< Norwegian

Here are a few English-sounding/-looking Norwegian false friends, i.e. words whose meaning is not what you may think at first, coming from English.

In Writing (lookalikes?) In Speech (soundalikes?)
"Fabrikk"
"factory"
"Stoff"
"cloth" or
Illegal drugs or
"substance" or
literature
"TP"
The game "Trivial Pursuit"
"Gift"
"Poison" or
"Married"
"By"
"Town"
"Bra" and "God"
Variants of "Good"
"Kommune"
"Municipality"
"Sti"
"path" (The Norwegian word for stye is "Svinesti")
"Flax"
A form of instant lottery
"Flaks"
"Luck"
"Spill"
"Game" (Shall we play a...) or
"Play" (We are going to see a..)
"Gave"
Means "gift"
"Kok"
"Boil" - Cooking is "lage mat" (make food)
or even "kokkelere" (do as a Cook)
"Bu"
"Live" (in) or
"Booth" (Sales-...)
"Inn"
Means only "in"
"Gang"
"Hallway"
"Skigard"
A type of fence made from wood
"Fart"
"speed"
"Have" or "Haven"
"Garden"
"Garden"
The king's guard
"Verk"
"pain" (a ..) or
"puss" (also used)
"Ass."
"Asst."
"Spark"
"Kick"
"AS" or "A/S" ; Corporation type
Pære ; "pear" or
short for "lightbulb" (lyspære)
"Boss"
"garbage"
"Fang"
"lap" (Sitting on grandpas..)
"Dog" ; "though"
"Hen"
Away
"Krem"
Whipped cream (Before it's whipped, it's called "Fløte")
"Full"
"full" (as a glass is full) or
"drunk" - If you want to explain that you've had enough
to eat,the word you're looking for is "mett" or too much,
then "sprekkmett" means ready to burst
"Leksjon"
"lesson", not lecture (which is forelesning)
"Flår" (pronounced like "floor")
"Skinning"
"Beis" (pronounced like "base")
A type of wood taint/preservant
"Grei" (pronounced like "grey")
"OK" (also used)
"Hår" (pronounced like "hore")
"Hair"
"Lapp" (pronounced like "lap")
"Patch"
"Ku" (pronounced like "coup")
"Cow"
"Lut" (pronounced like "loot")
"Lye" (chemical)
"Deg" (pronounced like "day")
"You" (singular)
"Lus" (pronounced like "loose")
"Lice"
"Dit" (pronounced like "DEET")
"There"
"Leit" (pronounced almost like "light")
"Sad" (Something ..) or
"search"
"Mus" (pronounced like "moose")
Mouse
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