Snakker du engelsk?
To ask "do you speak english?" in Norwegian, use Snakker du engelsk?
This phrase is used to ask if someone has the ability to communicate in the English language. The word engelsk refers to the English language.
Which one should you use?
In informal situations, you can use Kan du engelsk? to ask "Do you speak English?"
When do people say it?
If someone asks you this, a common response is Ja, jeg snakker litt engelsk. (Yes, I speak a little English.) or Nei, jeg snakker ikke engelsk. (No, I do not speak English.).
Did you know?
- In Norway, you will rarely be asked Snakker du engelsk? because the vast majority of the population is already fluent in English.
- Unlike some European languages, Norwegian does not have a formal 'you' for strangers, so du is used regardless of who you are asking.
- The word du is a cognate of the archaic English word 'thou', showing how closely the two languages once resembled each other in their pronouns.
Examples in context
- Unnskyld, snakker du engelsk?Excuse me, do you speak English?
Example conversation
Ingrid meets Jakob at a tourist information center.
- IngridHei, snakker du engelsk?Hi, do you speak English?
- JakobJa, jeg snakker engelsk.Yes, I speak English.
- IngridHvor er museet?Where is the museum?
- JakobDet er rett der borte.It is right over there.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, engelsk, CC BY-SA 4.0.
