This guide adapts rules and examples from Microsoft’s 51-page Norwegian Nynorsk Localization Style Guide (originally written for software/UI localization). The underlying linguistic rules apply universally — to legal contracts, medical documents, marketing copy, and any Norwegian Nynorsk translation work. Restructured and reformatted as a general Nynorsk translator reference by ChatsControl.

Norwegian Nynorsk Translation Style Guide — Voice, Word Choice & Common Pitfalls (Legal, Medical, Marketing, IT)¶

TL;DR¶

• Norwegian Nynorsk translation across all spheres (legal, medical, marketing, IT) needs a warm, conversational, scannable register — overly formal or stilted Nynorsk damages user engagement and signals translatorese.
• Nynorsk uses three grammatical genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) — pronouns ho/henne and han refer to objects too (not just det/den), determined by the object’s grammatical gender.
• Use vi (not me), de/dykk (not dokker), ho/henne for feminine, the gender-neutral pronoun hen for generic single-person references (genitive form hens is not recommended).
• Avoid -mann/-kvinne compounds where possible: talsperson (not talsmann/talskvinne), kommunedirektør (not rådmann), statstilsett (not tenestemann); some terms have no gender-neutral alternative yet (nordmann, jordmor) — keep those.
• Reference Nynorskordboka (Det norske samlaget 2006), Vinje’s Skrivereglar (7th ed., Nynorsk, 2009), Nynorsk ordliste (Samlaget 2005), and Språkrådet for normative orthography.

Register and tone for modern Norwegian Nynorsk translation¶

Register is the level of formality, warmth, and conversational ease the target text projects. Modern Norwegian Nynorsk readers across consumer-facing spheres expect a register that resembles everyday conversation rather than the formal, technical Norwegian found in official or commercial content. Don’t use words that give the text a stilted, antiquated, or overly formal impression when an adequate synonym exists. Where a synonym gives the text a less technical impression, use it.

Three principles define the modern Nynorsk register for consumer-facing content:

• Warm and relaxed. Sounds like honest conversation, not a formal notice. Less formal, more grounded — matching how Norwegians actually speak.
• Crisp and clear. Written for scanning first, reading second. Sentences short enough to parse on a phone screen. Simplicity is the default.
• Ready to help. Anticipates what the reader needs and offers it at the right moment, rather than burying it under qualifications.

Avoid passive voice — it’s difficult to read and parse quickly. Avoid slang and be careful with colloquialisms; reassure and connect with customers in a conversational tone, but stay professional. Avoid the corporate “we” (“Microsoft announces…”, “We’re proud to introduce…”, “We want you to know”). Keep the focus on “you” — the reader, the audience.

Why this matters: Stilted Nynorsk register damages outcomes across spheres. In marketing copy it kills conversion — readers bounce when text sounds overly bureaucratic. In patient-facing medical materials it reduces comprehension and compliance, particularly with readers more comfortable in spoken dialects. In software UI it creates friction at every interaction. In consumer-facing legal documents Norwegian regulators increasingly demand plain language. Only sworn legal translation and pure technical specifications retain the older formal register.

Audience targeting: technical vs. consumer vocabulary¶

The same source text requires different vocabulary depending on who reads the translation. Use technical terms for technical audiences; for consumers use common everyday words. A clinical drug monograph for prescribers uses precise pharmacological terminology; the patient leaflet for the same drug uses everyday Nynorsk. A software API reference uses developer jargon; the end-user help article uses plain Nynorsk.

This applies in every sphere. Legal translation for corporate counsel uses Latin terminology and procedural shorthand; consumer-facing versions need plain-Nynorsk framing. Medical translation for clinicians keeps Greek/Latin nomenclature; for patients it switches to common terms. IT translation uses developer jargon in engineer-facing docs, natural Nynorsk in end-user help.

Word choice: approved terminology and conversational vocabulary¶

Use approved terminology from Microsoft language resources for key terms, technical terms, and product names. Consistency within the bank matters more than the individual choice. Short, everyday words are preferred over long formal ones wherever both exist and the audience is non-specialist.

en-US source	Nynorsk word/phrase to avoid	Preferred Nynorsk word/phrase
enables you to	gir deg moglegheit til	gjer at du kan / lèt deg / med … kan du
use	nytte	bruke
you	ein	du
following, subsequent	følgeleg, påfølgande	neste
refer	referere	vise til, sjå

Words and phrases to avoid in modern Nynorsk¶

The Microsoft voice avoids unnecessarily formal tone. The following table lists US English words that add formality without adding meaning, along with more common equivalents.

en-US word/phrase to avoid	Preferred en-US word/phrase
Achieve	Do
As well as	Also, too
Attempt	Try
Configure	Set up
Encounter	Meet
Execute	Run
Halt	Stop
Have an opportunity	Can
However	But
Give/provide guidance, give/provide information	Help
In addition	Also
In conjunction with	With
Locate	Find
Make a recommendation	Recommend
Modify	Change
Navigate	Go
Obtain	Get
Perform	Do
Purchase	Buy
Refer to	See
Resolve	Fix
Subsequent	Next
Suitable	Works well
Terminate	End
Toggle	Switch
Utilize	Use

Why this matters: Formal forms appear in legal templates and government forms out of institutional habit but feel alien in modern consumer products, patient-facing medical materials, brand-led marketing, and user-friendly software. A privacy policy opening with “Vi forsøkjer å overhalde…” signals distance; “Vi prøver å halde oss til…” reads as the product talking to its user. A patient leaflet using “Du har moglegheita til å…” lands differently than “Du kan…”. These substitutions are among the highest-leverage edits a Nynorsk translator can make.

Sample voice text¶

Address the user to take action¶

US English	Nynorsk target	Explanation
The password isn’t correct, so please try again. Passwords are case-sensitive.	Passordet er ikkje rett, så prøv på nytt. Passord skil mellom store og små bokstavar.	Short, friendly message asking the user to try again.
This product key didn’t work. Please check it and try again.	Produktnøkkelen fungerte ikkje. Kontroller han, og prøv på nytt.	Casual and polite — note “han” referring to the masculine produktnøkkelen.
All ready to go	Alt er klart	Casual short setup-complete message.
Would you like to continue?	Vil du halde fram?	Polite second-person question.
Give your PC a name—any name you want. If you want to change the background color, turn high contrast off in PC settings.	Gi PC-en eit namn – kva som helst. Dersom du vil endre bakgrunnsfargen, slår du av høgkontrast i PC-innstillingar.	Direct address using second-person pronoun.

Promoting a feature¶

US English	Nynorsk target	Explanation
Picture password is a new way to help you protect your touchscreen PC. You choose the picture—and the gestures you use with it—to create a password that’s uniquely yours.	Biletpassord er ein ny måte å verne om berøringsskjerm-PC-en din på. Du vel biletet, og rørslene du bruker med det, til å opprette eit passord som er unikt for deg.	Em-dash emphasizes the specific requirements.
Let apps give you personalized content based on your PC’s location, name, account picture, and other domain info.	Lat appar gi deg tilpassa innhald basert på plasseringa, namnet og kontobiletet for PC-en din.	Common words (“PC”) sound familiar and friendly.

Providing how-to guidelines¶

US English	Nynorsk target	Explanation
To go back and save your work, click Cancel and finish what you need to.	Vil du gå tilbake og lagre arbeidet, klikkar du på Avbryt og gjer ferdig det du treng.	Second person + short, clear direction.
To confirm your current picture password, just watch the replay and trace the example gestures shown on your picture.	Du stadfestar det gjeldande biletpassordet ved å sjå på avspelinga og gjenta rørslene du ser på biletet.	Simple, natural — only what the user needs to know.
Use random hardware addresses to make it harder for people to track your location when you connect to different WLAN networks.	Bruk tilfeldige maskinvareadresser for å gjere det vanskelegare for andre å spore plasseringa di når du koplar til ulike WLAN-nettverk.	Direct second-person tone.

Explanatory text and providing support¶

US English	Nynorsk target	Explanation
The updates are installed, but Windows Setup needs to restart for them to work. After it restarts, we’ll keep going from where we left off.	Oppdateringane er installerte, men installasjonsprogrammet for Windows må startast på nytt før dei fungerer. Etter omstarten held vi fram der vi slapp.	Reassuring tone — uses “vi” for a personal feel.
If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work.	Dersom du startar på nytt no, kan du og andre som bruker denne PC-en, miste arbeid som ikkje er lagra.	Clear, natural — explains what will happen.
This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties.	Dette dokumentet blir automatisk flytta til rett bibliotek og mappe når du har retta opp eigenskapar som er feil eller manglar.	Informative, direct.
Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive.	Noko gjekk galt! Finn ikkje filane som blei lasta ned for å lage ein oppstartbar USB-flash-eining.	Short sentences inform the user.

Inclusive language¶

Avoid gender bias¶

Use gender-neutral alternatives for common terms where possible. Avoid compounds containing gender-specific terms (mann, kvinne, etc.). If the title/term has no gender-neutral alternative, do not create a word that’s not commonly used — terms like nordmann and jordmor have no neutral equivalents yet, keep those.

Use this (target)	Not this (target)	Comments
talsperson	talsmann/talskvinne	Replace mann or kvinne with person for gender-neutral term.
ombod	ombodsmann/ombodskvinne	Removing mann or kvinne altogether makes the term gender neutral and snappier.
forskar, naturvitar etc., or vitskapsfolk (plural)	vitskapsmann, vitskapskvinne	Suggested by Språkrådet. More precise than the general vitskapsmann/vitskapskvinne.
kommunedirektør	rådmann	Suggested by Språkrådet, already in use in legal texts.
statstilsett	tenestemann	Suggested by Språkrådet, already in use in legal texts.

When presenting generalization, use plural noun forms (e.g., personar, folk, studentar). Don’t use gendered pronouns (ho, henne, han, etc.) in generic references. Instead:

• Rewrite to use second or third person (du, ein, vedkomande, nokon).
• Rewrite the sentence to have a plural noun and pronoun.
• Refer to a person’s role (brukar, tilsett, kunde, klient).
• Use person or similar.

Use this (English)	Not this (English)	Use this (Nynorsk)	Not this (Nynorsk)
A user with the appropriate rights can set other users’ passwords.	If the user has the appropriate rights, he can set other users’ passwords.	Ein brukar med dei nødvendige rettane kan oppgi passord for andre brukarar.	Dersom brukaren har dei nødvendige rettane, kan han oppgi passord for andre brukarar.
Developers need access to servers in their development environments, but they don’t need access to the servers in Azure.	A developer needs access to servers in his development environment, but he doesn’t need access to the servers in Azure.	Utviklarane treng tilgang til tenarane i utviklingsmiljøa, men dei treng ikkje tilgang til tenarane i Azure.	Ein utviklar treng tilgang til tenarane i utviklingsmiljøa, men han treng ikkje tilgang til tenarane i Azure.
To call someone, select the person’s name, select Make a phone call, and then choose the number you’d like to dial.	To call someone, select his name, select Make a phone call, and then select his number.	For å ringje nokon må du velje namnet på personen, velje Ring og så velje nummeret du vil ringje.	For å ringje nokon må du velje namnet hans, velje Ring og så velje nummeret du vil ringje.

The new gender-neutral pronoun hen is acceptable for generic single-person references (genitive form hens not recommended). Recently added to Norwegian dictionaries and adopted by major IT companies.

When writing about a real person, use the pronouns they prefer — han, ho, hen, dei, or another. It’s OK to use gendered pronouns when writing about real people who use those pronouns themselves.

Use this (English)	Not this (English)	Use this (Nynorsk)	Not this (Nynorsk)
expert	guru	ekspert	guru
colleagues; everyone; all	guys; ladies and gentlemen	kollegaer, alle saman	mine damer og herrar
parent	mother or father	forelder	mor eller far

Accessibility language¶

Focus on people, not disabilities. Don’t use words that imply pity (ramma av, lir av). The preferred option is not to mention a disability unless it’s relevant.

Use this (English)	Not this (English)	Use this (Nynorsk)	Not this (Nynorsk)
person with a disability	handicapped	person med nedsett funksjonsevne	handikappa, funksjonshemma
person without a disability	normal person; healthy person	person utan nedsett funksjonsevne	normal person, frisk person, sunn person

Use generic verbs that apply to all input methods and devices.

Use this (English)	Not this (English)	Use this (Nynorsk)	Not this (Nynorsk)
Select	Click	Vel	Klikk

Other accessibility principles:

• Keep paragraphs short and sentence structure simple — aim for one verb per sentence. Read text aloud and imagine it spoken by a screen reader.
• Spell out words like og, pluss, and cirka / om lag / omtrent. Screen readers can misread text with special characters like &, +, ~.

Why this matters: Inclusive language is enforceable in many legal/employment contexts and increasingly expected in medical/healthcare communication. For marketing translation it directly affects brand perception. For software UI, screen-reader-friendly phrasing affects whether the product is usable at all for blind users.

Language-specific standards¶

Abbreviations¶

Avoid abbreviations unless absolutely necessary due to lack of space. Abbreviations aren’t normally used in running text — spell out phrases like for eksempel and og så vidare. Use conventional abbreviations when possible, with periods, except for “kr” (kroner) and measuring units (“km”). Try to abbreviate words after a consonant or cluster of consonants (“eks.”, “subst.”). For a full list, see Vinje’s Skrivereglar.

Expression	Acceptable Abbreviation
for eksempel	f.eks.

Acronyms¶

Acronyms are words made of the initial letters of major parts of a compound term: WYSIWYG, NATO. Most acronyms are non-translatable. DNB, DBS, SFO are abbreviations where letters are pronounced separately — not technically acronyms.

Localized acronyms. Gender is usually masculine. They tend to take the same gender as the last or main word in the acronym, no specific rule.

en-US source	Nynorsk target
PIN	PIN-nummer

Unlocalized acronyms. Acronyms remaining in English should be explained in parentheses first time used, or use the full term with the acronym in parentheses. Then use the acronym alone in the rest of the text.

Ei programinformasjonsfil (PIF) inneheld informasjon om korleis eit program utnyttar skjermen, minnet og andre ressursar. PIF-en er lagra …

Write the description in English unless a translation gives the same acronym: PIF (programinformasjonsfil), RAM (Random Access Memory). If a Nynorsk term exists, write it followed by the acronym and an English description if necessary: lokalnett (LAN—Local Area Network).

en-US source	Nynorsk target
ASAP	ASAP

Case. Acronyms are written in upper case: PC, TV.

Inflection. A hyphen precedes the inflection ending of acronyms (agreed with the subsidiary and the Norwegian Council in 2014): ein PC – PC-en – PC-ar – PC-ane.

Adjectives¶

In Nynorsk, participles are the adjectival forms of the verb. The present participle (gjerande) is rarely used. The following rules apply to the past participle (gjort), frequently used as a noun-modifier.

Preceding participles are inflected for number and gender:

Indefinite	Definite
ein open bil	den opne bilen
ei send melding	den sende meldinga
opne bilar	dei opne bilane
sende meldingar	dei sende meldingane

Also in predicative position:

Romanen er skriven Boka er skriven Brevet er skrive Notata er skrivne

Adjectives are also inflected for number in regular prepositional phrases: Dei var merksame på…, Dei var glade i…

A sentence is often more fluent with a relative clause rather than a preceding participle:

English	Translation	Don’t use
Attach certificates with newly added signatures.	Legg ved sertifikat med signaturar som nyleg er lagde til.	Legg ved sertifikat med nyleg tillagde signaturar.

Possessive adjectives¶

The frequent use of possessives is an English-language feature, not as common in Nynorsk. Din, di, ditt, dine should be omitted from product copy unless needed for clarification. When included, the possessive is placed after the word it modifies.

English	Translation	Incorrect	Comment
Open your document from your personal folder	Opne dokumentet frå den personlege mappa di	Opne ditt dokument frå di personlege mappe	First possessive omitted; second included for clarification.
Contact your system administrator	Kontakt systemansvarleg	Kontakt din systemansvarlege	Possessive omitted.
your favorite tools	favorittverktøya dine	dine favorittverktøy	Possessive included for clarification, placed after the word.

Articles¶

The indefinite article is often omitted in Nynorsk. Plural is often used instead.

English	Translation	Don’t use
You have to be logged on as an Administrator	Du må vere logga på som administrator	Du må vere logga på som ein administrator
Formatting a document	Formatere dokument	Formatere eit dokument
If you have a problem …	Dersom du har problem …	Dersom du har eit problem …

Unlocalized feature names. Microsoft product names and non-translated feature names are used without articles in English; same applies to Nynorsk.

en-US source	Nynorsk target
Microsoft Edge	Microsoft Edge

Articles for English borrowed terms. Consider Motivation (formally motivated features?), Analogy (equivalent Nynorsk term whose article could be used?), Frequency (what does technical documentation use?). Consult the Language Portal.

Indefinite singular	Definite singular	Indefinite plural	Definite plural
ein tenar	tenaren	tenarar	tenarane
ein chat	chatten	chattar	chattane
ein SKU	SKU-en	SKU-ar	SKU-ane

Capitalization¶

The English language tends to overuse capitals. This practice should not be followed in Nynorsk.

Compounds¶

Compounds should be understandable and clear. Avoid overly long or complex compounds — unintuitive compounds are an intelligibility and usability issue. Use a connective -e where possible:

Use	Don’t use
museknapp	musknapp
hjelpeemne	hjelpemne, Hjelp-emne
tastekombinasjon	tastkombinasjon

In combinations with digits preceding a genitive, use a hyphen between the digit and the genitive and a space between the genitive and what follows. The grammatical number is defined by the cardinal number.

Use	Don’t use
10-punkts skrift	10 punkts skrift
32-bitars versjon	32-bitarsversjon
9-pinnars kontakt	9-pinnes kontakt
1-persons datamaskin	1-personars datamaskin

Genitive¶

Paraphrasing, often with prepositions, is recommended where possible. The “s” genitive can be used but is less common than in Bokmål. The “sin” genitive is generally acceptable in Nynorsk (unlike Bokmål, where it’s discouraged) — particularly with definite forms — but should still be avoided when paraphrasing is better.

Nynorsk	Comment
ei mils veg	Indefinite singular form.
Noregs Bank	Proper noun.
Vinjes skrifter	Proper noun.

The “s” genitive is not common with definite forms; “sin/si/sitt/sine” can be used instead, unless paraphrasing is better:

Use	Try to avoid
Kontakten sin personlege nettstad	Kontaktens personlege nettstad
Brukaren si handsaming av fila	Brukarens handsaming av fila
Avsendaren sitt sertifikat	Avsendarens sertifikat

English	Use	Don’t use	Don’t use
You deleted the file’s folder	Du sletta mappa som fila låg i	Du sletta filas mappe	Du sletta fila si mappe
Check your document’s changes	Kontroller endringane i dokumentet	Kontroller dokumentets endringar	Kontroller dokumentet sine endringar
the product’s web site	webområdet for produktet	produktets webområde	produktet sitt webområde
the document’s recovery	gjenopprettinga av dokumentet	dokumentets gjenoppretting	dokumentet sin gjenoppretting

Don’t attach a genitive s to (trademarked) product names — viewed as modification.

Genitive in combination with numbers (see also Compounds):

Use	Don’t use
10-punkts skrift	10 punkts skrift
32-bitars versjon	32-bitarsversjon
9-pinnars kontakt	9-pinnes kontakt
1-persons datamaskin	1-personars datamaskin

Localizing colloquialisms, idioms, and metaphors¶

Three options:

• Don’t replace the source colloquialism with a Nynorsk colloquialism that means the same thing unless it’s a perfect and natural fit for the context.
• Translate the intended meaning (not literally), but only if the colloquialism’s meaning is integral to the text and can’t be omitted.
• If the colloquialism can be omitted without affecting meaning, omit it.

Nouns¶

Inflection¶

Neuter words ending in -er or -el. In the definite singular when optional, do not use contracted forms:

Indefinite	Definite
eit filter	filteret
eit eksempel	eksempelet
eit kapittel	kapittelet

(Note: this differs from Bokmål, which uses contracted forms.)

Neuter words with zero or marked ending in indefinite plural. Use the zero ending for all words:

Singular	Plural
eit felt	fleire felt
eit punkt	fleire punkt
eit alternativ	fleire alternativ
eit program	fleire program
eit kvantum	fleire kvantum
eit kriterium	fleire kriterium

(Also differs from Bokmål, which prefers marked plural endings.)

When a word can have an optional -ar or -rar ending in indefinite plural and -ane or -rane in definite plural, use the contracted forms -rar and -rane:

Indefinite singular	Definite singular	Indefinite plural	Definite plural
ein parameter	parameteren	parametrar	parametrane

For nouns ending in single or double consonant, prefer a single consonant:

Singular	Plural
ei løn	løner
eit brot	brot
ei bøn	bøner

Examples of nouns with two plural options, with the preferred form:

Use	Don’t use
kostnader/kostnadene	kostnadar/kostnadane
kollegaer/kollegaene	kollegaar/kollegaane
stader/stadene	stadar/stadane
gonger/gongene	gongar/gongane
eigedomar/eigedomane	eigedommar/eigedommane

Prepositions¶

Use prepositions correctly in translated text. Many translators, influenced by English, omit them or change word order. “På” should be used after “klikke”, “dobbeltklikke”, and “trykkje” (aligned with Bokmål).

Term	Example phrase and preposition
bruke	noko til noko (means) / noko for å gjere noko (purpose)
farge	på noko
feil	i line 13
innhaldet	i fila / i dokumentet / på utklippstavla
installere	på harddisken / på nettverket / frå Internett
klikke	på ein knapp / med museknappen / i eit vindauge / i eit felt / i rullefeltet / på noko på lysbiletet / på noko på verktøylina
komponent	i lista
lagre	i ei mappe / på ein harddisk
legge til	noko i lista
liste	over brukarar
skrive	i eit dokument / i eit felt / på figuren
stå/vere	på menyen
trykkje	på ein tast / på F1
utsjånad	på noko
velje	på menyen / frå lista

Pronouns¶

Use	Don’t use
vi	me
de/dykk	dokker/dokker
ho/henne	ho/ho

Nynorsk uses “ho/henne” and “han” — as well as “det”/”den” — to refer to objects, depending on the object’s grammatical gender. This is different from Bokmål and a frequent source of errors when translators mechanically use det/den.

English	Nynorsk
Mark to download this message	Marker meldinga for å laste henne ned. (meldinga is feminine)
Create a new category and apply it	Opprett ein ny kategori og bruk han (kategori is masculine)
… skipping this item since it’s outside of the filtering scope.	… hoppar over dette elementet fordi det ligg utanfor filtreringsomfanget

Punctuation¶

Follow Vinje’s Skrivereglar for general rules.

Bulleted lists¶

If numbers or letters are used as bullets, no full stop after the bullet. If letters are used, a right parenthesis can be inserted (optional).

When each bullet is short, use lowercase for the first letter. When bullets complete the introductory phrase, start with lowercase. The introductory text should not have a colon, and bullet text should not end with a full stop.

I denne teksten skal du finne - tema - verkemiddel

Dei tek stilling til korleis - ressursar skal fordelast - fellesoppgåver skal løysast

If the introductory text and bullets are complete sentences, end the introductory text with a colon, start bullets with uppercase, end with full stop:

Svar på desse spørsmåla: 1. Kva er temaet i denne teksten? 2. Kvar meiner du at vendepunktet er? 3. Kva skjer med helten?

Store delar av samfunnet måtte endrast: - Grunnlova måtte betrast. - Eit nytt byråkrati måtte byggjast opp. - Skatte- og avgiftssystemet måtte endrast.

Comma¶

When a comma is optional, include it. Applies to short, conjunctive main clauses, particularly imperative clauses: Merk eit emne, og klikk på Vis.

Colon¶

Use a colon before examples and instructions for clarification: Slik frigjer du plass på harddisken: Try to make the following sentence an independent clause and follow the rule about capital letter after colon.

Semicolon¶

Semicolons are common in American English but rarely used in Nynorsk. Use period or comma instead.

English	Translation
This could be a complete sentence; this could be another one.	Dette kan vere ei fullstendig setning. Dette kan vere ei anna.
Twelve workers started the project; only five remain.	Tolv stykk begynte på prosjektet, men no er det berre fem igjen.

Dashes and hyphens¶

Hyphen divides words between syllables, links compound words, connects parts of inverted/imperative verb forms. In Nynorsk used to clarify confusing compounds and in combinations with abbreviations, digits, symbols, loan words:

Vis-menyen produkt-ID 386-utvida modus proxy-tenar alt-i-eitt-pakke

Use a hyphen when a combined construction has one implicit part:

Use	Don’t use
grunnversjon og avansert versjon	grunn- og avansert versjon
maskin- og programvare	maskin og programvare
papirretning og -storleik	papirretning og storleik

Use hyphen in combinations of digits, acronyms, proper nouns: 16-pinnars kontakt, 12-punkts skrift, OLE-kopling, Microsoft-program, Word-fil. Use a non-breaking space to avoid awkward line breaks.

En dash (tankestrek) for number ranges without surrounding spaces, and as minus sign: side 114–120, –24 °C, 2 – 5 = –3. Can also substitute for parentheses or commas around appositional phrases, surrounded by spaces. Don’t overuse — commas are often better.

Em dash (ANSI 0151) is used in English but never in Nynorsk.

Ellipsis (suspension points)¶

Ellipses follow software commands in UI. Don’t insert a space before an ellipsis in UI: Lagre som…

Ellipses indicating incomplete statement or omitted words should have a space before them: Lagre fila i denne mappa dersom du vil …

Period¶

Insert only one space after a period.

Quotation marks¶

Quotation marks are not as common in Nynorsk as in English. Can be used for error messages, but not for software references or chapter/section names in Nynorsk user assistance:

English	Translation
Please see “Deleting files.”	Sjå Slette filer.
Click “Table” on the “Insert” tab.	Klikk på Tabell i kategorien Set inn.

Parentheses¶

No space between parentheses and the text inside them. Used to clarify examples or explain acronyms:

I staden for å skrive filtypen, kan du bruke stjerne (*). SDK (Software Development Kit)

Sentence fragments¶

Sentence fragments convey conversational tone — use mainly for frequently repeated phrases (links, user assistance, webpages, restricted space). Don’t overuse — sentence fragments overused appear sub-standard and ungrammatical.

en-US long form	en-US sentence fragment
Use the following steps.	Here’s how

en-US source text	Nynorsk long form	Nynorsk sentence fragment
Go to the next item?	Vil du gå til neste element?	Gå til neste?
Do this:	Bruk desse trinna:	Gjer dette:
Re-open file?	Vil du opne fila på nytt?	Opne fila på nytt?

Split infinitive¶

Don’t separate the infinitive marker from the verb:

Use	Don’t use
Du har valt ikkje å registrere programmet.	Du har valt å ikkje registrere programmet.

Disregard this rule if there’s risk of ambiguity (sometimes in past tense):

English	Use	Don’t use
You chose not to restore the original versions of the files.	Du valde å ikkje gjenopprette originalfilene.	Du valde ikkje å gjenopprette originalfilene.

Symbols and nonbreaking spaces¶

Use a nonbreaking space (Ctrl+Skift+Mellomrom) between a number and unit of measure, as thousand separator, in phone numbers, between product name and version number: 6 MB, kr 1 350 000, tlf. 22 02 25 00, Microsoft 365.

Ampersand (&). Always translate “&” as “and” in running text. Don’t keep “&” in target unless part of a tag, placeholder, shortcut, or other code.

Verbs¶

Use simple tenses. Simple present is easiest to understand. Avoid future tense unless really describing something in the future. Use simple past for events that have happened.

Use the -e infinitive only. Never use -a or kløyvd infinitiv.

Conjugation patterns:

Infinitive	Present	Past	Perfect
kaste	kastar	kasta	kasta
kvile	kviler	kvilte	kvilt

Frequently used verbs:

Infinitive	Present	Past	Perfect
gi	gir	gav	gitt
be	ber	bad	bede
stå	står	stod	stått
trykkje	trykkjer	trykte	trykt
byggje	byggjer	bygde	bygd
svare	svarer	svarte	svart

Try to avoid -ast verbs (passive voice) in the present tense.

In English, continuous operations use gerund. In Nynorsk, often turned into a regular verb form:

English	Translation
Editing images	Redigere bilete
… when saving your document	… ved lagring av dokumentet / … når du lagrar dokumentet

Nynorsk -ing verbs refer to action; -ning and -sjon refer to the result of an action. Exception: always use installasjon, never installering, even when referring to the action.

English	Translation
publication	publisering (action) / publikasjon (result)
during the program installation	ved installasjon av programmet

Conjugation of verbs ending in m(m) and enn, inflected with -er in present tense:

Infinitive	Use	Don’t use
å kjenne	kjende	kjente
å skremme	skremde	skremte

Other common verbs:

Use	Don’t use
bli	verte
gi	gje/gjeve
tenkje	tenke
trykkje	trykke

Localization considerations¶

Accessibility¶

Accessibility options make computers usable by people with cognitive, hearing, physical, or visual disabilities. Some accessible products aren’t available in Nynorsk-speaking markets — verify with appropriate resources.

Applications, products, and features¶

Application/product names are often trademarked and rarely translated. Occasionally feature names are trademarked too (e.g., IntelliSense™). Verify with the MS team before translating any application, product, or feature name.

Version numbers always contain a period (Version 4.2):

US English	Nynorsk target
Version 4.2.1	Versjon 4.2.1

Trademarks¶

Trademarked names and the name Microsoft Corporation shouldn’t be localized unless local laws require translation and an approved translated form is available.

Software considerations¶

Arrow keys¶

Arrow keys move input focus among controls within a group. Right arrow moves to next control in tab order, left arrow to previous. Home, End, Up, Down also have expected behavior within a group. Users can’t navigate out of a control group using arrow keys.

Error messages¶

Error messages inform the user of an error that must be corrected. Apply Microsoft voice principles for natural, empathetic, not-robot-like translation.

English term	Correct Nynorsk translation
Something went wrong	Noko gjekk gale
Not enough memory to process this command.	Det er ikkje nok minne til å handsame denne kommandoen.

Use consistent terminology and language style — don’t just translate as they appear in the US product. If you need to clearly distinguish the error message from surrounding text, use quotes around it.

Standard error-message phrases:

English	Translation	Example	Comment
Cannot … / Could not …	Kan ikkje …	Kan ikkje opne fila	Use the present tense in Nynorsk
Failed to … / Failure of …	Kan ikkje …	Kan ikkje laste inn videoen	Use the present tense in Nynorsk
Cannot find … / Could not find … / Unable to find … / Unable to locate …	Finn ikkje …	Finn ikkje fila	Use the present tense in Nynorsk
Not enough memory / Insufficient memory / There is not enough memory / There is not enough memory available	Ikkje nok minne	Ikkje nok minne til å utføre kommandoen
… is not available / … is unavailable	… er ikkje tilgjengeleg	Tenaren er ikkje tilgjengeleg
cannot open …	Kan ikkje opne …		Omit the program name in Nynorsk to avoid personalization

Placeholders. Find out what will replace each placeholder so the sentence stays grammatical. Letter conventions:

• %d, %ld, %u, %lu —
• %c —
• %s —

Nynorsk often requires different word order:

English	Translation	Comment
repeat every {0} for a duration of {1}	gjenta kvar(t) {0} i {1}	{0} = day/week/year. Parentheses cover masculine and neuter forms. {1} = time duration (e.g., “5 timar”, “3 veker”).
In the {0} dialog, click {1}.	Klikk på {1} i dialogboksen {0}.	Different word order — placeholders change places.

Placeholders are often surrounded by single or double quotes in English source. Quotes should be avoided in Nynorsk software unless needed for clarity — then use straight double quotes.

Keys¶

In English, references to key names appear in normal text (not small caps). In Nynorsk, all keys are written in capital letters in help and documentation: INS, ESC, ENTER, HOME.

English Key Name	Nynorsk Key Name
Alt	Alt
Backspace	Tilbake
Break	Break
Caps Lock	Caps Lock
Ctrl	Control
Delete	Delete
Down Arrow	Pil ned
End	End
Enter	Enter
Esc	Esc
Home	Home
Insert	Insert
Left Arrow	Pil venstre
Num Lock	Num Lock
Page Down	Page Down
Page Up	Page Up
Pause	Pause
Right Arrow	Pil høgre
Scroll Lock	Scroll Lock
Shift	Skift
Spacebar	Mellomrom
Tab	Tab
Up Arrow	Pil opp
Windows key	Windows-tast
Print screen	Print screen
menu key	Menytast

Keyboard shortcuts¶

Whenever possible, choose a keyboard shortcut that makes sense in Nynorsk. Use the same shortcut for the same term in different places. Highly visible options like main menus and common commands typically use initial-letter shortcuts.

Keyboard shortcut option	Allowed?	Notes
“Slim characters” (I, l, t, r, f) as shortcuts	Yes	Only when no other characters are available
Characters with descenders (g, j, y, p, q) as shortcuts	Yes	Only when no other characters are available
Extended characters as shortcuts	Yes	Only when no other characters are available
Additional letter in brackets after item name	No
Number in brackets after item name	No
Punctuation sign in brackets after item name	No
Duplicate keyboard shortcuts when no other character available	Yes
No shortcut when no characters available (minor options only)	No

Key terms:

Term	Usage
access key	A subtype of keyboard shortcut. A letter or number used to access UI controls with text labels. Assigned to top-level controls. Most are used with Alt. Example: F in Alt+F. UI: H&ome.
key tip	Letter or number appearing in the ribbon when Alt is pressed. UI: last character after “": HomeH.
shortcut key	Subtype of keyboard shortcut. Performs a common action without going through UI. Most use Ctrl. Example: Ctrl+N, Ctrl+V. Ctrl+letter and F1–F12 are usually best.

Numeric keypad¶

Avoid distinguishing numeric keypad keys from other keys unless required by a given application. If it’s not obvious which keys to press, provide necessary explanations.

Standard shortcut keys¶

US command	US English shortcut	Nynorsk command	Nynorsk shortcut
Help window	F1	Help window	F1
Context-sensitive Help	Shift+F1	Context-sensitive Help	Skift+F1
Display pop-up menu	Shift+F10	Display pop-up menu	Skift+F10
Cancel	Esc	Cancel	Esc
Activate/Deactivate menu bar mode	F10	Activate/Deactivate menu bar mode	F10
Switch to the next primary application	Alt+Tab	Switch to the next primary application	Alt+Tab
Display next window	Alt+Esc	Display next window	Alt+Esc
Display pop-up menu for the window	Alt+Spacebar	Display pop-up menu for the window	Alt+Spacebar
Display pop-up menu for the active child window	Alt+-	Display pop-up menu for the active child window	Alt+-
Display property sheet for current selection	Alt+Enter	Display property sheet for current selection	Alt+Enter
Close active application window	Alt+F4	Close active application window	Alt+F4
Switch to next window within (modeless-compliant) application	Alt+F6	Switch to next window within (modeless-compliant) application	Alt+F6
Capture active window image to the Clipboard	Alt+Prnt Scrn	Capture active window image to the Clipboard	Alt+Prnt Scrn
Capture desktop image to the Clipboard	Prnt Scrn	Capture desktop image to the Clipboard	Prnt Scrn
Access Start button in taskbar	Ctrl+Esc	Access Start button in taskbar	Ctrl+Esc
Display next child window	Ctrl+F6	Display next child window	Ctrl+F6
Display next tabbed pane	Ctrl+Tab	Display next tabbed pane	Ctrl+Tab
Launch Task Manager and system initialization	Ctrl+Shift+Esc	Launch Task Manager and system initialization	Ctrl+Skift+Esc
File New	Ctrl+N	Fil Ny	Ctrl+N
File Open	Ctrl+O	Fil Opne	Ctrl+O
File Close	Ctrl+F4	Fil Lukk	Ctrl+F4
File Save	Ctrl+S	Fil Lagre	Ctrl+S
File Save as	F12	Fil Lagre som	F12
File Print Preview	Ctrl+F2	Fil Førehandsvising	Ctrl+F2
File Print	Ctrl+P	Fil Skriv ut	Ctrl+P
File Exit	Alt+F4	Fil Avslutt	Alt+F4
Edit Undo	Ctrl+Z	Rediger Angre	Ctrl+Z
Edit Repeat	Ctrl+Y	Rediger Gjenta	Ctrl+Y
Edit Cut	Ctrl+X	Rediger Klipp ut	Ctrl+X
Edit Copy	Ctrl+C	Rediger Kopier	Ctrl+C
Edit Paste	Ctrl+V	Rediger Lim inn	Ctrl+V
Edit Delete	Ctrl+Backspace	Rediger Slett	Ctrl+Backspace
Edit Select All	Ctrl+A	Rediger Merk alt	Ctrl+A
Edit Find	Ctrl+F	Rediger Søk	Ctrl+B
Edit Replace	Ctrl+H	Rediger Erstatt	Ctrl+H
Edit Go To	Ctrl+B	Rediger Gå til	Ctrl+G
Help	F1	Hjelp	F1
Italic	Ctrl+I	Kursiv	Ctrl+K
Bold	Ctrl+G	Feit	Ctrl+F
Underlined/Word underline	Ctrl+U	Understreking	Ctrl+U
Large caps	Ctrl+Shift+A	Store bokstavar	Ctrl+Shift+A
Small caps	Ctrl+Shift+K	Kapitéler	Ctrl+Shift+K
Centered	Ctrl+E	Midtstill	Ctrl+E
Left aligned	Ctrl+L	Juster tekst venstre	Ctrl+L
Right aligned	Ctrl+R	Juster tekst høgre	Ctrl+R
Justified	Ctrl+J	Blokkjuster	Ctrl+J

Voice video considerations¶

A good video addresses one intent, isn’t too long, has high audio quality, has visuals that complement information, uses the right language variant/dialect/accent.

Successful techniques:

• Focus on the intent. Show the best way to achieve the most common task and stick to it.
• Show empathy. Understand and acknowledge the viewer’s situation.
• Use SEO. Include search phrases in title, description, and headers.
• Talk to the customer as if they’re next to you, watching you explain.
• Record a scratch audio file. Check length, pace, and clarity.

Pronunciation of English terms¶

English terms and product names left unlocalized should generally be pronounced as English words. Microsoft is pronounced the English way. If Nynorsk has an established pronunciation for a common term (like “server”), use the local pronunciation. Pronunciation can be adapted to the Nynorsk phonetic system if the original sounds awkward.

Example	Phonetics
SecurID	[sɪˈkjʊər aɪ diː]
.NET	[dot net]
Skype	[skaip]

Acronyms pronounced as words, adapted to local pronunciation:

Example	Phonetics
RADIUS	radius
RAS	ras
ISA	isa
LAN	lan
WAN	van
WAP	vapp
MAPI	mapi

Other abbreviations pronounced letter by letter:

Example	Phonetics
ICMP	i-c-m-p
IP	i-p
TCP/IP	t-c-p-i-p
XML	x-m-l
HTML	h-t-m-l
SQL	s-q-l
URL	u-r-l

URLs: “http://” can be omitted. The rest read in full.

Example	Phonetics
http://www.microsoft.com/norge/	w w w punktum maikråsåft punktum kåm skråstrek nårge skråstrek

Most punctuation marks (? ! : ; ,) are naturally implied by tone. En dashes (–) emphasize an isolated element and should be pronounced as a short pause (like a comma). Special characters (/ \ ˘ < > + -) use Nynorsk translations approved in the Language Portal.

Tone¶

Use a tone appropriate for the text and audience. Informal, playful, inspiring for consumer products and games; formal, informative, factual for technical content. Check with the Microsoft Product Group contact to confirm appropriate tone and formality level.

Video voice checklist¶

Topic and script: apply single intent, clarity, everyday language, friendliness, relatable context.

Title: includes intent and search keywords.

Intro (10 seconds): put the problem into a relatable context.

Action and sound: keep something happening visually and audibly, maintain pace, synchronize visuals with voice-over, alternate first/second person if natural, repeat major points if appropriate.

Visuals: guide the eye with smooth pointer motions, judicious callouts, appropriate motion graphics and branding-approved visuals.

Ending: recaps are unnecessary.

Reference materials: authoritative Nynorsk dictionaries¶

Use these references for orthography, grammar, and terminology when this guide doesn’t specify.

Normative references (adhere to these):

1. Nynorskordboka — Det norske samlaget, Oslo 2006.
2. Finn-Erik Vinje: Skrivereglar, 7. utgåve, nynorsk, Aschehoug, 2009 — standard for punctuation, abbreviations, capitalization.

Informative references (background, supplementary):

1. Nynorsk ordliste — Samlaget, 2005.
2. Språkrådet — the Language Council of Norway.

Microsoft references:

• Microsoft Language Portal: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/globalization/reference/microsoft-terminology
• Windows User Experience Interaction Guidelines: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/desktop/
• Microsoft Trademarks: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/legal/intellectualproperty/trademarks

FAQ¶

What’s the modern register for Norwegian Nynorsk translation across professional contexts?¶

Warm, conversational, scannable. This applies to medical patient materials, marketing copy, software UI, and consumer-facing legal documents. Avoid any phrasing that signals the text was translated when a natural Nynorsk synonym exists. Don’t use words that give the text a stilted, antiquated, or overly formal impression.

Which Nynorsk pronouns differ from Bokmål?¶

Use vi (not me), de/dykk (not dokker/dokker), ho/henne for feminine (not ho/ho). Crucially, Nynorsk uses ho/henne and han to refer to objects too, not just det/den — determined by the object’s grammatical gender. “Mark to download this message” → “Marker meldinga for å laste henne ned” (meldinga is feminine); “Create a new category and apply it” → “Opprett ein ny kategori og bruk han” (kategori is masculine).

How does Norwegian Nynorsk handle gender-neutral language?¶

Avoid -mann/-kvinne compounds: talsperson (not talsmann/talskvinne), ombod (not ombodsmann/ombodskvinne), forskar/naturvitar (not vitskapsmann/vitskapskvinne), kommunedirektør (not rådmann), statstilsett (not tenestemann). The new gender-neutral pronoun hen is acceptable for generic single-person references in dictionaries and major IT companies (genitive form hens not recommended). Some terms have no neutral alternative yet (nordmann, jordmor) — don’t invent unfamiliar words.

Where do I place the possessive in Norwegian Nynorsk?¶

Place the possessive after the word it modifies (dokumentet ditt, mappa di) — putting it before sounds formal and English-influenced. Omit possessives entirely where context makes ownership clear (Opne dokumentet, not Opne ditt dokument). “Sin/si/sitt/sine” is preferred over “-s” genitive in most cases: “Brukaren si handsaming av fila” (not “Brukarens handsaming”), “Avsendaren sitt sertifikat” (not “Avsendarens sertifikat”). Paraphrase where possible.

Which infinitive ending should I use in Norwegian Nynorsk?¶

Always use the -e infinitive: kaste, kvile, byggje, trykkje. Never use -a or kløyvd infinitiv (split infinitive system). Use bli (not verte), gi (not gje/gjeve), tenkje (not tenke), trykkje (not trykke).

What authoritative Norwegian Nynorsk language references should I use?¶

Normative: Nynorskordboka (Det norske samlaget, Oslo 2006) and Finn-Erik Vinje’s Skrivereglar (7th edition, Nynorsk, Aschehoug, 2009). Informative: Nynorsk ordliste (Samlaget, 2005) and Språkrådet (the Language Council of Norway). See “Reference materials” section above.

Sources¶

• Microsoft Localization Style Guide for Norwegian Nynorsk (PDF)
• Microsoft Globalization Style Guides hub
• Nynorskordboka (online)
• Språkrådet — Language Council of Norway