simply ask how many people there are in your party |
| Kor mange personar? |
| Let’s break it down: |
| (slow) Kor mang-e per-so-nar? |
| Once more: |
| Kor mange personar? |
| The first word, kor?, means “how?” |
| (slow) Kor? |
| Kor? |
| After this comes mange, which means “many.” |
| (slow) Mang-e. |
| Mange |
| Finally we have personar, which is “persons” or “people” in English. |
| (slow) Per-so-nar. |
| Personar |
| Let’s hear it one more time: |
| Kor mange personar? |
| Literally translated, this phrase means “how many people?” We will translate it to the more idiomatic “how many people are there in your party?” |
| ・ |
| Whichever question the waitress asks, the usual answer is to say “a table for,” followed by the number of people who will be dining |
| Eit bord for to. |
| Let’s break it down: |
| (slow) Eit bord for to. |
| Once again: |
| Eit bord for to. |
| The difference between the waiter’s question and your statement is intonation. Just as in English, questions in Norwegian end with a rising tone. |
| To make this more interesting, let’s take a look at some of the numbers you might need from two to five: |
| 2 to |
| (slow) to |
| 3 tre |
| (slow) tre |
| 4 fire |
| (slow) fi-re |
| 5 fem |
| (slow) fem |
| ・ |
| If you are dining alone, say |
| Berre meg. |
| The translation of this phrase is “just me.” |
| Let’s break it down: |
| (slow) Ber-re meg. |
| Once more: |
| Berre meg. |
| The first word, berre, means “only” or “just” |
| (slow) Ber-re. |
| Berre. |
| After this we have meg which means “me.” |
| (slow) Meg. |
| Meg. |
| Let’s hear it one more time: |
| Berre meg. |
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