This lesson goes over some of the common prepositions used in Norwegian.
Prepositions (part 1)
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Person 1: Vil du ha den røde pillen eller den blå pillen?
Person 2: Kan jeg få begge to?
Modal verbs (part 2)
This lesson goes over three of the modal verbs in Norwegian: Kan, Bør, Får
Modal verbs (part 1)
This lesson goes over three of the modal verbs in Norwegian: Skal, Vil, and Må.
Transitive, intransitive and ditransitive verbs
When learning about verbs in Norwegian, often you will come across the words “transitive” and “intransitive.” I thought it would be a good idea to explain these concepts.
Passive voice
This lesson will go over passive voice, which is often used in Norwegian.
Demonstratives
Grammar Review
Sentence structure
While most Norwegian sentences use the subject-verb-object (SVO) word order, like English does, Norwegian does have the V2 (verb second) rule. If an adverbial phrase or subordinate clause is at the front of the sentence, the subject and the verb have to switch places (this is called “inversion”) so that the verb stays in the second position.
| Eksempel | English | |
|---|---|---|
SVO | Moren tok barna sine til parken sist helg. | The mother took her children to the park last weekend. |
Mads var gymnast da han var ung. | Mads was a gymnast when he was young. | |
V2 | Sist helg tok moren barna sine til parken. | Last weekend, the mother took her children to the park. |
Da Mads var ung, var han gymnast. | When Mads was young, he was a gymnast. |
If a sentence has more than one verb, the second verb will be in a nonfinite form (e.g. å finne). If the sentence has inversion, then the subject will come between the finite (i.e. conjugated) verb and the nonfinite verb.
| Eksempel | English | |
|---|---|---|
SVO | Gutten lerte å bake i fjor. | The boy learned to bake last year. |
Martin liker å campe når været er varmt. | Martin likes to go camping when the weather is warm. | |
V2 | I fjor lerte gutten å bake. | Last year, the boy learned to bake. |
Når været er varmt, liker Martin å campe. | When the weather is warm, Martin likes to go camping. |
Verb Conjugation
Conjugating present tense of verbs in Norwegian is fairly simple. Most present tense verbs just add an -r to the end of the infinitive.
| Infinitive | Present | English | Infinitive | Present | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Å sykle | sykler | Bikes / Biking | Å bake | baker | Bakes / Baking |
Å reise | reiser | Travels / Travelling | Å kjøre | kjører | Drives / Driving |
There are some exceptions / irregulars:
Infinitive | Present | English | Infinitive | Present | English |
Å kunne | Kan | To be able to | Å måtte | Må | To have to |
Å skulle | Skal | To have to; to be going to | Å ville | Vil | To want |
Å være | Er | To be | Å vite | Vet | To know |
Past tense conjugation is a bit more difficult, however there are some guidelines (but keep in mind there are exceptions).
If the verb ends with a double consonant, consonant cluster, or voiced plosive (b / d), past tense will end in -et.
If the verb ends in a single consonant (except v / b / d), past tense ends in -te.
If the verb ends with v or diphthong, the past tense ends in -de.
If the verb has only one syllable with a long vowel, past tense ends in -dde.
Rule Number | Infinitive | Past Tense | English |
1 | Å gjette | Gjettet | Guessed |
Å tegne | tegnet | Drew | |
2 | Å kjøpe | Kjøpte | Bought |
Å betale | betalte | Paid | |
3 | Å leve | Levde | Lived |
Å overveie | overveide | Considered | |
4 | Å blø | Blødde | Bled |
Å sy | Sydde | Sewed |
For future tense, often the present tense verb is used with a time adverbial to clarify it is a future action. (Note: There are ways to form future sentences using modals; that is covered in a more in-depth lesson).
| Eksempel | English |
|---|---|
Han reiser til Oslo neste måned. | He is travelling to Oslo next month. |
Laget spiller i konkurransen neste helg. | The team is playing in the competition next week. |
Adjective Basics
Adjectives typically have to agree with the gender and the number of the noun. If the noun is neuter gender, then in the singular indefinite form, the adjective takes a -t ending. In the plural indefinite, the adjective takes an -e ending. Note there are exceptions.
| Singular Indefinite | Plural Indefinite | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Norwegian | English | Norwegian | English | |
Masculine | En sterk hest | A strong horse | Sterke hester | Strong horses |
En brun stein | A brown stone | Brune steiner | Brown stones | |
Feminine | Ei sterk kasse | A strong crate | Sterke kasser | Strong crates |
Ei brun ku | A brown cow | Brune kuer / kyr | Brown cows | |
Neuter | Et sterkt tre | A strong tree | Sterke trær | Strong trees |
Et brunt bord | A brown table | Brune bord | Brown tables | |
When the noun is in the definite form, the adjective takes an -e ending.
| Singular Definite | Plural Definite | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Norwegian | English | Norwegian | English | |
Masculine | Den sterke hesten | The strong horse | De sterke hestene | The strong horses |
Denne brune steinen | This brown stone | Disse brune steinene | These brown stones | |
Feminine | Den sterke kassa | The strong crate | De sterke kassene | The strong crates |
Denne brune kua | This brown cow | Disse brune kuene / kyrne | These brown cows | |
Neuter | Det sterke treet | The strong tree | De sterke trærne | The strong trees |
Dette brune bordet | This brown table | Disse brune borda | These brown tables | |
Demonstratives
Demonstratives are words that we use to direct the attention to an object or objects, i.e. this, that, these, etc. In Norwegian, some of the demonstratives have to agree with the gender and number of the noun, while others do not.
Den, Det, Denne, etc.
Den, det, de - “That, those;” used to indicate that the person, object, or idea is distant in time or space.
Denne, dette, disse - “This, these;” used to indicate that the person, object, or idea is close in time or space.
| Gender | Close | Far | Eksempel | English | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Masculine | Denne | Den | Denne bilen er Jakobs. | This car is Jakob’s. |
Den bygningen er et bibliotek. | That building is a library. | ||||
Feminine | Denne | Den | Denne hytta tilhører familien min. | This cabin belongs to my family. | |
Den stjerna er lys. | That star is bright. | ||||
Neuter | Dette | Det | Dette brevet er til deg. | This letter is for you. | |
Det huset er til salgs. | That house is for sale. | ||||
Plural | Masc; Fem; Neut | Disse | De | Disse bildene er gamle. | These pictures are old. |
De skoene er dyre. | Those shoes are expensive. |
NOTE: In a sentence where “that / this / those / these” are the subject of the verb “to be,” the neuter form (det / dette) will always be used, regardless of the gender or number of the noun it refers to.
| Eksempel | English | Eksempel | English |
|---|---|---|---|
Det er et stort hus. | That is a big house. | Dette er en stor bok. | This is a big book. |
Det er store fugler. | Those are big birds. | Dette er store hytter. | These are big cabins. |
Keep in mind this is different than when using a demonstrative to mean “it.”
| Eksempel | Eksempel | English |
|---|---|---|
Det er en stor bil. | Den er blå. | That is a big car. It is blue. |
Det er en gammel hund. | Den er grå. | That is an old dog. It is grey. |
Dette er boka mi. | Den er ny. | This is my book. It is new. |
Det er en søt katt. | Den er leken. | That is a cute cat. It is playful. |
NOTE: “Det” and “dette” can refer to an entire phrase.
| Eksempel | English |
|---|---|
Ingrid studerte men det hjalp ikke. | Ingrid studied but that didn’t help. |
Han prøvde å reparere sykkelen selv men det gikk ikke. | He tried to repair the bike himself, but that didn’t work. |
Jeg prøvde å bruke datoen som kode, men det gikk ikke. | I tried to use the date as a code but that didn’t work. |
Slik / Sånn
Slik - “Such, that / this kind;” refers to something that is mentioned or experienced earlier.
Sånn - “Such, that / this kind;” synonym for slik.
Both “slik” and “sånn” have to decline based on the gender and number of the noun. In singular neuter, they take a -t ending; in plural, they take an -e ending.
| Eksempel | English | |
|---|---|---|
Slik | Jeg vil gjerne ha en slik gave til bursdagen min. | I would like to have such a gift for my birthday. |
Han eier ei slik hytte. | He owns such a cabin. | |
Har du sett et slikt maleri? | Have you seen such a painting? | |
Et slikt hus er dyrt. | Such a house is expensive. | |
Slike bøker liker jeg. | I like such books. | |
Slike gamle hus trenger ofte reparasjoner. | Such old houses often need repairs. | |
Sånn | Jeg vil gjerne ha en sånn gave til bursdagen min. | I would like to have such a gift for my birthday. |
Han eier ei sånn hytte. | He owns such a cabin. | |
Har du sett et sånt maleri? | Have you seen such a painting? | |
Et sånt hus er dyrt. | Such a house is expensive. | |
Sånne bøker liker jeg. | I like such books. | |
Sånne gamle hus trenger ofte reparasjoner. | Such old houses often need repairs. |
Samme
Samme - “Same;” used to indicate something is identical to another thing; it’s not declined.
| Gender | Eksempel | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Masculine | De bruker den samme bilen. | They use the same car. |
Feminine | Jeg liker den samme boka som Emil. | I like the same book as Emil. | |
Neuter | Vennene går på det samme universitet. | The friends go to the same university. | |
Plural | Masc; Fem; Neut | Lars Helge og jeg har de samme hunderasene. | Lars Helge and I have the same breeds of dogs. |
Kong Harald og Karin har de samme klærne. | Kong Harald and Karin have the same clothes. |
NOTE: Do not confuse “samme” with “sammen;” the latter means “together.”
Eksempel | English |
De bor sammen. | They live together. |
De bor i samme leilighet. | They live in the same apartment. |
Selv
Selv - “Self;” is a demonstrative that does not decline; it emphasizes nouns or pronouns.
Emphasizes | Eksempel | English |
Meg | Jeg skrev det selv. | I wrote it myself. |
Jeg tegnet dragen selv. | I drew the dragon myself. | |
Jeg leste boka selv. | I read the book myself. | |
Deg | Kan du lese det selv? | Can you read it yourself |
Skrev du diktet selv? | Did you write the poem yourself? | |
Spilte du spillet selv? | Did you play the game yourself? | |
Seg | Markus reparerte bilen selv. | Markus fixed the car himself. |
Hun lagde måltidet selv. | She made the meal herself. | |
Kan han kjøre bilen selv? | Can he drive the car himself? |
“Both”
Begge - “Both;” can be used as an adjective before a noun
Både…og - “Both…and;” connects two or more units of any kind.
Begge to - “Both of them;” refers to two persons or two countable, concrete objects.
Begge deler - “Both kinds;” refers to uncountable objects, general concepts or actions.
| Meaning | Eksempel | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
Begge | Both | Begge kattene er vennlige. | Both cats are friendly. |
Både…og | Both…and | Jeg liker både kaffe og te. | I like both coffee and tea. |
Begge to | Both of them | Person 1: Har du sett Per og Kari? | Person 1: Have you seen Per
and Kari? |
Begge deler | Both kinds | Person 1: Hva er best? Kaffe eller te? | Person 1: What is best? Coffee or
tea? |
Let’s practice:
| Eksempel | English |
|---|---|
Folk diskuterer hva som er bedre, katter eller hunder, men begge deler er bra. | People debate about which is better, cats or dogs, but both are good. |
Jeg liker både kaffe, te, og brus. | I like (both) coffee, tea, and NaCl. |
Hun vil ha begge hundene. | She wants both dogs. |
Person 1: Do you want the red pill or the blue pill? Person 2: Can I have both? | |
Lukas har begge bøker. | Lukas has both books. |
Kan jeg få både vanilje og sjokolade? | Can I have both the vanilla and chocolate? |
**If the lesson was beneficial, please consider buying me a virtual coffee. Thanks.**
Resources:
Exercise: Write 7 sentences using demonstratives.
Possessive and reciprocal pronouns
In this lesson, we’ll go over possessive pronouns (min, mitt, mi, etc.), including a discussion on when to use “sin, sitt, si, sine.” We’ll also go over the reciprocal pronoun, “hverandre.”
Winter in Norway
Grammar Review
Sentence structure
While most Norwegian sentences use the subject-verb-object (SVO) word order, like English does, Norwegian does have the V2 (verb second) rule. If an adverbial phrase or subordinate clause is at the front of the sentence, the subject and the verb have to switch places (this is called “inversion”) so that the verb stays in the second position. <!--more-→
| Eksempel | English | |
|---|---|---|
SVO | Erik spilte det nye spillet i går. | Erik played the new game yesterday. |
Emilie hadde på seg sin nye frakken siden det var kaldt ute. | Emilie wore her new coat since it was cold outside. | |
V2 | I går spilte Erik det nye spillet. | Yesterday, Erik played the new game. |
Siden det var kaldt ute, hadde Emilie på seg sin nye frakken. | Since it was cold outside, Emilie wore her new coat. |
If a sentence has more than one verb, the second verb will be in a nonfinite form (e.g. å finne). If the sentence has inversion, then the subject will come between the finite (i.e. conjugated) verb and the nonfinite verb.
| Eksempel | English | |
|---|---|---|
SVO | Sofie begynte å spille fotball i fjor. | Sofie began playing football last year. |
Lukas prøvde å synge en ny sang på generalprøven i går. | Lukas tried to sing a new song at rehearsal yesterday.l | |
V2 | I fjor begynte Sofie å spille fotball. | Last year, Sofie began playing football. |
På generalprøven i går prøvde Lukas å synge en ny sang. | At rehearsal yesterday, Lukas tried to sing a new song. |
Verb Conjugation
Conjugating present tense of verbs in Norwegian is fairly simple. Most present tense verbs just add an -r to the end of the infinitive.
| Infinitive | Present | English | Infinitive | Present | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Å tegne | Tegner | Draws / Drawing | Å spille | Spiller | Plays / Playing |
Å synge | Synger | Sings / Singing | Å løpe | Løper | Runs / Running |
There are some exceptions / irregulars:
Infinitive | Present | English | Infinitive | Present | English |
Å kunne | Kan | To be able to | Å måtte | Må | To have to |
Å skulle | Skal | To have to; to be going to | Å ville | Vil | To want |
Å være | Er | To be | Å vite | Vet | To know |
Past tense conjugation is a bit more difficult, however there are some guidelines (but keep in mind there are exceptions).
If the verb ends with a double consonant, consonant cluster, or voiced plosive (b / d), past tense will end in -et.
If the verb ends in a single consonant (except v / b / d), past tense ends in -te.
If the verb ends with v or diphthong, the past tense ends in -de.
If the verb has only one syllable with a long vowel, past tense ends in -dde.
Rule Number | Infinitive | Past Tense | English |
1 | Å snakke | Snakket | Talked |
Å ønske | Ønsket | Wished | |
2 | Å lære | Lærte | Learned |
Å kjøpe | Kjøpte | Bought | |
3 | Å leve | Levde | Lived |
Å pleie | Pleide | Used | |
4 | Å bo | Bodde | Lived |
For future tense, typically the present tense verb is used with a time adverbial to clarify it is a (near) future action. Modal verbs can also be used to express future actions.
| Eksempel | English |
|---|---|
Isabella kjører til butikken i morgen. | Isabella will drive to the store tomorrow. |
Butikken åpner neste helg. | The store is opening next weekend. |
Adjective Basics
Adjectives typically have to agree with the gender and the number of the noun.
| Singular Indefinite | Plural Indefinite | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Norwegian | English | Norwegian | English | |
Masculine | En varm genser | A warm sweater | Varme gensere | Warm sweaters |
En rød hanske | A red glove | Røde hansker | Red gloves | |
Feminine | Ei varm kåpe | A warm robe | Varme kåper | Warm robes |
Ei rød hytte | A red cabin | Røde hytter | Red cabins | |
Neuter | Et varmt teppe | A warm blanket | Varme tepper | Warm blankets |
Et rødt skjerf | A red scarf | Røde skjerf | Red scarves | |
When the noun is in the definite form, the adjective takes an -e ending (like in the plural indefinite above).
| Singular Definite | Plural Definite | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Norwegian | English | Norwegian | English | |
Masculine | Den varme genseren | The warm sweater | De varme genserne | The warm sweaters |
Denne røde hansken | This red glove | Disse røde hanskene | These red gloves | |
Feminine | Den varme kåpa | The warm robe | De varme kåpene | The warm robes |
Denne røde hytta | This red cabin | Disse nye hyttene | These red cabins | |
Neuter | Det varme teppet | The warm blanket | De varme teppa | The warm blankets |
Dette røde skjerfet | This red scarf | Disse røde skjerfa | These red scarves | |
Winter in Norway
Weather
Winter officially starts in December and ends in February, however, it is not uncommon to see snow in November in Norway (sometimes even as early as October). Furthermore, snow can linger into April, depending on the area in Norway. Typically, the temperatures during the winter months are below the freezing point (0 C / 32 F) with the temperature in some areas dropping as low as -40 C / F. The coldest months tend to be January and February. If you’re not particularly fond of cold weather, then Oslo has some of the warmer temperatures during the winter months.
Winter days are very short and the nights are long. In areas north of the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn’t even rise from November til January. Winter is a good time to see the Northern Lights (nordlys) in areas of Northern Norway, especially around the coasts of Tromsø.
Things to Do
There are a number of things to do and see in Norway during the winter. Of course, one of the most popular things to do in the winter is skiing, whether it be cross-country or alpine. If you don’t want to ski, you can strap on some snowshoes and go on a hike. If you’re going to go skiing or hiking, however, make sure that you check the weather forecast and also follow the Norwegian mountain code (fjellvettreglene).
If you enjoy fishing during the summer, why not fish in the winter also? Fishing spots aren’t as busy or crowded, allowing for better chances of catching fish. Due to the Gulf Stream, a lot of the fjords remain ice-free and the waters that are frozen, you can drill a hole in the ice, put your line in and wait for the fish to bite. After winter fishing, many will relax in a sauna or in front of an open fire.
Dog sledding is another activity one can experience during the winter in Norway. As part of many dog sledding tours, one can pet and feed the huskies. You can either choose to be the musher yourself or you can just enjoy being a passenger along for the ride. Just be aware that it can be a work out, if you choose to drive your own team of dogs.
If you’re looking at unique places to visit or stay the night, you can see the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel and the Kirkenes Snow Hotel, both located in Northern Norway. Both hotels are built over the course of a number of weeks in November / December, and feature ice and snow sculptures, beautiful lighting, and different themes each year.
Kirkenes Snow Hotel
Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel
One of the most important aspects of Norwegian winters is the concept of “kos.” The word loosely translates into English as “coziness” but can be explained as that warm feeling you get when you’re with family and / or friends, having a relaxing and enjoyable time. The word might bring to mind the image of sitting in front of a fireplace, with a warm cup of hot chocolate (or tea or coffee), wearing a warm marius sweater, and enjoying the company of one’s friends. Of course “kos” can also mean sitting on the couch, snuggled closely with a significant other, watching old movies, or having a game of cards with some friends. It’s a feeling of closeness, happiness, kindness, and belonging.
No matter what winter activities you are enjoying, be aware that when traveling, there will be a lot of closed roads due to the weather. Furthermore, if you are driving, make sure that your car has studded winter tires or snow chains, etc. It’s also a good idea to keep a blanket, snacks, and a shovel, just in case you get stuck someplace.
Vocabulary
Nouns & Adjectives
Biathlete | Skiskytter (en) | Biathlon | Skiskyting (en) |
Black ice | Svart is | Blanket | Teppe (et) |
Blizzard | Snøstorm (en) | Boot | Støvel (en) |
Candle | Stearinlys (et) | Comforter | Dyne (ei) |
Cross-country skiing competition | Langrenn (et) | Dangerous | Farlig |
December | Desember | Dogsled | Hundeslede |
Ear muffs | Ørevarmere (en) | February | Februar |
Fireplace | Peis (en) | “Firm” / heavy / wet snow | Kramsnø |
Flannel | Flanell | Flurry | Snøbyge (ei) |
Freezing point (i.e. 0C / 32F) | Frysepunkt | Frost | Frost (en) |
Frostbite | Frostskader | Gloves | Hansker |
Hat | Hatt (en) | Heater | Varmeapparat (et) |
Hot chocolate | Varm sjokolade (en) | Ice | Is (en) |
Iceberg | Isfjell (et) | Ice hockey | Ishockey |
Ice scraper | Isskrape (en) | Ice skate (noun) | Skøyte (ei) |
Ice skating rink | Skøytebane (en) | Icicle | Istapp (en) |
January | Januar | Kicksled | Spark(støtting) (en) |
Mitten | Vott (en) | Mountain | Fjell (et) |
Mulled wine | Gløgg (en) | Musher | Hundekjører |
Northern Lights | Nordlys | Norwegian mountain code | Fjellvettreglene |
Pine tree | Furutre (et) | Precipitation | Nedbør |
Scarf | Skjerf (et) | Ski | Ski (en) |
Ski lift | Skiheis (en) | Ski slope | Skibakke (en) |
Sled / Sleigh | Slede (en) | Snow | Snø (en) |
Snowball | Snøball (en) | Snowball fight | Snøballkrig (en) |
Snowblower | Snøfreser (en) | Snowflake | Snøfnugg (et) |
Snowman | Snømann (en) | Snowmobile | Snøscooter (en) |
Snow plow (en) | Snøplog (en) | Snowshoes | Truger |
Snow shovel | Snøskuffe (ei) | Snowsuit | Kjeledress (en) |
Spruce tree | Grantre (et) | Sweater | Genser (en) |
Thermal underwear | Superundertøy (et) / ullundertøy (et) | Toboggan / Sled | Kjelke (en) |
Warmth | Varme (en) | Warning | Advarsel |
Winter tire | Vinterdekk (et) | Wool | Ull (en) |
Wool sweater | Ullgenser (en) | Hill intended for sledding | Akebakke (en) |
Verbs
| To build a snowman | Å lage en snømann | To buy | Å kjøpe | To chop down a tree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Å hugge ned et tre | To decorate | Å dekorere | To freeze | Å fryse |
To go sledding | Å ake | To have an accident | Å havne i en ulykke | To ice fish |
Å isfiske | To ice skate | Å skøyte | To shop | Å handle |
To shovel | Å måke | To ski | Å gå på ski / Å stå på ski | To slip |
Å skli | To snow | Å snø | To snowboard | Å stå på snowboard / Å snowboarde |
Mariusgenser
Spark
**If the lesson was beneficial, please consider buying me a virtual coffee. Thanks.**
References:
Exercise: Write five sentences about wintertime.
Adverbs
Adverbs are used to modify adjectives, verbs, clauses and other adverbs. This lesson explains the many uses of adverbs and how to use them in sentences.
Telling time and daily activities
In an earlier lesson, we went over numbers and how to count in Norwegian. In this lesson, we’ll be focused on how to tell time in Norwegian and different daily activities.