Norwegian Localization: Bokmål or Nynorsk?

When localizing a product or translating a document into Norwegian, you must decide whether to use Bokmål or Nynorsk. Both are official written forms of Norwegian, but they have distinct differences in their history, usage, and geographic distribution.

Quick answer that applies 98% of the time: Use Bokmål.

Differences between Bokmål and Nynorsk

As established by law and government policy, the two official forms of written Norwegian are Bokmål (literally 'book tongue') and Nynorsk ('new Norwegian'). The official Norwegian Language Council (Språkrådet) is responsible for regulating the two forms.

Bokmål is the more commonly used written form of Norwegian. It is dominantly used in most of Norway, including the capital city of Oslo. Bokmål is based on the written Danish language, which was the official language of Norway until 1814, when Norway gained independence from Denmark. Bokmål evolved over time as a result of efforts to create a distinct Norwegian written language that was separate from Danish.

Nynorsk is a written form of Norwegian that was developed in the 19th century to create a language that was based on a mix of Norwegian dialects. Nynorsk is mostly used in Western Norway as a written language (by roughly 10% of the people, amounting to about half a million). Nynorsk has been promoted to preserve Norwegian language and culture, and it is used in some schools and government institutions.

Differences include the following:

• Vocabulary: Bokmål has a large vocabulary of loanwords from Danish and other languages, while Nynorsk also uses a lot of the same words, it also has many words that are derived from Norwegian dialects. For example, the word “difference” is “forskjell” in Bokmål, but “skilnad” in Nynorsk, the word “disappointed” is “skuffet” in Bokmål, but “vonbroten” in Nynorsk, just to mention a couple.
• Grammar: The most important difference between Bokmål and Nynorsk lies in the grammar, in the form and inflection that the words have. Bokmål follows the grammar rules of written Danish, while Nynorsk has its own unique grammar rules based on Norwegian dialects. For instance, Bokmål uses the suffix -en to mark definite singular nouns, whereas Nynorsk uses -a, as in the words “boken” (book) and “boka”.
• Formality: Bokmål is often seen as more formal and traditional, while Nynorsk is often seen as more creative and expressive.

Another factor to consider is the tone and style of the product. Bokmål is often seen as more formal and traditional, while Nynorsk is more creative and expressive. Depending on the tone and style of the product, one form of Norwegian may be more fitting than the other.

Fortunately, Bokmål and Nynorsk are mutually intelligible. Norwegian readers who are fluent in one form can understand the other.

Of the thousands of Norwegian translation projects SimulTrans has completed over the past five years, only 1.2% have targeted Nynorsk, with the rest using Bokmål. This statistic correlates to the relative use of the variants—Bokmål makes up more than 90% of all written Norwegian.

If you aren’t sure which to choose, we suggest following in the footsteps of almost every successful international company doing business in Norway by selecting Bokmål.