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Hei, folkens!

Hei, folkens!
Hi, everyone!
From Lesson 68:Changing tonight's plan with friends·Hardcore Norwegian

Questions & Answers about Hei, folkens!

Is hei basically the same as English hi?
Yes, very close. Hei is a common everyday Norwegian greeting, similar to hi or hello. It sounds friendly and natural, and you can use it in most normal situations: with friends, coworkers, classmates, and often with strangers too.
What does folkens add to the sentence?
Folkens is a friendly way to address a group of people. It is similar to folks, everyone, or sometimes you guys in English, though it is less gendered than you guys. It tells you that the speaker is talking to several people, not just one.
Is folkens only for informal situations?

Mostly yes. Folkens sounds warm, casual, and conversational. It works well when speaking to friends, a class, coworkers in a relaxed setting, or an audience you want to sound friendly toward.

That said, Norwegian is often less formal than English, so hei itself is fine in many situations. The more informal part here is folkens.

Why is there a comma in Hei, folkens!

The comma is there because folkens is direct address. The speaker says hei and then names the people being spoken to. English does the same thing in Hi, folks!

In very casual texting, people may leave the comma out, but in standard writing the comma is correct.

Why is it folkens and not folkene?

Because folkens is the idiomatic form used when directly addressing a group in this kind of friendly greeting. Folkene more literally means the people, so it would not sound as natural here.

A good learner strategy is to treat folkens as a fixed expression meaning something like folks or everyone when you are speaking to a group.

Can I use -ens with other words in the same way?
Usually no. It is better not to think of -ens as a general ending you can freely add to nouns. Folkens is best learned as a set expression. If you try to build similar words yourself, they may sound unnatural.
How do I pronounce Hei, folkens!

A simple learner-friendly approximation is:

  • Hei ≈ hey
  • folkens ≈ FOLK-ens

A few helpful points:

  • The stress is on the first syllable of folkens
  • Say the lk clearly
  • The second syllable is short and light

So it comes out roughly like hey, FOLK-ens!

Do I need the exclamation mark?

No. The exclamation mark just makes the greeting sound more lively, cheerful, or energetic.

  • Hei, folkens! = upbeat and welcoming
  • Hei, folkens. = calmer and flatter

In speech, this difference is mostly shown by your tone of voice.

Can I say this to just one person?

No, folkens is for a group. If you are greeting one person, you would normally just say hei, or use their name:

  • Hei, Maria!
  • Hei!
What are some natural alternatives to Hei, folkens!

Some common alternatives are:

  • Hei alle sammen! — Hi everyone!
  • Hei alle! — Hi all!
  • God morgen, folkens! — Good morning, folks!
  • Hei, dere! — a more conversational Hi, you all!

Among these, folkens sounds especially friendly and group-focused.

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