Clothes in everyday life
In this lesson, you will learn basic words about clothes and shoes. This is useful in a shop, when talking about the weather, when describing yourself and other people, and in simple everyday situations. At A1 level, it is important to remember the most common words first and learn to build short, clear phrases.
In Norwegian, clothing words are often used with simple verbs: ha på — to be wearing something, ta på — to put on, kjøpe — to buy, prøve — to try on. These words are very common in shops and in everyday speech.
Basic words: clothes
Here are the most important words to remember first:
ei skjorte — shirt
ei T-skjorte — T-shirt
en genser — sweater, jumper
ei jakke — jacket
ei bukse — trousers, pants
en kjole — dress
et skjørt — skirt
ei lue — hat, beanie
et skjerf — scarf
hansker — gloves
sokker — socks
undertøy — underwear
Note that Norwegian nouns have grammatical gender, so words are often learned together with the article: en, ei, et. This helps you build correct phrases later.
Shoes
sko — shoes, footwear
joggesko — sneakers
støvler — boots
sandaler — sandals
The word sko is very common and can mean footwear in general or a pair of shoes depending on the context.
Colors of clothes
Colors are often used when describing clothes. At beginner level, it is enough to know the most common ones:
svart — black
hvit — white
rød — red
blå — blue
grønn — green
gul — yellow
grå — gray
brun — brown
To describe an item of clothing, a very simple model is useful: item + color. For example: en blå genser, ei svart jakke, røde sko.
Sizes
In a clothing shop, you often need to say or understand a size. These words and phrases are useful:
størrelse — size
liten — small
stor — big
for liten — too small
for stor — too big
passer — fits
Simple phrases about size:
Jeg bruker størrelse M. — I wear size M.
Har dere denne i størrelse S? — Do you have this in size S?
Den er for stor. — It is too big.
Den passer bra. — It fits well.
Useful verbs and simple patterns
For the topic of clothes, several short patterns are especially useful.
Jeg har på meg ... is used when you say what you are wearing now.
Jeg har på meg en svart jakke. — I am wearing a black jacket.
Jeg har på meg blå jeans. — I am wearing blue jeans.
Jeg tar på meg ... is used when you put something on.
Jeg tar på meg genseren. — I am putting on the sweater.
Hun tar på seg skoene. — She is putting on the shoes.
Jeg vil prøve ... is useful in a shop when you want to try something on.
Jeg vil prøve denne jakken. — I want to try on this jacket.
Kan jeg prøve disse skoene? — Can I try on these shoes?
How to describe clothes simply and clearly
At A1 level, you do not need long sentences. Short models are enough:
Dette er en genser. — This is a sweater.
Genseren er grønn. — The sweater is green.
Jeg liker denne kjolen. — I like this dress.
Han har på seg ei lue. — He is wearing a hat.
Hun har på seg røde sko. — She is wearing red shoes.
These phrases help you talk about your clothes, shopping, and what you see around you.
Phrases for the shop
In this module about the city and everyday services, it is important to be able to communicate in a shop. For clothes, these phrases are especially useful:
Hvor er prøverommet? — Where is the fitting room?
Kan jeg prøve denne? — Can I try this on?
Har dere en større størrelse? — Do you have a larger size?
Har dere en mindre størrelse? — Do you have a smaller size?
Hvor mye koster den? — How much does it cost?
Jeg tar den. — I’ll take it.
Jeg skal tenke litt. — I’ll think about it a little.
These phrases are short, polite, and suitable for most simple situations in a clothing shop.
Clothes and weather
The topic of clothes is closely connected with the weather, which you also meet in this module. Very often, clothes are chosen depending on the season and temperature.
Det er kaldt. Jeg trenger en varm jakke. — It is cold. I need a warm jacket.
Det regner. Jeg tar på meg støvler. — It is raining. I am putting on boots.
Det er varmt. Jeg har på meg en T-skjorte. — It is warm. I am wearing a T-shirt.
Om vinteren bruker jeg lue og skjerf. — In winter, I wear a hat and a scarf.
These sentences are especially useful in real communication because they connect clothing vocabulary with everyday life.
What is important to remember
After this lesson, it is useful to confidently recognize and use the names of basic clothes and shoes, several colors, the word størrelse, and simple shop phrases. It is also important to distinguish three common patterns: ha på — to be wearing, ta på — to put on, prøve — to try on.
Do not try to remember too many words at once. To begin with, it is enough to use the most common ones confidently: jakke, genser, bukse, sko, kjole, lue, as well as several colors and 3–5 phrases for the shop.
Lesson summary
Clothes are one of the most practical beginner topics. You need them for shopping, describing appearance, talking about the weather, and everyday habits. The more often you notice these words in real life and connect them with specific things, the faster they will become an active part of your speech.