An English Speaker's Guide to Tromsø

AN ENGLISHSPEAKER’S GUIDE

TO TROMSØ

Although Tromsø and the surrounding area are now popular tourist destinations virtually year-round, most place names and signs remain largely in Norwegian. Some common expressions get translated rather literally, too. This article is designed to provide English-speaking visitors with useful background information to add an extra dimension to the Tromsø experience.

ROAD FINANCED BY ALCOHOL SALES

A major road in Tromsø, Dramsveien (dram road), was financed by the sale of alcohol in the 19th century. The term dram (a small measure of whisky) is also used in Scotland. Well before the establishment of the government-owned Vinmonopolet (Wine Monopoly), the Tromsø Samlag for Brændevinshandel (The Tromsø Cooperative for Liquor Sales) opened two sales outlets and three pubs in 1878.

THE SPERMING CLUB IN KARLSØY

The place name once voted as the county’s funniest is Våtræva (wet arse), a large rock in Kvæfjord municipality near Harstad in South Troms. Another contender is Sædingsklubben in Karlsøy municipality. Named after an old dialect name for a breed of sea gull, the name of the hill literally means “the sperming club”.

THE STREETS OF TROMSØ

Storgata is the Norwegian version of the English high street. The section of Storgata in the city centre is a gågata (pedestrian street). Other street names in Tromsø include Tromsø’s oldest street, Sjøgata (sea street), Midnattsolvegen (Midnight Sun road), Nordlysveien (Northern Lights road), Idrettsveien (sports road), Havnegata (port street), Bankgata (bank street) and Turistvegen (tourist road), which leads to Fjellheisen (the Cable Car).

NORWEGIAN IS A DIALECT LANGUAGE

Don’t be surprised if Norwegians greet you by saying “Takk for sist” (Thank you for last time). They really mean “Nice to see you again”!

If your waiter says “Håper det smaker” (Hope it tastes) when serving your meal, they mean “I hope you enjoy your meal”!

By the way, a vacuum cleaner is a “støvsuger” (dust sucker), a fridge is a “kjøleskap” (cooling cupboard) and an electric kettle is a “vannkoker” (water boiler).

If a Norwegian says she will “write something behind her ear” (skriv noe bak øret), it’s a direct translation. She really means he will make a mental note or remember it.

STENGT = CLOSED

Common signs in shop windows are åpen (open) and stengt (closed). Opening hours are written using the 24-hour clock, usually stating weekdays followed by Saturday opening hours in brackets. Shops are generally closed on Sunday. An example of this is 08-22 (09-18), meaning the shop in question is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. It’s worth noting that some shops and offices have different opening hours in summer and winter and reduced opening hours on the last day before a public holiday.

HIGH PARKING FINES

It’s common to see parking signs stating “Maks 2 timer” (Maximum 2 hours). Obviously, the number of hours may change. As parking fines in Tromsø can be high, it’s inadvisable to take any chances.

ROOF AVALANCHE

Perhaps the most important sign of all for visitors to Tromsø to understand is Fare for takras (Risk of snow sliding from the roof). You can ignore this if you visit in summewr. However, if you are here in winter or spring, it’s not a good idea to walk near a slanted roof full of snow and ice as it may suddenly slide down in milder weather creating a “roof avalanche”. Pavements below such roofs should be cordoned off when there is a genuine risk, but this is quite rare in Tromsø. Although cases of people being killed by a “takras” are rare, people being covered by snow or damage to parked cars are far more common.

BLOOD ON YOUR TOOTH

If If someone says you have “blood on your tooth” (blod på tannen), they really mean you are “inspired or driven to do something”. And if they tell you to have “ice in your stomach” (is i magen), they are just saying to bide your time or not to rush.

FARTS(HAHA!)DEMPERE = SPEED BUMPS

Don’t try to stop a bus stating Ikke i rute (not in service) or use a cash dispenser that is i ustand (out of order). Many English-speaking tourists are highly amused by the street sign Farts dempere (speed bumps) and the automated sign stating Din fart (your speed). To avoid a hefty fine, it’s advisable to stick to the fartsgrense (speed limit).

THE NORWEGIAN WORD FOR SUIT IS DRESS

You may think business people in Tromsø are casually dressed. It’s not uncommon to turn up for work wearing jeans and a casual shirt. However, people here save their finest clothes for holidays. Virtually everyone celebrates Christmas, New Year and perhaps even Easter wearing a suit or dress. Just to add to the confusion, the Norwegian word for suit is dress!

WHY DID YOU SAY ”BRA”?

If a Norwegian says “bra” to a female visitor, he is probably not asking to see her underwear. Instead, he simply means it’s “good”.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE IN THE BUTTER’S EYE

If your guide does not speak English so well and says you are in “the middle of the butter’s eye”. Don’t worry, he/ she won’t throw butter at you. They are simply translating the common Norwegian expression (Å være midt i smørøyet) literally and really mean you’re in the “best possible spot”, e.g. to see the Midnight Sun.

WHAT’S UNDER YOUR LIP?

At first glance, you could be excused for thinking many Norwegian men (and some women) have a serious gum disease. It’s probably “snus”, a moist powder tobacco, which many put under their upper lip instead of smoking.

THE NAMES AND MEANINGS OF TROMSØ’S MANY ISLANDS

...ØY = ISLAND

Tromsø is named after Tromsøya, the island on which the city centre is situated. The second part of the word means “island”, while the first part was probably derived from the word straumr meaning “strong stream”. Some believe that the island was originally called Lille Tromsøya (Little Tromsøya) because it’s beside a much larger island, now called Kvaløya. That island was previously called Store Tromsøya (Big Tromsøya) due to the characteristic mountain known as Tromma (the drum).

KVAL = WHALE

Kvaløya, which is accessed by bridge from near Tromsø Airport, is commonly referred to as “Whale Island”. The name is appropriate given the large numbers of whales spotted off the coast of the island in recent years. Many local tour guides simply refer to it as Whale Island. The island is 737 square kilometres, making it Norway’s fifth largest island. The sixth largest island, Ringvassøya, is reached by tunnel from Kvaløya. The 10 km long lake Skogsfjordvatnet (forest fjord lake) is the largest lake on an island in the country. Literally translated, Ringvassøya means “Circle Lake Island”.

NOT REINDEER AND WATER ISLAND

Two other nearby islands, Reinøya and Vannøya, have names that are often incorrectly translated into English. The former is often called “Reindeer island” but was originally named after another meaning of the word rein and actually means the “island with mountain ridges”. Many assume the rocky island Vannøya (also called Vanna) is named after a lake as vann means “water”, but the name is derived from varna meaning a “place giving protection”.

WEEKEND ISLAND?

Another nearby island Helgøya, no longer has a permanent population, but the picturesque wooden homes on the islands are popular holiday homes. A direct translation of helg (weekend) would now be an appropriate name. However, the name means den hellige øy (the holy island) from the Old Norse word helgi (holy). Helgøya has been a church site since the 13th century. The current church was erected in 1888 after being moved from Hamn i Senja. Hamn (harbour) was an old trading post with a natural harbour and is now a popular tourist resort.

FUGL = BIRD

Further north is the island Nord- Fugløya (North Bird Island). The island is protected as a nature reserve owing to the rich bird life. Birds nesting here include white-tailed eagle, puffin, the eider duck and the razorbill. People venturing out to the island on organised boat trips can also see otters and grey seals and in the autumn can pick the golden coloured cloudberry.

SOMMARØY = SUMMER ISLAND

A popular excursion from Tromsø is to the island of Sommarøy, which can be reached by bridge from Kvaløya. The name “Summer Island” originates to an historic Sami farm, part of which was only used during the summer months. To this day, Sami reindeer husbandry involves winter pastures in the inland and summer grazing areas on the coast.

SEAL FJORD ON WHALE ISLAND

A highlight on Kvaløya is Ersfjord, a narrow fjord surrounded by high mountains rising directly from sea level. It was originally spelt Ertzfjord as ertz was an old name for the grey seal, which was a common sight near the island. Hence, there is a “seal fjord” on “whale island”.

SKITTENELV = DIRTY RIVER

Other place names near Tromsø include Laksvatn (salmon lake), Skittenelv (dirty river), Grøtfjord (porridge fjord), Storsteinnes (large rock on a headland) and Skogsvika (forest bay).

This Guide is written by Gavin Tanguay. Gavin originates from New Zealand but has lived in Tromsø for many years. He runs a local company translating tourism-related texts (including this magazine) from Norwegian to English.