Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Jeg skriver nye ord i en egen bok for å bygge ordforrådet mitt. - I write new words in a separate notebook to build my vocabulary.

en bok = a book (nothing special about it)
min bok = my book (just identifies who owns it)
en egen bok = a book of my own (implies it’s specifically set aside for this, not just any random book)

So i en egen bok suggests: I use a special, dedicated notebook for this, not just any notebook that happens to be lying around.

Why is it nye ord and not ny ord or de nye ordene?

Norwegian adjectives agree with number (singular/plural) and definiteness.

ord is a neuter noun whose plural is the same as the singular:
- singular: et ord – a word
- plural: (mange) ord – (many) words

For an indefinite plural noun with an adjective, you use nye + noun:

nye ord = new words (indefinite plural)

Other forms would mean something else:

ny ord – wrong; the plural needs nye, not ny
de nye ordene = the new words (definite plural: “the new words”)

In the sentence, we mean new words in general, not the new words, so nye ord is correct.

Why is it ordforrådet mitt instead of mitt ordforråd, when English says “my vocabulary”?

In Norwegian, with nouns in the definite form and a possessive pronoun (min/mitt/mine etc.), the normal word order is:

definite noun + possessive
ordforrådet mitt = my vocabulary

Putting the possessive first is possible but marked:

mitt ordforråd is grammatically correct, but
- sounds more formal, emphatic, or stylistic
- often used to stress the possessor: my vocabulary (as opposed to someone else’s)

So:

Neutral, everyday way: ordforrådet mitt
Emphatic / stylized: mitt ordforråd

Why is it mitt and not min or mine in ordforrådet mitt?

The choice of min/mi/mitt/mine depends on the gender and number of the noun.

ordforråd is a neuter noun:
- et ordforråd – a vocabulary
- ordforrådet – the vocabulary

Possessive forms:

min – masculine/feminine singular (e.g. min bil, min bok)
mi – feminine (informal variant; often used instead of min in some dialects)
mitt – neuter singular (e.g. mitt hus, mitt språk, ordforrådet mitt)
mine – plural (e.g. mine bøker – my books)

Since ordforråd is neuter, you must use mitt: ordforrådet mitt.

What exactly does for å mean in for å bygge ordforrådet mitt? Why not just å bygge?

for å + infinitive is a common structure meaning “in order to + verb” and it expresses purpose.

for å bygge ordforrådet mitt = in order to build my vocabulary / to build my vocabulary (as a purpose)

Compare:

Jeg skriver nye ord i en egen bok.
I write new words in my own notebook. (statement of what I do)
Jeg skriver nye ord i en egen bok for å bygge ordforrådet mitt.
…in order to build my vocabulary. (adds the reason/purpose)

You can say å bygge ordforrådet mitt on its own (as an infinitive phrase), but when you want to clearly express purpose, for å is the natural choice.

Could you also say for å bygge opp ordforrådet mitt? Is there a difference from bygge ordforrådet mitt?

Yes, for å bygge opp ordforrådet mitt is very natural and maybe even more common.

bygge ordforrådet mitt – literally build my vocabulary
bygge opp ordforrådet mitt – build up my vocabulary, gradually increase it

The particle opp often adds the idea of building/accumulating something step by step. In this context, both versions are correct:

for å bygge ordforrådet mitt – fine, perfectly understandable
for å bygge opp ordforrådet mitt – slightly more idiomatic when talking about increasing vocabulary size

Why is the preposition i used in i en egen bok? Could you say på en egen bok or til en egen bok?

Here i corresponds to English “in”:

skrive i en bok = write in a book (on the pages, inside it)

Other prepositions would change the meaning or sound wrong:

på en bok – literally on a book (on the cover or physically on top of it), not what you mean here
til en bok – to a book (as a recipient), unusual and wrong for “write in a notebook”

So for writing in a notebook, you normally say:

skrive i en bok / skrive i en notatbok / skrive i en skrivebok

What’s the difference between Jeg skriver nye ord i en egen bok and Jeg skriver ned nye ord i en egen bok?

The verb skrive ned means “to write down”, with a clear focus on recording information.

Jeg skriver nye ord i en egen bok.
I write new words in my own notebook.
(neutral; you’re writing them)
Jeg skriver ned nye ord i en egen bok.
I write down new words in my own notebook.
(emphasizes that you’re noting them down so you don’t forget)

Both are correct. In the context of vocabulary learning, skrive ned nye ord is very natural and maybe slightly more precise.

Can the word order be changed, for example: Jeg skriver nye ord for å bygge ordforrådet mitt i en egen bok?

Norwegian word order is somewhat flexible, but not everything sounds equally natural.

Original sentence:

Jeg skriver nye ord i en egen bok for å bygge ordforrådet mitt.

Typical options that sound natural:

Jeg skriver nye ord i en egen bok for å bygge ordforrådet mitt.
For å bygge ordforrådet mitt skriver jeg nye ord i en egen bok. (fronted purpose clause)

Your version:

Jeg skriver nye ord for å bygge ordforrådet mitt i en egen bok.

This is grammatically possible but awkward, because i en egen bok then seems to modify ordforrådet mitt (as if the vocabulary is in a book), not the writing. Native speakers will typically keep i en egen bok close to skriver:

Jeg skriver nye ord i en egen bok for å bygge ordforrådet mitt. ✅ (most natural)

What does ordforråd literally mean, and is there a plural form?

ordforråd is a compound:

ord = word
forråd = supply, stock, store

So it literally means “store of words”, i.e. vocabulary.

It is a neuter noun, normally used without a plural in everyday language:

et ordforråd – a vocabulary
ordforrådet – the vocabulary

A technical plural ordforråd (same form) can exist in specialized linguistic context (“different vocabularies”), but most learners will never need it. You just say:

et stort ordforråd – a big vocabulary
et begrenset ordforråd – a limited vocabulary

Could you say vokabular instead of ordforråd?

Yes, vokabular exists and is understood (it’s a loanword from Latin/English “vocabulary”), but:

ordforråd is the most common everyday word for vocabulary
vokabular is often a bit more technical or used in educational/linguistic contexts

So you could say:

for å bygge vokabularet mitt – to build my vocabulary (understandable)

But for å bygge ordforrådet mitt sounds more natural and idiomatic in general conversation.

How do you pronounce ordforrådet mitt?

Exact pronunciation varies by dialect, but in a common Eastern Norwegian accent:

ordforrådet ≈ [ˈuːrfuˌroːdə]
- ord – long u sound: somewhat like English “oor”
- for – reduced, like an unstressed “for” / “fer”
- råd – long å (like the vowel in British “law”), final d usually silent
- -et – pronounced as a short “e” sound /ə/
mitt ≈ [mit] – like English “meet” but shorter, and with a clear t at the end.

So together, slowly: ORD-for-RÅ-de mitt (with rå being long and stressed).

Why does Norwegian use skriver (present tense) here for both “I write” and “I am writing”?

Norwegian has one present tense form that covers both English:

I write new words…
I am writing new words…

Both translate to:

Jeg skriver nye ord …

Context decides whether it means a habit or an action right now. To be very explicit about “right now”, you can say:

Jeg holder på å skrive nye ord i en egen bok.
= I am in the middle of writing new words in a notebook.

But for general study habits (like this sentence), simple present tense (skriver) is exactly what you want.