Do you speak English?

07:39 Nov 1, 2001
English to Norwegian translations [Non-PRO]
English term or phrase: Do you speak English?
I am travelling to Norway and I think this would be a useful phrase.


Summary of answers provided
5 +1kan du engelsk?
Per Bergvall
4Snakker du / De engelsk?
Pieter_H
4Just start speaking English
Erling Dugan


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Snakker du / De engelsk?


Explanation:
Hi
As simple as that.

usually "du" is used - if you want to be more polite when addressing someone in the street one uses "De" .( pron: Di:)


Regards,

Pieter_H

Ref: bilingual

Pieter_H
Norway
Local time: 05:53
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in NorwegianNorwegian
PRO pts in pair: 50
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
kan du engelsk?


Explanation:
Seriously, if you're speaking to a Norwegian between 10 and 60 years of age, skip the language question and go to the real question you want to ask. We all speak some English, while some may be too cautious to say flat out that "yes, I speak English". This is a yes/no question with a hundred possible answers...:-)

Per Bergvall
Norway
Local time: 05:53
Native speaker of: Native in NorwegianNorwegian
PRO pts in pair: 2312

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Trond Ruud: The implicit question is maybe more "Do you understand English?" , as "Do you speak?"
14 hrs
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1 day 8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Just start speaking English


Explanation:
My advice to people when visiting Norway is to start speaking English. People are too shy to admit they can speak but will always try to help you. Most people speak much better English than they would admit.

Erling Dugan
United States
Local time: 21:53
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in NorwegianNorwegian
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