Can I speak Bokmål in Oslo and Stavanger, Norway?

The simple answer is YES, you can speak Bokmål in Oslo AND Stavanger. I have lived in Norway for over 4 years now, and I have never - not since my first day, found myself in a situation where I am forced to speak Nynorsk. The two dialects, or “languages” are fairly similar and you will most certainly get by on Bokmål. read more

4) Bokmål vs Nynorsk – The two official languages in Norway. On one hand we have Bokmål, the Norwegian version of the Danish language, with its origin in the 16th century when the Danes occupied Norway. On the other hand we have Nynorsk (new Norwegian) which is actually made up of different dialects from the pre-Danish period. read more