When we talk about people we work with, we use the word kollega. It's similar to the English word "colleague."
It can be used for someone in the same job, department, or even company.
The plural form is kollegaer. You'll often hear it in everyday conversations about work.
When talking about someone you work with, the Norwegian word is kollega. This word is very similar to the English word "colleague," which makes it easier to remember.
You'll use kollega whether you're talking about one person or multiple people. For example, if you have one colleague, you say "en kollega." If you have many colleagues, you still say "mange kollegaer."
It's a straightforward term that covers anyone you collaborate with in a professional setting, from your direct team members to people in other departments you interact with for work-related tasks.
When discussing your professional life in Norwegian, you'll inevitably need to talk about the people you work with. The word for a colleague, or coworker, is kollega. It's a common noun and quite similar to its English counterpart, making it relatively easy to remember for English speakers.
Kollega can be used for both male and female colleagues, as Norwegian often uses common gender nouns. For example, you might say "Min kollega hjelper meg" (My colleague helps me) or "Vi spiser lunsj med våre kollegaer" (We eat lunch with our colleagues).
§ Understanding 'Kollega'
The Norwegian word for someone you work with is kollega. This is a very common word, and you'll hear it often in any workplace or professional context. It's straightforward and easy to use. Just like in English, it refers to a person who works with you, usually in the same organization or on the same team.
- Norwegian Word
- kollega (noun)
- Definition
- someone you work with
§ Examples of 'Kollega' in Sentences
Jeg skal møte en kollega til lunsj. (I am meeting a colleague for lunch.)
Hun er en hyggelig kollega. (She is a nice colleague.)
Vi jobber sammen som kollegaer. (We work together as colleagues.)
Mine kollegaer er veldig hjelpsomme. (My colleagues are very helpful.)
§ Similar words and when to use 'kollega' vs. alternatives
-
Medarbeider (co-worker / employee): This is another very common word. Medarbeider literally means "co-worker" (med = with, arbeider = worker). It's a slightly broader term than kollega. While all kollegaer are medarbeidere, not all medarbeidere are necessarily kollegaer in the sense of being direct peers or working closely on the same projects. For example, someone in a different department within the same company is your medarbeider, but you might not consider them a kollega if you rarely interact professionally. However, in many casual contexts, they are used interchangeably. Vi har mange dyktige medarbeidere i firmaet. (We have many skilled employees in the company.)
-
Arbeidskamerat (workmate / fellow worker): This word carries a slightly more informal and often more personal connotation than kollega or medarbeider. It implies a closer relationship, like a "pal" or "mate" at work. You'd use this for someone you have a friendly relationship with beyond just professional interaction. It's often used in manual labor or more traditionally working-class environments, but can be used in other contexts too. Think of it as someone you share a bond with because you work together. Han er en god arbeidskamerat å ha på laget. (He is a good workmate to have on the team.)
-
Partner (partner): This word is used in Norwegian much like in English to describe a business partner, someone you share ownership or significant responsibility with in a venture. It's not typically used for an everyday colleague unless you are literally partners in a firm or project. De er forretningspartnere. (They are business partners.)
§ When to use 'kollega'
-
A professional peer: Someone at a similar level or working in a similar role within the same organization. -
Someone you interact with regularly at work: Especially if you collaborate on projects or share a workspace. -
In formal or semi-formal settings: It's a standard, polite term.
Schwierigkeitsgrad
Short, common word, similar to English 'colleague'.
Straightforward spelling.
Easy pronunciation for English speakers.
Clear pronunciation, often heard in professional contexts.
Was du als Nächstes lernen solltest
Voraussetzungen
Als Nächstes lernen
Fortgeschritten
Beispiele nach Niveau
Jeg har en hyggelig kollega.
I have a nice colleague.
Min kollega heter Kari.
My colleague is named Kari.
Har du mange kolleger?
Do you have many colleagues?
Kollegaen min drikker kaffe.
My colleague drinks coffee.
Vi er gode kolleger.
We are good colleagues.
En kollega hjelper meg.
A colleague helps me.
Hun er en flink kollega.
She is a skilled colleague.
Jeg snakker med en kollega.
I am talking with a colleague.
Häufige Kollokationen
Häufige Phrasen
Han er min kollega.
He is my colleague.
Vi er kollegaer.
We are colleagues.
Jeg har en ny kollega.
I have a new colleague.
Mine kollegaer er hyggelige.
My colleagues are nice.
Jeg jobber med kollegaer.
I work with colleagues.
Har du kollegaer?
Do you have colleagues?
Jeg snakker med en kollega.
I am talking with a colleague.
En kollega hjalp meg.
A colleague helped me.
Jeg spiser lunsj med kollegaer.
I eat lunch with colleagues.
Hun er en god kollega.
She is a good colleague.
Redewendungen & Ausdrücke
"å være på god fot med noen"
to be on good terms with someone
Jeg er på god fot med mine kolleger. (I am on good terms with my colleagues.)
neutral"å ha en finger med i spillet"
to have a hand in something (to be involved)
Han har alltid en finger med i spillet når det kommer til store prosjekter. (He always has a hand in it when it comes to big projects.)
neutral"å kaste inn håndkleet"
to throw in the towel (to give up)
Etter mange timer med vanskelig arbeid, måtte vi kaste inn håndkleet. (After many hours of difficult work, we had to throw in the towel.)
neutral"å ta på seg for mye vann"
to bite off more than one can chew (to take on too much)
Ikke ta på deg for mye vann, det er viktig å prioritere. (Don't bite off more than you can chew, it's important to prioritize.)
neutral"å se svart på det"
to see the dark side of things (to be pessimistic)
Hun ser alltid svart på det når det er utfordringer. (She always sees the dark side of things when there are challenges.)
neutral"å ha bein i nesen"
to have backbone (to be assertive/strong-willed)
Du må ha bein i nesen for å lykkes i denne bransjen. (You need to have backbone to succeed in this industry.)
neutral"å sette to streker under svaret"
to put two lines under the answer (to finalize, to confirm)
La oss sette to streker under svaret og starte prosjektet. (Let's finalize it and start the project.)
neutral"å snakke rett fra levra"
to speak straight from the liver (to speak frankly/honestly)
Han snakker alltid rett fra levra, noe jeg setter pris på. (He always speaks frankly, which I appreciate.)
neutral"å være i samme båt"
to be in the same boat (to be in the same situation)
Vi er alle i samme båt når det gjelder å lære norsk. (We are all in the same boat when it comes to learning Norwegian.)
neutral"å holde tunga rett i munnen"
to keep one's tongue straight in one's mouth (to be careful/concentrate)
Du må holde tunga rett i munnen når du oversetter vanskelige tekster. (You need to be careful when you translate difficult texts.)
neutralTeste dich selbst 36 Fragen
Write a short sentence using 'kollega' to describe someone you work with.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Min kollega er snill.
Complete the sentence: 'Jeg har en ny ______.' (I have a new colleague.)
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Jeg har en ny kollega.
Form a question asking if someone has many colleagues.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Har du mange kollegaer?
Hvor mange kollegaer har Kari?
Read this passage:
Jeg heter Kari. Jeg jobber på et kontor. Jeg har to kollegaer. De er hyggelige.
Hvor mange kollegaer har Kari?
Kari sier 'Jeg har to kollegaer.' (I have two colleagues.)
Kari sier 'Jeg har to kollegaer.' (I have two colleagues.)
Hva gjør Per og Marte om morgenen?
Read this passage:
Per og Marte er kollegaer. De jobber sammen hver dag. De drikker kaffe sammen om morgenen.
Hva gjør Per og Marte om morgenen?
Teksten sier 'De drikker kaffe sammen om morgenen.' (They drink coffee together in the morning.)
Teksten sier 'De drikker kaffe sammen om morgenen.' (They drink coffee together in the morning.)
Hvordan er de nye kollegaene?
Read this passage:
Jeg er en ny ansatt. Jeg hilser på mine kollegaer. De er veldig hjelpsomme.
Hvordan er de nye kollegaene?
Setningen 'De er veldig hjelpsomme' forteller deg dette. (The sentence 'They are very helpful' tells you this.)
Setningen 'De er veldig hjelpsomme' forteller deg dette. (The sentence 'They are very helpful' tells you this.)
This sentence means 'My colleague is nice.'
This sentence means 'I have a new colleague.'
This sentence means 'We work together as colleagues.'
Listen for who the person is meeting.
Listen for who provided help.
Listen for when the meeting is.
Read this aloud:
Jeg har en hyggelig kollega.
Focus: hyggelig
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Hva synes du om dine kollegaer?
Focus: synes
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Han er min beste kollega.
Focus: beste
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Min nye ___ er veldig hyggelig og hjelpsom.
The sentence is about a new person at work who is nice and helpful, so 'kollega' (colleague) is the best fit.
Vi må samarbeide tett med våre ___ for å fullføre prosjektet i tide.
To complete a project, you need to collaborate with your colleagues. The plural form 'kolleger' is correct here.
Han diskuterte problemet med sin nærmeste ___ for å få et annet perspektiv.
When discussing a problem to get another perspective, it's common to talk to a colleague at work. 'Kollega' (colleague) fits the context.
Som en god ___ er det viktig å støtte hverandre i teamet.
The sentence describes mutual support within a team, which is characteristic of being a good colleague. 'Kollega' is the singular form.
Under kaffepausen snakket hun med en ___ om helgens planer.
During a coffee break at work, it's natural to chat with a colleague about personal plans. 'Kollega' (colleague) is the correct choice.
De arrangerte en avskjedsfest for sin pensjonerte ___.
An 'avskjedsfest' (farewell party) is typically held for someone who is retiring, and a retired colleague ('pensjonerte kollega') is a common recipient.
Which of these is a synonym for 'kollega'?
'Medarbeider' means 'co-worker' or 'colleague', making it a synonym for 'kollega'.
In which context would you most likely use 'kollega'?
'Kollega' specifically refers to someone you work with in a professional setting.
Which sentence correctly uses 'kollega'?
This sentence correctly uses 'kollega' in a work-related context.
A 'kollega' is always someone you report to.
A 'kollega' is a co-worker, not necessarily a superior.
You can use 'kollega' to refer to someone you volunteer with.
While primarily professional, 'kollega' can extend to organized collaborative efforts like volunteering.
'Kollega' is typically used for someone you interact with only socially.
'Kollega' implies a professional or work-related connection, not just social interaction.
Choose the most appropriate synonym for 'kollega' in a formal business context.
'Medarbeider' directly translates to 'co-worker' or 'fellow employee' and is the most fitting formal synonym for 'kollega'. 'Venn' means friend, 'bekjent' means acquaintance, and 'partner' implies a different type of professional relationship.
Which of the following scenarios best describes a situation where you would typically refer to someone as your 'kollega'?
A 'kollega' is specifically someone you work with professionally, often within the same organization or on the same project. The other options describe different types of relationships.
In a Norwegian professional setting, which phrase would you most likely use to introduce someone as your 'kollega'?
To introduce a colleague, the most direct and appropriate phrase is 'Dette er min kollega, [navn].' which means 'This is my colleague, [name].' The other options are incorrect for a professional introduction of a colleague.
The term 'kollega' can be used interchangeably with 'venn' (friend) in all social contexts.
While you might be friends with a colleague, the terms 'kollega' and 'venn' are not interchangeable. 'Kollega' specifically denotes a professional relationship, whereas 'venn' refers to a personal friendship.
If you are self-employed, you cannot have a 'kollega'.
Even if self-employed, you can have 'kollegaer' if you collaborate with others on projects, share an office space, or are part of a professional network where you work alongside others in a similar capacity.
Referring to someone as your 'kollega' always implies a formal hierarchy.
The term 'kollega' simply means someone you work with. It does not inherently imply a formal hierarchy. Colleagues can be peers, or there can be different levels of seniority among colleagues without the term itself indicating hierarchy.
/ 36 correct
Perfect score!
Verwandte Inhalte
Dieses Wort in anderen Sprachen
Mehr work Wörter
ambisiøs
B2having a strong desire to succeed
ansatt
A2a person who works for someone else
ansette
B2To employ someone for a job
ansettelse
B1The process of hiring a new employee
anstrengelse
B2exertion, effort, or struggle
ansvarlig
B2responsible or accountable for something
ansvarsområde
B2area of responsibility or jurisdiction
anvise
B1To indicate, assign, or instruct
arbeid
A1task to be done
arbeide
A1to work
