OrdforrådA1

Numbers 11–100

Numbers 11–100 in Norwegian Bokmål: teens, tens, and compound numbers

Learning Goal

Can count to 100 in Norwegian and form compound numbers correctly

Exam Skills:LytteforståelseMuntligSkriftlig

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Jeg er tjuetre år gammel.

I am twenty-three years old.

Det er femten elever i klassen.

There are fifteen students in the class.

Bussen koster åttiseks kroner.

The bus costs eighty-six kroner.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Norwegian numbers 11–100. Teens (13-19) end in -ten. Tens: tjue(20), tretti(30), førti(40), femti(50), seksti(60), sytti(70), åtti(80), nitti(90), hundre(100). Compounds: tjue + to = tjueto (22).

Teens are irregular; compound pattern is simple. 🇬🇧 English: Tjue (20) looks nothing like 'twenty'. Teens -ten vs English -teen.

Common Error Patterns

Confuses teen numbers (e.g., says 'femten' for 50)

Teens 11-19: elleve, tolv, tretten, fjorten, femten (15), seksten, sytten, atten, nitten. Tens: tjue(20), tretti(30), etc.

Writes compound numbers as separate words when joined form expected

Both tjueto and tjue to are accepted in Bokmål. Joined form is more common in speech.

Jeg er tjuetre år gammel.

I am twenty-three years old.

'Tjuetre' = 23 (tjue + tre). 'År gammel' = years old.

Det er femten elever i klassen.

There are fifteen students in the class.

'Femten' = 15. Norwegian teens (13-19) all end in '-ten' except elleve (11) and tolv (12).

Bussen koster åttiseks kroner.

The bus costs eighty-six kroner.

'Åttiseks' = 86 (åtti + seks). Norwegian compound numbers join tier and unit directly.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

A1 Course
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