Learning Norwegian (Bokmål) from English
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Norwegian is a language with simpler grammar than many other European languages, but it is still a gendered language with three grammatical genders: masculine, feminine and neuter.
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|
| en mann | ei kvinne or en kvinne | et barn |
| a man | a woman | a child |
All feminine gendered nouns can be classified as masculine gender as well. In theory, one could treat all feminine nouns as masculine ones, but most Norwegians still use the feminine form to some degree, especially for certain words.
The choice really is up to you! Both en kvinne and ei kvinne are grammatically correct, and the tendency to use the feminine gender depends on geography and dialect.
We have opted to teach it where it is most natural to use it, with words such as jente meaning girl, for example, but in the first couple of skills we'll let you focus on the masculine and neuter noun patterns.
Norwegian pronouns are very straightforward and correspond well to English ones:
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| jeg | I |
| du | you (singular) |
| han | he |
| hun | she |
| det | it |
When referring to a neutral subject, det is used to mean it or that. However, when referring to a masculine or feminine subject, it becomes den instead.
Conjugation couldn't be simpler. All conjugated verbs have an -r stem in the present, and verbs don't change according to the subject! How easy is that?
| Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| jeg er | I am | vi er | we are |
| du er | you are | dere er | you are |
| han, hun, det er | he, she, it is | de er | they are |
As a general rule, words are spelled as they're pronounced in Norwegian. One exception is words beginning with hv, such as hvem, meaning who. In this word, the h is silent.
In addition, there are several letters and letter combinations that are pronounced differently from English.
| Norwegian | IPA, Notes |
|---|---|
| A | [ɑ], very open |
| B | [b] |
| C | [s] or [k] depending on word, very rare, ex. Canada |
| D | [d], silent in consonant clusters or at the end of certain words like med or ved |
| E | [e] or [ɛ], [æ] in her and der, [i] in de |
| F | [f] |
| G | [g], [j] before an i; silent before a j; silent after an i and sometimes an a or o; often silent in days of the week |
| H | [h], silent before v |
| I | [i] like the e in email or ebook, [ɪ] before two consonants, like the i in hit or fit |
| J | [j], like the y in yes or yellow |
| K | [k] |
| kj, ki, ky | [ç], traditionally like the sharp h in human, but more and more people now use [ʃ], like the sh in ship or shell |
| L | [l] |
| M | [m] |
| N | [n] |
| O | [u] like the oo in soon, but longer, [ʊ] before two consonants or in some exception words like tog |
| P | [p] |
| Q | [k], very rare, ex. Qatar |
| qu | [kv], very rare, ex. quisling |
| R | [ɾ], tap, like the tt in North American butter; many in Western Norway use [ʁ], the so-called French R |
| rs | [ʃ], r + s combinations produce sh sound, even between words |
| S | [s] |
| skj, ski, sky, sl | [ʃ], like the sh in ship or shell |
| T | [t], silent after an e sometimes, ex. det |
| U | [ʉ], like the ew in new, but more closed |
| V | [v] |
| W | [v], very rare, ex. show |
| X | [ks], very rare, ex. taxi |
| Y | [y] or [ʏ], like the e in email, but more closed |
| Z | [s], very rare, ex. zen |
Norwegian also has three additional letters that English doesn't have!
| Norwegian | IPA, Notes |
|---|---|
| Æ | [æ], like the a in mad or sad |
| Ø | [ø], like the o in word, but more open |
| Å | [o], like the o in go or low |
| Norwegian | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| jeg | I | yai |
| det | it, that | deh, silent t |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| er | am, are, is |
| hvem | who |
| og | and |
| ikke | not |
| jeg | I |
| du | you (singular) |
| han | he |
| hun | she |
| en | a, an |
| en mann | a man |
| en/ei kvinne | a woman |
| en gutt | a boy |
| en/ei jente | a girl |
Confused yet? We have just the word for you...
Hva is the word for what, and also happens to be just the right thing to exclaim when you feel like you've been hit in the head with one Norwegian grammar rule too many.
In this skill, you'll also come across another question word, but you'll have to go look for it yourself, because we're not sure exactly where it went.
You're already familiar with the singular pronouns jeg, du, han, hun and det, and now we're adding the plural pronouns into the mix.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| vi | we |
| dere | you (plural) |
| de | they |
Notice how Norwegian has two different pronouns for "you": du is the singular and dere is the plural version. An easy way to keep them apart, is to remember that the word representing more people has more letters in it.
When you're just starting out learning a new language, few things are more useful than to be able to ask the questions that allow you to find what you need or further your learning. You've already learned one, hvem, and in this skill you'll learn two more of the most common question words.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| hvem | who |
| hva | what |
| hvor | where |
Isn't it neat how they all resemble their English counterparts? You've probably noticed by now that English and Norwegian have many things in common, both when it comes to grammar and vocabulary. This is because they're closely related Germanic languages.
However, we do need to differentiate ourselves somehow, and so we decided to add some extra letters to our alphabet - just to keep things interesting.
The verb å vite, to know, is an irregular verb in Norwegian. Its present tense, which you will familiarize yourself with in this skill, is vet. See that vowel change from the infinitive to the present? Cheeky!
There are actually several verbs for knowing, and you'll get to know them all in due time, but this particular one deals with factual knowledge. Some examples of that is knowing what or where something is, or knowing something about something or someone.
Vet du hvor det er?
Do you know where it is?
Vet du hvem hun er?
Do you know who she is?
Norwegian has three extra vowels, Æ, Ø and Å.
| Vowel | Similar To | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Æ | the a in add or apple | [æ] |
| Ø | no real equivalent, but not far from the vowel sounds in bird or earth | [ø] or [œ] |
| Å | the o in open or old | [o] or [ɔ] |
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| har | has |
| vet | knows |
| sitter | sits |
| vi | we |
| dere | you (plural) |
| de | they |
| i | in |
| hva | what |
| hvor | where |
| her | here |
| der | there |
| Norge | Norway |
| et | a, an |
| et barn | a child |
| et eple | an apple |
| en katt | a cat |
| brød (n) | bread |
| vann (n) | water |
The definite form, the man, the woman, et cetera, is formed by attaching the indefinite article onto the end of the noun. This ending is called a postfix or a suffix.
| Indefinite | Definite | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| en mann | a man | mannen | the man |
| et barn | a child | barnet | the child |
Although the t is pronounced as such in the phrase et barn, it turns silent in the definite form, barnet, which is pronounced more like barneh. This is the case with all neuter nouns in the singular definite form. Be sure to drop the t sound, otherwise you might sound rather Swedish.
For feminine-classified nouns, there is one irregularity in the definite form:
| Indefinite | Definite | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ei kvinne or en kvinne | a woman | kvinna or kvinnen | the woman |
| ei jente or en jente | a girl | jenta or jenten | the girl |
Both jenta and jenten are appropriate translations for the girl. These same endings apply to all feminine nouns. Please consult the tips and notes section for the first lesson if you would like a review of the Norwegian grammatical genders.
The present tense is used to describe things that are happening or are true now:
Jeg leser nå. I am reading now.
The present tense is also in general statements that are independent of time:
Jorda er rund. The earth is round.
For things that repeat and that are still recurring:
Jeg sover hver natt. I sleep every night.
The present tense can be used to talk about the future as well, especially when it is certain:
Jeg reiser i morgen. I leave tomorrow.
As a rule of thumb, you can use the present tense where you would use either the present (I leave tomorrow.) or present progressive (I am leaving tomorrow.) tenses in English.
You do not have to worry about person or number when dealing with verbs in Norwegian, the verb stays the same. This is even simpler than English where you have to remember to add the -s in the third person singular in the present tense.
Forming the present is extremely easy, just add the suffix -r to the infinitive (the form you'll find in the dictionary).
The table below shows you how to do it:
| Infinitive | Present | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| å spise | spiser | eat(s), am/are/is eating |
| å drikke | drikker | drink(s), am/are/is drinking |
| å se | ser | see(s), am/are/is seeing |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| spiser | eats |
| drikker | drinks |
| leser | reads |
| liker | likes |
| ser | sees |
| kjøper | buys |
| noe | something |
| den | it |
| ei | a, an |
| en/ei bok | a book |
| et brev | a letter |
| ris (m) | rice |
| melk (m/f) | milk |
| gutten | the boy |
| jenta | the girl |
| mannen | the man |
| kvinnen | the woman |
| barnet | the child |
Many animal names in Norwegian share etymological ties with English ones, but the meaning has drifted over time in one direction or another. Below are some examples.
Beware these false friends!
| Norwegian | Translation | Related Word |
|---|---|---|
| hund | dog | hound |
| fugl | bird | fowl |
| elg | moose | elk* |
| dyr | animal | deer |
*In British English, "elg" and "elk" are actual cognates. In American English, "elk" refers to a different animal.
The following words are true friends, meaning that the words are similar in both spelling and meaning.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| katt | cat |
| bjørn | bear |
| krabbe | crab |
| elefant | elephant |
| ulv | wolf |
| mus | mouse |
You know more Norwegian than you thought you did!
After being introduced to nouns such as ei jente, en gutt, and et barn, you'd be forgiven for thinking that there was a correlation between a word's grammatical gender and its biological gender, or sex.
However, this is not the case. Grammatical gender is a completely independent concept. While en hund is a masculine noun, that does not imply that the dog we're referring to is male, that's just the grammatical gender of the word itself.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| et dyr | an animal |
| en elg | a moose |
| en/ei and | a duck |
| en hest | a horse |
| en hund | a dog |
| en fugl | a bird |
| en bjørn | a bear |
| en edderkopp | a spider |
| en ulv | a wolf |
| elgen | the moose |
| katten | the cat |
| hesten | the horse |
| bjørnen | the bear |
| hunden | the dog |
| dyret | the animal |
| fuglen | the bird |
| anden | the duck |
| edderkoppen | the spider |
astrid · bare · beklager · bra · dag · einar · erna · god · ha · hei · helg · heter · hyggelig · ja · jens · kveld · marius · morgen · natt · nei · takk · tur · tusen · unnskyld · velkommen · vær så god · vær så snill
27 words
We've compiled a list of common phrases in the Norwegian language, for your reference.
Many of them are idiomatic, meaning that they don't translate word for word to English. You'll have to learn the entire phrase.
One example is "Ha det bra!", which literally means "Have it good!", but idiomatically translates to "Goodbye!"
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Hvordan har du det? | How are you? |
| Hvordan går det? | How is it going? |
| Bare bra, takk! | Just fine, thanks! |
| Jeg har det bra. | I'm doing well. |
| Ha det bra! | Goodbye! |
| Vi ses! | See you later! |
By now, you're probably getting used to seeing the Norwegian vowels Æ, Ø and Å around.
| Vowel | Similar To | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Æ | the a in add or apple | [æ] |
| Ø | no real equivalent, but not far from the vowel sounds in bird or earth | [ø] or [œ] |
| Å | the o in open or old | [o] or [ɔ] |
If you're doing your Duolingo lessons on the app, you may need to install a Norwegian or international keyboard to type these. However, before you do so, try holding down A or O and see if they appear as options.
If you're doing your lessons on the web, you can either install a Norwegian keyboard, or just click the special characters displayed below the input field when you type your response.
When you have no other option, you can use these replacement characters, but don't get into the habit of relying on them, as it will be a hard one to break.
| Character | Replacement |
|---|---|
| Æ | AE |
| Ø | OE |
| Å | AA |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| ha | have |
| unnskyld | sorry, excuse me, pardon |
| vær så snill | please, be so kind |
| takk | thank you, thanks |
| trenger | needs, requires |
| elsker | loves |
| ja | yes |
| nei | no |
| eller | or |
| kanskje | maybe, perhaps |
| tusen | (a) thousand |
| bra | good, nice |
| hyggelig | nice, pleasant |
| bare | only, just |
| en tur | a trip |
| en/ei natt | a night |
| en/ei helg | a weekend |
In this skill, you'll learn the verb lager, which translates to make. There's no separate verb for cooking, instead, we use lager mat, literally make food.
Han lager mat.
He is cooking.
Remember that in Norwegian, the word for of, av, is omitted where one would normally use it in English to join a measure word with another noun.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| en kopp kaffe | a cup of coffee |
| et glass vann | a glass of water |
Neat, huh?
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| å lage | to make |
| å lage mat | to cook |
| en fisk | a fish |
| et kjøtt | a meat |
| en pasta | a pasta |
| en/ei suppe | a soup |
| en kylling | a chicken |
| mat (m) | food |
| en frokost | a breakfast |
| en ost | a cheese |
| en frukt | a fruit |
| en tomat | a tomato |
| et glass | a glass |
| en øl | a (unit of) beer |
| et salt | a salt |
| et egg | an egg |
| et sukker | a sugar |
| en pepper | a pepper (not bell pepper!) |
We were introduced to the Norwegian pronouns in the first skill. Let's have a look at them here:
| Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| jeg | I | vi | we |
| du | you (singular) | dere | you (plural) |
| han, hun, den/det | he, she, it | de | they |
As in English, the pronouns above only pertain to subjects. The pronouns at the receiving end of a verb, in other words the object pronouns, are as follows:
| Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| meg | me | oss | us |
| deg | you (singular) | dere | you (plural) |
| ham, henne, det/den | him, her, it | dem | them |
Den is used to mean it or that when referring back to a masculine or feminine subject.
Det is used to mean it or that when referring back to a neuter subject, and when introducing a brand new noun that has not yet been mentioned - regardless of the gender of that noun.
Han is an alternative form of ham, but in this course we will use "han" exclusively as a subject ("he"), and "ham" for the object form ("him").
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| viser | show |
| meg | me |
| deg | you (singular) |
| ham | him |
| henne | her |
| den (m/f) | it |
| det (n) | it |
| oss | us |
| dere | you (plural) |
| dem | them |
appelsinen · avisen · boken · brevet · brødet · bygd · bygda · egget · fisken · frukten · hytta · iskremen · jordbæret · kaffen · kjøttet · kone · kua · kyllingen · maten · måltidet · oljen · osten · pastaen · risen · saltet · sitronen · smørbrødet · sukkeret · suppen · teen · tomaten · vannet · vegetarianeren · vinen · øy · øya
36 words
The definite form ("the man", "the woman", et cetera) is formed by placing the indefinite article, "a/an", or in Norwegian, "en/et", at the end of the word instead of at the beginning. This is called a postfix or a suffix.
| Indefinite | Definite | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| en mann | a man | mannen | the man |
| et barn | a child | barnet | the child |
For feminine-classified nouns, there is one irregularity:
| Indefinite | Definite | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ei kvinne OR en kvinne | a woman | kvinna OR kvinnen | the woman |
| ei jente OR en jente | a girl | jenta OR jenten | the girl |
Both jenta and jenten are appropriate translations for the girl. These same endings apply to all feminine nouns.
It is also normal to use the masculine article "en" for indefinite forms, even when preferring a feminine suffix in definite. This is not considered an error!
| Indefinite | Definite | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| en jente | a girl | jenta | the girl |
| en øy | an island | øya | the island |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| -en | definite suffix: the |
| en/ei hytte | a cabin |
| osten | the cheese |
| egget | the egg |
| maten | the food |
| vannet | the water |
| brødet | the bread |
| suppen | the soup |
| pastaen | the pasta |
| saltet | the salt |
| fisken | the fish |
| brevet | the letter |
| kjøttet | the meat |
| sukkeret | the sugar |
| kyllingen | the chicken |
| eplet | the apple |
| frukten | the fruit |
| ølen | the beer |
| boken | the book |
| risen | the rice |
| tomaten | the tomato |
| avisen | the newspaper |
aviser · barn · bjørner · brev · bygder · bøker · dyr · elefanter · ender · epler · flere · fugler · hester · hunder · hytter · jordbær · katter · koner · kyllinger · lærere · mange · noen · sauer · skilpadder · smørbrød
25 words
With few exceptions, most masculine or feminine nouns (most nouns) pluralize with -er or -r.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| eple | apple |
| epler | apples |
| gutt | boy |
| gutter | boys |
| jente | girl |
| jenter | girls |
Single-syllable neuter nouns, such as hus house and dyr animal, often do not change spelling in the indefinite plural.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| hus | house or houses |
| dyr | animal or animals |
| barn | child or children |
How then can you tell the difference between hus meaning house and hus meaning houses? That depends on context and adjective endings, which we will cover a bit later in the course.
One exception to these rules is the Norwegian word for "man" which pluralizes in an irregular way that's almost identical to English:
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| mann | man |
| menn | men |
Here are some additional common irregular plurals, a couple of which are also irregular in English.
| Singular | Plural | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| and | ender | duck - ducks |
| bok | bøker | book - books |
| fot | føtter | foot - feet |
| hånd | hender | hand - hands |
| natt | netter | night - nights |
| tann | tenner | tooth - teeth |
| tre | trær | tree - trees |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| noen | some, any |
| flere | several, multiple, more |
| mange | many |
| en sykkel | a bicycle |
| katter | cats |
| aviser | newspapers |
| jenter | girls |
| fugler | birds |
| gutter | boys |
| hunder | dogs |
| ender | ducks |
| bøker | books |
| hester | horses |
| bjørner | bears |
| epler | apples |
| hytter | cabins |
| kvinner | women |
| kyllinger | chickens |
| dyr | animals |
| brev | letters |
| barn | children |
| menn | men |
| -er | indefinite plural suffix |
alle · avisene · barna · brevene · bøkene · elefantene · elgene · endene · eplene · fiskene · fuglene · guttene · hestene · hundene · hyttene · jentene · jordbærene · kattene · kokkene · konene · kvinnene · kyllingene · mennene · skilpaddene · smørbrødene · tallerkenene
26 words
With very few exceptions, all nouns can be converted to the definite plural form, i.e. the books, the cows, the dogs... by changing the -er ending on the plural form to an -ene ending:
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| hund | dog |
| hunden | the dog |
| hunder | dogs |
| hundene | the dogs |
Many neuter nouns do not have to follow this rule. Instead, they can become definite plurals by adding on an -a ending. The choice is yours, but the -ene ending is somewhat more common.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| brev | letter or letters |
| brevet | the letter |
| brevene or breva | the letters |
Keep in mind that the word "barn" meaning "child" almost always becomes "barna" in the definite plural, although "barnene" is grammatically correct as well.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| barn | child |
| barnet | the child |
| barn | children |
| barna | the children |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| alle | all (of) |
| kattene | the cats |
| fuglene | the birds |
| endene | the ducks |
| guttene | the boys |
| hestene | the horses |
| kyllingene | the chickens |
| eplene | the apples |
| bøkene | the books |
| hundene | the dogs |
| mennene | the men |
| avisene | the newspapers |
| hyttene | the cabins |
| kvinnene | the women |
| dyrene | the animals |
arbeider · betaler · betyr · bruker · finner · gjør · gråter · ha · kjøper · kjører · lager · leker · ler · lukter · lytter · man · regner · selger · smiler · sover · støtter · synger · tar · tegner · trenger · vasker · velger · vil · viser
29 words
The present tense is used to describe things that are happening or are true now:
Jeg leser nå. I am reading now.
The present tense is also in general statements that are independent of time:
Jorda er rund. The earth is round.
For things that repeat and that are still recurring:
Jeg sover hver natt. I sleep every night.
The present tense can be used to talk about the future as well, especially when it is certain:
Jeg reiser i morgen. I leave tomorrow.
As a rule of thumb, you can use the present tense where you would use either the present (I leave tomorrow.) or present progressive (I am leaving tomorrow.) tenses in English.
You do not have to worry about person or number when dealing with verbs in Norwegian, the verb stays the same. This is even simpler than English where you have to remember to add the -s in the third person singular in the present tense.
Forming the present is extremely easy, just add the suffix -r to the infinitive (the form you'll find in the dictionary).
The table below shows you how to do it:
| Group | Suffix | Infinitive | Present | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -er | å vaske | vasker | wash(es), am/are/is washing |
| 2 | -er | å kjøre | kjører | drive(s), am/are/is driving |
| 3 | -r | å bo | bor | live(s), am/are/is living (as in making one's home somewhere) |
There are three groups of verbs with different patterns for forming tenses in Norwegian, but in the present case they all behave in the same way as you can see.
In this skill, we introduce the preposition på - arguably the most important word in the Norwegian language. På has as many uses and translations as there are types of brunost in Norway, but the one you'll learn right now deals with specifying languages.
På can be used to specify what language something is said or written in. When used in this meaning, it translates to in in English.
Hva betyr det på engelsk?
What does that mean in English?
Hva heter det på norsk?
What is that (called) in Norwegian?
With few exceptions, most masculine or feminine nouns (most nouns) pluralize with -er or -r.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| eple | apple |
| epler | apples |
| gutt | boy |
| gutter | boys |
| jente | girl |
| jenter | girls |
However, words that end in -er already, add an extra -e to signify the plural.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| lærer | teacher |
| lærere | teachers |
| amerikaner | American |
| amerikanere | Americans |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| gjør | does |
| sover | sleeps |
| hører | hears |
| velger | chooses, selects |
| leker | plays |
| selger | sells |
| arbeider | works |
| vasker | washes, cleans |
| skriver | writes |
| venter | waits, expects |
| når | when |
| om | about |
| på | in |
| en lærer | a teacher |
| en amerikaner | an American |
| en/ei mus | a mouse |
| barna | the children |
| jentene | the girls |
| brevene | the letters |
| -ene | the (definite suffix), assorted words |
When ordering coffee at a cafe, you can simply say:
En kaffe, takk!
A coffee, thanks!
Replace kaffe with espresso, americano, cappuccino or latte to get your coffee of choice. Loanword heaven!
The verb for "want" is "vil" in Norwegian. When what you want is a noun, it needs to be accompanied by its friend "ha" ("have"). Where you in English could say either "I want [noun]" or "I want to have [noun]", it's always "Jeg vil ha [noun]".
Jeg vil ha et eple.
I want (to have) an apple.
Later in the course, you'll come across "vil" followed by a verb in the infinitive, in which case you do not need to add "ha".
Jeg vil spise et eple.
I want to eat an apple.
In this skill, we reintroduce the preposition på in a second meaning. På has as many uses and translations as there are types of brunost in Norway, but the one you'll learn right now deals with physical location.
When used to describe location, på can translate to on, at, and sometimes even in, depending on the context. When translating, your best bet is opting for the preposition that sounds the most natural in English.
Vi sitter på kaféen.
We are sitting at the cafe.
Hun sitter på stolen.
She is sitting on the chair.
På can also be used to specify what language something is said or written in. When used in this meaning, it translates to in in English.
Hva betyr det på engelsk?
What does that mean in English?
Hva heter det på norsk?
What is that (called) in Norwegian?
So, if you order your coffee på norsk, you're ordering it in Norwegian.
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| vil | wants |
| ha | (to) have |
| står | stands |
| bestiller | orders |
| hvordan | how |
| med | with |
| på | on, at |
| utenfor | outside (of) |
| mer | more |
| en is | an ice-cream |
| en te | a tea |
| en kafé | a cafe |
| en brus | a soda, a pop, a fizzy drink |
| en drikk | a drink, a beverage |
| et jordbær | a strawberry |
| en sitron | a lemon |
| en stol | a chair |
| et bord | a table |
| en kaffe | a coffee |
| en lunsj | a lunch |
| en kopp | a cup |
| en/ei kake | a cake |
ett · fem · fire · ni · seks · sju · ti · to · tre · åtte
10 words
Welcome to Counting! Norwegian numbers are very easy for English speakers to learn in comparison to other languages. There is no tricky system or crazy multiplication weirdness. The numbers sound and work in a similar way as they do in English.
The most common word for seven is sju, but you may also hear the word syv used, which is decidedly less common. Be careful not to confuse it with the word tjue, which means twenty.
So far, you've seen the articles en (masculine) ei (feminine) and et (neuter) used to to mean a or an. These also do double duty as numbers, translating to one.
If you want more of something countable, you can use the adverb til. You then combine it with a number: en til becomes one more or another, to til becomes two more, and so on.
When specifying exactly what you want, by adding a noun, the number goes before the noun, while til goes after, like so: en kopp til (one more cup).
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| til | more |
| en | one |
| to | two |
| tre | three |
| fire | four |
| fem | five |
| seks | six |
| sju | seven |
| åtte | eight |
| ni | nine |
| ti | ten |
This skill introduces two new prepositions, "til" and "fra". Not to worry, though, as these both act predictably in this context, corresponding to "to" and "from" respectively. These work both for describing direction in a geographical sense, and in other contexts such as when giving a gift, talking to someone, or expressing where someone or something is from.
"Snakker du til meg?"
"Are you talking to me?"
"Vi flyr til Norge."
"We are flying to Norway."
"Jeg er fra England."
"I am from England."
"Han gir en gave til jenta."
"He gives a gift to the girl."
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| tror | thinks, believes |
| sier | says |
| lytter | listens |
| ringer | calls, rings |
| kommer | comes |
| betyr | means, signifies |
| til | to |
| fra | from |
| nå | now |
| snart | soon, shortly |
| ofte | often |
| aldri | never |
| hallo | hello |
| hvorfor | why |
| hvordan går det | how is it going, how are you |
| det går ... | it is going..., I am... |
| en mamma | a mom |
| en pappa | a dad |
| en nabo | a neighbor |
| en gjest | a guest, a visitor |
deres · di · din · dine · ditt · eier · hans · hennes · hundenes · hunds · katts · kokkenes · kokkens · manns · mi · min · mine · mitt · restaurantens · s · si · sin · sine · sitt · tilhører · vår · våre · vårt
28 words
Possessive pronouns change depending on the gender and number of the possessor and the possessed.
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| faren min | mora mi | barnet mitt | foreldrene mine |
| my father | my mother | my child | my parents |
The above form takes the definite form of the noun and places the possessive pronoun after it. This is the more common form in colloquial Norwegian, and the one you will encounter most often.
Faren min er fargeblind.
My father is colorblind.
Another form is as follows:
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| min far | mi mor | mitt barn | mine foreldre |
| my father | my mother | my child | my parents |
This form takes the possessive pronoun and places it before the indefinite form of the noun. This form is considered more formal and places special emphasis on the possessor.
Mitt barn er perfekt.
My child is perfect.
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| faren din | mora di | barnet ditt | foreldrene dine |
| din far | di mor | ditt barn | dine foreldre |
| your father | your mother | your child | your parents |
Hvem er foreldrene dine?
Who are your parents?
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| faren hans | mora hans | barnet hans | foreldrene hans |
| hans far | hans mor | hans barn | hans foreldre |
| his father | his mother | his child | his parents |
Hunden hans er vennlig.
His dog is friendly.
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| faren hennes | mora hennes | barnet hennes | foreldrene hennes |
| hennes far | hennes mor | hennes barn | hennes foreldre |
| her father | her mother | her child | her parents |
Hva heter barnet hennes?
What is her child's name?
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| faren vår | mora vår | barnet vårt | foreldrene våre |
| vår far | vår mor | vårt barn | våre foreldre |
| our father | our mother | our child | our parents |
Vi elsker døtrene våre.
We love our daughters.
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| faren deres | mora deres | barnet deres | foreldrene deres |
| deres far | deres mor | deres barn | deres foreldre |
| your (pl.) father | your (pl.) mother | your (pl.) child | your (pl.) parents |
Hvor kommer familien deres fra?
Where does your family come from?
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| faren deres | mora deres | barnet deres | foreldrene deres |
| deres far | deres mor | deres barn | deres foreldre |
| their father | their mother | their child | their parents |
Datamaskinen deres fungerer ikke.
Their computer does not work.
Notice how deres can mean your (pl.) or their. You will be able to tell the difference through context.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| eier | owns |
| tilhører | belongs |
| mi/min/mitt/mine | my, mine |
| di/din/ditt/dine | your, yours |
| vår/vårt/våre | our, ours |
| hans | his |
| hennes | her, hers |
| deres | their, theirs |
| et rom | a room |
| et navn | a name |
| en telefon | a telephone |
de · den · det
3 words
We learned early on how to describe definite nouns with the appropriate gender- and number-specific suffixes.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | stolen | the chair |
| Feminine | boka | the book |
| Neuter | bordet | the table |
| Plural | husene | the houses |
In order to specify further with the word that or those, all we do is add one gender- and number-specific word to the mix: den, det, or de.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | den stolen | that chair |
| Feminine | den boka | that book |
| Neuter | det bordet | that table |
| Plural | de husene | those houses |
To describe where something is, Norwegian often forgoes the verb to be in favor of to stand or to lie. Most often, upright objects with legs, such as beds, stand, while other objects, especially those on their side, tend to lie, just like in English.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Sengen står på gulvet. | The bed [stands/is] on the floor. |
| Hunden ligger på gulvet. | The dog [lies/is] on the floor. |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| ligger | lies |
| mellom | between |
| ved | by |
| hjemme | (at) home |
| bak | behind |
| over | over, above |
| foran | in front of |
| under | under, below, underneath |
| ute | outside |
| inne | inside |
| nede | downstairs, down |
| blant | among |
| oppe | upstairs, up |
| et gulv | a floor |
| en butikk | a store, a shop |
| en/ei seng | a bed |
| en/ei øy | an island |
| et hus | a house |
| en bil | a car |
| et tre | a tree |
| en/ei bro | a bridge |
| et gjerde | a fence |
| en lekeplass | a playground |
bassenget · derfra · dit · drar · etter · flyr · forbi · fra · frem · gjennom · går · herfra · hit · hjem · hopper · inn · kommer · langs · legger · løper · mot · ned · omkring · opp · rett · rundt · setter · svømmer · til · tilbake · ut
31 words
In Norwegian, adverbs of place that describe where something is change when they become adverbs of motion and describe where something moves. Below are some examples:
| Existence | Translation | Motion | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| er hjemme | is at home | går hjem | goes home |
| er inne | is inside | går inn | goes in |
| er ute | is outside | går ut | goes out |
| er oppe | is up | går opp | goes up |
| er nede | is down below | går ned | goes down |
Be careful to use the proper adverb for each situation. For most of the words above, the endings fall off when in motion. Think of them like a pocket book on top of a car. The car moves, so the pocket book falls off.
| Existence | Translation | Motion | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| er her | is here | går hit | goes here |
| er der | is there | går dit | goes there |
The words hit and dit are related to the antiquated English words hither and thither, which used to describe here and there in motion. Note that it has to be motion toward a location - not in or at a location.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| går | walks, goes |
| drar | goes, leaves |
| løper | runs |
| legger | lays, puts, places |
| flyr | flies |
| svømmer | swims |
| hopper | jumps |
| hjem | home |
| til | to (physical direction) |
| hit | (to) here, hither |
| dit | (to) there, thither |
| mot | toward, against |
| etter | after |
| frem | forward |
| forbi | past |
| tilbake | back |
| inn | in |
| opp | up |
| ned | down |
| gjennom | through |
| ut | out |
| rett | straight, directly |
| rundt | around |
| et basseng | a (swimming) pool |
| en/ei dør | a door |
| et vindu | a window |
av · for · i stedet for · med · overfor · til · unntatt · uten
8 words
As in English, all prepositions in Norwegian stand before the noun. Below is a reference sheet for the prepositions introduced in this chapter. "Av" and "for" are notoriously versatile prepositions, with several other definitions in addition to the ones mentioned.
| Norwegian | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| av | of, off | Used with fractions or two-part verbs. |
| for | for, to | Often does not translate directly. |
| uten | without | |
| unntatt | except | Literally "taken out." |
| i stedet for | instead of |
Of course, you've already familiarized yourself with some key prepositions in earlier skills as well. Here comes a quick refresher:
| Norwegian | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| i | in, inside | Used to express location |
| på | on, at, in | Used to express location or indicate language |
| til | to, for | Used to express direction and purpose |
| med | with | Said like meh, but in a neutral tone. |
While we won't mix them into this skill, both separable verbs and phrasal verbs are important parts of the Norwegian language.
Often, they'll use prepositions in ways that are unfamiliar, so if you ever come across a preposition you don't understand the function of, it is worth considering whether it actually forms part of the verb.
We learned early on how to describe definite nouns with the appropriate gender- and number-specific suffixes.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | stolen | the chair |
| Feminine | boka | the book |
| Neuter | bordet | the table |
| Plural | husene | the houses |
And how to specify further with the word that or those.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | den stolen | that chair |
| Feminine | den boka | that book |
| Neuter | det bordet | that table |
| Plural | de husene | those houses |
Now, we're introducing how to say this and these in Norwegian.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | denne stolen | this chair |
| Feminine | denne boka | this book |
| Neuter | dette bordet | this table |
| Plural | disse husene | these houses |
altfor · billig · dyrt · enkelt · forferdelig · forskjellige · full · fulle · gode · godt · helt · lang · lett · mye · riktig · små · utrolige · veldig
18 words
Norwegian adjectives change for gender, number, indefinite and definite forms. Let's take a look at adjectives joined to nouns by the phrase to be, starting with the adjective stor, which means big or great.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | En stol er stor. | A chair is big. |
| Feminine | Ei bok er stor. | A book is big. |
So far, so good. There is no change to the adjective in either masculine or feminine form.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Neuter | Et bord er stort. | A table is big. |
| Plural | Hus er store. | Houses are big. |
As you can see above, the neuter noun changes the spelling of stor to include a -t ending, and the plural noun changes stor to include an -e ending. This pattern applies to most adjectives in the indefinite form, as shown below.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | en stor stol | a big chair |
| Feminine | ei stor bok | a big book |
| Neuter | et stort bord | a big table |
| Plural | store hus | big houses |
Many adjectives ending in -ig or -sk, like viktig and norsk, do not sound pleasant with a -t ending. This is why we do not add a -t to these specific adjectives in the neuter form.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| et viktig brev | an important letter |
| et norsk hus | a Norwegian house |
We do still add the -e ending in the plural form, however!
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| viktige brev | important letters |
| norske hus | Norwegian houses |
The simple thing about adjectives in the definite form is that the endings are almost all the same.
Most adjectives in the definite form end in -e.
In addition to the noun transitioning into the definite form, we place an additional word before the adjective in the definite form. This word changes depending on gender and number, as you see below.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | den store stolen | the big chair |
| Feminine | den store boka | the big book |
| Neuter | det store bordet | the big table |
| Plural | de store husene | the big houses |
There are two ways to combine possessive pronouns with adjectives. The possessive pronoun can either follow the noun in the definite form or precede the adjective. Let's take a look at how this works.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | den store stolen min | my big chair |
| Feminine | den store boka mi | my big book |
| Neuter | det store bordet mitt | my big table |
| Plural | de store husene mine | my big houses |
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | min store stol | my big chair |
| Feminine | mi store bok | my big book |
| Neuter | mitt store bord | my big table |
| Plural | mine store hus | my big houses |
In the second set of examples, notice how the adjective endings are all -e, just like in the definite form, but the nouns have no endings, just like in the indefinite form. In a sense, this second method of combining possessive pronouns and adjectives is a blending of grammar rules.
Pay special attention to context, and in time, these adjective endings become second nature.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| hvor | how (degree) |
| god | good, nice |
| ny | new |
| stor | big |
| kort | short |
| varm | warm, hot |
| åpen | open |
| vanskelig | difficult |
| veldig | very |
| fin | nice |
| kald | cold |
| lang | long |
| trygg | safe, secure |
| dårlig | bad, poor |
| mye | much |
| tung | heavy |
| viktig | important |
| skitten | dirty |
| ganske | rather, pretty, somewhat |
| ren | clean |
| lett | light |
| mulig | possible |
| vanlig | common, usual |
| forferdelig | terrible, awful |
| hel | whole |
| flott | great |
| hard | hard |
In Norwegian, there are two verbs that translate to "to live", "å bo" and "å leve". However, they are rarely interchangeable with each other.
When talking about someone's place of residence, you should use the verb "bor".
When expressing that someone or something is alive, or describing their way of life, you use "lever".
There are several of these pairs, but the ones we'll concentrate on is "ute" (adverb) and "utenfor" (preposition).
"Ute" (out; outside; outdoors) is an adverb, and can be used without a point of reference. If you ever want to refer to the great outdoors in Norwegian, you can say "ute".
Vi liker å være ute i naturen.
We like being out in nature.
"Utenfor" is a preposition, which means that it always needs a point of reference. What makes it a little confusing is that the point of reference can be implied; it doesn't have to be explicitly present in the sentence.
In the sentence below, there's an explicit reference point, "gjerdet".
De er utenfor gjerdet.
They are outside (of) the fence.
In the next sentence, there's no explicit reference point. However, we can imagine that the person uttering the sentence is inside a house, and that the subject of the sentence is sitting outside said house.
Hun sitter utenfor.
She is sitting outside.
In the last example, you could use "ute" as well. Either would be correct.
Some of the prepositions and prepositional phrases you're learning have rather similar meanings, but there are still nuances to them, and you should strive to translate them precisely.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| ved | by |
| ved siden av | next to |
| nær | near, close to |
| i nærheten av | near, close to |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| lever | lives |
| henger | hangs |
| leter | looks, searches |
| setter | sets, puts, places |
| det er | there is, there are |
| nær | near, close to |
| langs | along |
| ved siden av | next to |
| innenfor | inside (of) |
| bortenfor | past, beyond |
| herfra | from here |
| derfra | from there |
| en vei | a road |
| en bakke | a slope, a hill(side) |
| et speil | a mirror |
| et bilde | a picture |
| en vegg | a wall |
| en/ei lampe | a lamp |
| en/ei innside | an inside |
| en/ei grense | a border, a limit, a boundary |
| en utgang | an exit |
| en inngang | an entrance |
| et kjøleskap | a refrigerator |
alvorlige · berømt · berømte · egenskaper · fattige · felles · gammel · glad · glade · kjekk · kjekke · nordmenn · pen · perfekt · perfekte · rar · rart · rik · rike · slem · slemme · snill · snille · spesiell · spesielt · stolt · stolte · streng · u · ung · unge · ungt · uvanlig · uvanlige · vennlig
35 words
The simple thing about adjectives in the definite form is that the endings are almost all the same.
Most adjectives in the definite form end in -e.
In addition to the noun transitioning into the definite form, we place an additional word before the adjective in the definite form. This word changes depending on gender and number, as you see below.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | den store stolen | the big chair |
| Feminine | den store boka | the big book |
| Neuter | det store bordet | the big table |
| Plural | de store husene | the big houses |
There are two ways to combine possessive pronouns with adjectives. The possessive pronoun can either follow the noun in the definite form or precede the adjective. Let's take a look at how this works.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | den store stolen min | my big chair |
| Feminine | den store boka mi | my big book |
| Neuter | det store bordet mitt | my big table |
| Plural | de store husene mine | my big houses |
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | min store stol | my big chair |
| Feminine | mi store bok | my big book |
| Neuter | mitt store bord | my big table |
| Plural | mine store hus | my big houses |
In the second set of examples, notice how the adjective endings are all -e, just like in the definite form, but the nouns have no endings, just like in the indefinite form. In a sense, this second method of combining possessive pronouns and adjectives is a blending of grammar rules.
Pay special attention to context, and in time, these adjective endings become second nature.
The adjective liten, meaning little or small, is the most highly irregular adjective in the Norwegian language. Take a look at how it declines. Commit this table to memory, because as in English, the word small is used a lot.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | en liten stol | a small chair |
| den lille stolen | the small chair | |
| Feminine | ei lita bok | a small book |
| den lille boka | the small book | |
| Neuter | et lite bord | a small table |
| det lille bordet | the small table | |
| Plural | små hus | small houses |
| de små husene | the small houses |
As students of Danish may be aware, the postfixes after the nouns above are absent in Danish, and as a legacy of Danish colonialism, some Norwegian phrases lack the noun endings shown in the table above. These words are generally famous titles or institutions, such as The White House or The French Academy. See how they operate below.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Det franske akademi | The French Academy |
| Det hvite hus | The White House |
Note that det hvite huset can also mean the white house, just not the one the US President lives inside.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| det (m./f.) | the |
| den (n.) | the |
| de (pl.) | the |
| så | so, that |
| kjempe- | very (prefix) |
| rar | strange |
| ung | young |
| pen | pretty |
| snill | kind, nice |
| liten | little, small |
| fattig | poor |
| berømt | famous |
| rik | rich |
| slem | mean, unkind |
| kjekk | handsome |
| farlig | dangerous |
| perfekt | perfect |
| spesiell | special |
| gammel | old |
Possessive pronouns change depending on the gender and number of the possessor and the possessed. Be sure to pay special attention to "sin, si, sitt, & sine," which do not have equivalents in English.
The above are an interesting set of possessive pronouns in Norwegian. They all translate to his, her, its, or their and can only be attached to objects in a sentence. Sin, si, sitt, & sine describe something that the subject has or owns, not somebody else. This distinction does not exist in English, so it may take some getting used to, but it's actually a useful distinction to be able to make; many sentences that would be ambiguous in English are perfectly clear in Norwegian.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Hun elsker faren sin. | She loves her (own) father. |
| Hun elsker faren hennes. | She loves her (another woman's) father. |
| Faren hennes elsker henne. | Her father loves her. |
In the last sentence, we use faren hennes instead of faren sin because her father is the subject, not the object, of the sentence.
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| faren sin | mora si | barnet sitt | foreldrene sine |
| sin far | si mor | sitt barn | sine foreldre |
| his/her/their (own) father | his/her/their (own) mother | his/her/their (own) child | his/her/their (own) parents |
Please note that you should not add "own" to your translations of si/sin/sitt/sine, it's just used here to explain the concept as clearly as possible.
Sometimes you don't have a possessive pronoun to express the ownership with, as you may be talking about "the woman's car" rather than "her car". Just like in English, you can do this by adding a genitive -s at the end of the possessing noun.
As you can see, you don't need to add an apostrophe in Norwegian. The only exception is when the noun itself ends in an -s, -x or -z already, in which case we add an apostrophe and forego the extra -s.
Another way of achieving the same thing, is using the preposition "til". It's the equivalent of expressing ownership with the preposition "of" in English. While this can sound stilted in English, it's perfectly natural in Norwegian.
A final way to express possession is the so-called garpegenitiv. It's a format that saw some use in English in the 1600s, often referred to as his-genitive. What it does is link the possessing noun to the possessed noun with a possessive pronoun.
Literally, "The woman her car is red".
While this format is common in many dialects and recognized by Språkrådet as acceptable in Bokmål, it is considered informal and should not be what you turn to in formal writing.
There are two ways to combine possessive pronouns with adjectives. The possessive pronoun can either follow the noun in the definite form or precede the adjective. Let's take a look at how this works.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | den store stolen min | my big chair |
| Feminine | den store boka mi | my big book |
| Neuter | det store bordet mitt | my big table |
| Plural | de store husene mine | my big houses |
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | min store stol | my big chair |
| Feminine | mi store bok | my big book |
| Neuter | mitt store bord | my big table |
| Plural | mine store hus | my big houses |
In the second set of examples, notice how the adjective endings are all -e, just like in the definite form, but the nouns have no endings, just like in the indefinite form. In a sense, this second method of combining possessive pronouns and adjectives is a blending of grammar rules.
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| si/sin/sitt/sine | his, her, its, their |
| til | of |
| -s | possessive s (suffix) |
| guttens | the boy's |
| jentas | the girl's |
| barnets | the child's |
| kattens | the cat's |
| hundens | the dog's |
| mannens | the man's |
| kvinnens | the woman's |
"Hos" can be a tricky preposition to translate, as it does not have an equivalent in English. However, those of you who are familiar with French can liken it to "chez".
It's mainly used to express that you're at someone's place; in a person's home, at a company's office, etc.
De er hos oss.
They are at our place.
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| spiller | plays |
| vinner | wins |
| taper | loses |
| tegner | draws |
| synger | sings |
| hviler | rests |
| hos | at (X's place) |
| fantastisk | fantastic |
| en hage | a garden, a yard |
| en gitar | a guitar |
| et besøk | a visit |
| en sport | a sport |
| en ball | a ball |
| en park | a park |
| en hobby | a hobby |
| fotball (m) | football, soccer |
| et spill | a game |
| musikk (m) | music |
| et band | a band |
| et piano | a piano |
| en sang | a song |
| et kor | a choir |
| en film | a movie, a film |
| en radio | a radio |
| en TV | a TV |
finnes · klemmer · leter · lærer · orker · sier · slutter · virker
8 words
As you may have noticed in previous lessons, we have yet to introduce a solid distinction between indefinite articles such as a or an in English, and the number one. So far, you've been using en (m), ei (f), and et (n) for both functions, and that's also what natives will do when they feel no need to specify.
In cases where you want to emphasize the number, you can use the following descriptors:
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|
| én gutt | éi jente | ett barn |
| one boy | one girl | one child |
These will always translate to either one or a single (one). Translating them to a or an would be incorrect.
In speech, you make the distinction by putting stress on the number. The TTS voice used for this course is not great about doing that, so you need to exaggerate it a little more than she does.
There are two words for both in Norwegian, både and begge. Både is a conjunction and is used in constructions such as både ... og, ie. both ... and . In this case it is possible to list more than two elements. Begge is a quantifier and is used instead of alle when there are only two of something. If you need to use the word both on its own, you may use the phrase begge to, which literally means, both two.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Vi har bare én katt. | We have only one cat. |
| Jeg ser bare éi and. | I see only one duck. |
| Det er bare ett stykke igjen. | There is only one piece left. |
The adjective liten, meaning little or small, is the most highly irregular adjective in the Norwegian language. Take a look at how it declines. Commit this table to memory, because as in English, the word small is used a lot.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | en liten stol | a small chair |
| den lille stolen | the small chair | |
| Feminine | ei lita bok | a small book |
| den lille boka | the small book | |
| Neuter | et lite bord | a small table |
| det lille bordet | the small table | |
| Plural | små hus | small houses |
| de små husene | the small houses |
The present tense is used to describe things that are happening or are true now:
Jeg leser nå. I am reading now.
The present tense is also used in general statements that are independent of time:
Jorda er rund. The earth is round.
For things that repeat and that are still recurring:
Jeg sover hver natt. I sleep every night.
The present tense can be used to talk about the future as well, especially when it is certain:
Jeg reiser i morgen. I leave tomorrow.
As a rule of thumb, you can use the present tense where you would use either the present (I leave tomorrow.) or present progressive (I am leaving tomorrow.) tenses in English.
You do not have to worry about person or number when dealing with verbs in Norwegian, the verb stays the same. This is even simpler than English where you have to remember to add the -s in the third person singular in the present tense.
Forming the present is extremely easy, just add the suffix -r to the infinitive (the form you'll find in the dictionary).
The table below shows you how to do it:
| Group | Suffix | Infinitive | Present | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -er | å vaske | vasker | wash(es), am/are/is washing |
| 2 | -er | å kjøre | kjører | drive(s), am/are/is driving |
| 3 | -r | å bo | bor | live(s), am/are/is living (as in making one's home somewhere) |
There are three groups of verbs with different patterns for forming tenses in Norwegian, but in the present case they all behave in the same way as you can see.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| lukter | smells |
| gir | gives |
| venter | waits, expects |
| husker | remembers |
| tar | takes |
| finner | finds |
| åpner | opens |
| takker | thanks |
| dør | dies |
| regner | rains |
| beklager | apologizes |
| leier | rents, holds hands with |
| kysser | kisses |
| én/éi/ett | one (not a/an!) |
| begge | both |
| men | but |
| også | also, too, as well |
| til | for |
| alltid | always |
| hvordan | how |
| langt | far |
| hjemmefra | from home |
| bare | just, only |
| for | too |
| lite | little, small |
arbeidet · attest · attester · brannmannen · brannmenn · bussjåfør · byrået · cv-ene · dagpenger · elektriker · elektrikeren · fleksitid · forfatteren · fritid · ingeniør · jobb · legene · overtid · referanser · rørleggeren · sekretær · skuespillerinnen · student · studenter · studerer · søker · søknad · telefonselger · telefonselgere · vikar · vikaren
31 words
Unlike in English, Norwegian usually drops the indefinite article when describing someone's profession.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg er student. | I am a student. |
| Hun er lege. | She is a doctor. |
| Han er forfatter. | He is a writer. |
Be mindful that constructions such as jeg er en student are also grammatical, but they are far less common.
Now that you're becoming familiar with the sound of the Norwegian language, listening exercises are probably starting to become a little easier. However, speaking can still be a hurdle!
It's perfectly natural to feel shy about speaking a new language, but it's something that becomes more comfortable the more you practice it. The good news is that you don't have to run out and find a native speaker to practice. Saying the Duolingo sentences out loud is a great start, and will get your tongue used to making those unfamiliar twists and turns. And yes, we do mean every sentence - not just the listening exercises!
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| studerer | study |
| tid (m/f) | time |
| overtid (m/f) | overtime |
| en lege | a doctor, a physician |
| en jobb | a job |
| et kontor | an office |
| en student | a student (uni level) |
| en forfatter | an author |
| et møte | a meeting |
| en konferanse | a conference |
| en sjef | a boss |
| fritid (m/f) | free time, leisure |
| et arbeid | a work, a job |
| en elektriker | an electrician |
| en rørlegger | a plumber |
| en brannmann | a fireman, a firefighter |
| en prest | a priest |
| en ingeniør | an engineer |
| en bussjåfør | a bus driver |
| en telefonselger | a telemarketer, a telephone salesman |
To infinitives, and beyond!
Most infinitive verbs in Norwegian end in the stem -e. There are many, many exceptions, however. A few modal constructions exist that link to infinitive verbs directly, such as kan and vil.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg kan spise. | I can eat. |
| Hun vil finne katten. | She wants to find the cat. |
Many infinitives link with other parts of the sentence with the word å, which translates to to, as in, å se or to see. This applies to all situations where an infinitive is present without a modal verb.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Det er viktig å lese. | It is important to read. |
| Han liker å lage mat. | He likes to cook. |
You may have noticed that in the final sentence above, the verb å lage mat could have easily translated to cooking, and you would be correct. Sometimes an infinitive beginning with an å can act like a gerund, which is nerd for a noun ending in -ing.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| å | to |
| kan | can, am able to |
| må | must |
| å bli | to become, to get, to be |
| å lage | to make |
| å spise | to eat |
| å betale | to pay |
| å gi | to give |
| å sove | to sleep |
| å være | to be |
| å gjøre | to do, to make |
| å danse | to dance |
| å kjøpe | to buy |
| å se | to see |
| å ta | to take |
| å få | to get, to receive |
| å lese | to read |
| å vise | to show |
| å synge | to sing |
| å si | to say |
| å leie | to rent, to hold hands |
| å høre | to hear |
| å velge | to choose |
| å tenke | to think |
| å prøve | to try, to test, to attempt |
| å fortsette | to continue |
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| morgen | morning |
| formiddag | late morning (9-12 am) |
| ettermiddag | afternoon |
| kveld | evening; night (before bed) |
| natt | night |
You're already familiar with the prepositions i, om and på from previous skills. Here, you'll meet them again, but in new contexts and with different translations.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| i dag | today |
| i natt | tonight |
| i morgen | tomorrow |
| om dagen | at day; during the day |
| om morgenen | in the morning; during the morning |
| om en time | in an hour (from now) |
| på dagen | at day |
| på morgenen | in the morning |
As you can see, both på and om can be used to express that something happens at day or in the morning.
If you're referring to a specific point in time, like five in the morning, you would use fem på morgenen. If you're just referring to the morning in general, you may use either på or om. Some dialects have a preference for one over the other, but that's nothing you need to worry about here.
In Norwegian, there are two very common verbs for to work, å arbeide and å jobbe.
While these are largely interchangeable, there are cases where one will be preferred to the other.
Å arbeide is the old workhorse, of Old Norse origin, and thus features in more compounds and fixed expressions.
Å jobbe is the young English apprentice, which has been adopted by the younger generations.
Both verbs are used extensively, and Norwegians will happily switch between the two within the same text or conversation.
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| å møte | to meet, to encounter |
| å jobbe | to work |
| å komme | to come |
| om | in, at |
| hver | every, each |
| sjelden | seldom, rarely |
| før | before, prior to |
| i dag | today |
| i kveld | this evening, tonight |
| i morgen | tomorrow |
| senere | later |
| daglig | daily |
| ferdig | done, finished, complete |
| en gang | once, one time, a time |
| en morgen | a morning |
| en ettermiddag | an afternoon |
| en kveld | an evening, a night |
| en plan | a plan |
| et skift | a shift |
| fleksitid (m/f) | flexible hours, flextime |
alt · andre · anna · annen · annet · både · denne · dens · dets · dette · disse · egen · eget · egne · eneste · hverandre · hverandres · noen ting · samme · selv · slik · slike · sånne · sånt · verken · viss · visst
27 words
We learned early on how to describe definite nouns with the appropriate gender- and number-specific suffixes.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | stolen | the chair |
| Feminine | boka | the book |
| Neuter | bordet | the table |
| Plural | husene | the houses |
And how to specify further with the word that or those.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | den stolen | that chair |
| Feminine | den boka | that book |
| Neuter | det bordet | that table |
| Plural | de husene | those houses |
Now, we're introducing how to say this and these in Norwegian.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | denne stolen | this chair |
| Feminine | denne boka | this book |
| Neuter | dette bordet | this table |
| Plural | disse husene | these houses |
There is only one word for other and second in Norwegian, annen. It declines irregularly, so watch out.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | en annen stol | another chair |
| den andre stolen | the other chair | |
| Feminine | ei anna bok | another book |
| den andre boka | the other book | |
| Neuter | et annet bord | another table |
| det andre bordet | the other table | |
| Plural | andre hus | other houses |
| de andre husene | the other houses |
There are two words for both in Norwegian, både and begge. Både is a conjunction and is used in constructions such as både ... og, ie. both ... and . In this case it is possible to list more than two elements. Begge is a quantifier and is used instead of alle when there are only two of something. If you need to use the word both on its own, you may use the phrase begge to, which literally means, both two.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| alt | all, everything |
| andre | other, others, second |
| ingenting | nothing |
| selv | myself, yourself, herself... |
| egen | own |
| ingen | no, nobody, no-one |
| både | both (X and X) |
| annet | other, second |
| hverandre | each other, one another |
| annen | other, second |
| annenhver | every other, every second |
| et ord | a word |
Below are the days of the week. The reason they're so similar to English is because English gets most of the words for the days of the week from the names of Norse gods. "Thursday" is Thor's day, and so on.
Keep in mind that the days of the week, unlike in English, are only capitalized at the beginning of the sentence. The g at the end of these words may or may not be pronounced, depending on dialect, register, and stress. Even when pronounced, it should be quite soft.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| mandag | Monday |
| tirsdag | Tuesday |
| onsdag | Wednesday |
| torsdag | Thursday |
| fredag | Friday |
| lørdag | Saturday |
| søndag | Sunday |
Monday through Friday are referred to as hverdager, while Saturday and Sunday are helgedager.
Since all of the days are compound nouns ending in the masculine noun en dag, they too are treated as masculine nouns.
When you want to express that something's happening on a specific day, you say på mandag, on Monday.
However, if you want to say that something's happening on the weekend, it's i helgen.
As you already know, you can make some statements about the future using the present tense in English. An example would be "We are going to Norway next month." We still understand that the sentence must be about the future, as a future point in time has been specified.
In Norwegian, you can do exactly the same. In fact, it's even more common to do so.
Vi drar på onsdag.
We are leaving on Wednesday.
Prøven er fredag.
The test is on Friday.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| mandag | Monday |
| tirsdag | Tuesday |
| onsdag | Wednesday |
| torsdag | Thursday |
| fredag | Friday |
| lørdag | Saturday |
| søndag | Sunday |
| en hverdag | a weekday |
| en/ei uke | a week |
| en/ei helg | a weekend |
forstår · hva slags · hvem sine · hvem sitt · hvilke · hvilken · hvilket · hvor mange · hvor mye · hvordan · hvorfor · jo · når · spørsmålet · svar · vet · vite · være så snill å
18 words
antar · bestilte · blander · bygger · deler · forlater · forteller · fremfor · gjelder · glemmer · handler · husker · håper · lover · mener · overrasker · sender · skjønner · slipper · stenger · tilbringer · underviser
22 words
When we're not referring to a specific person, but are making a general statement, we often use an indefinite or impersonal pronoun.
English has two such pronouns, the rather formal "one", which one imagines the queen uses a fair bit more than the general population, and the less formal general "you".
In Norwegian, there are also two of these pronouns, "man" and "en". However, there is no difference in formality; they can be used freely in both the formal and informal register.
"Man kan aldri være helt sikker."
"One can never be completely certain."
Note that "man" can only be used as a subject pronoun, while "en" can be used as both a subject pronoun and an object pronoun. "Ens" is the possessive pronoun, corresponding to "one's" or the general "your".
In this skill, you'll learn the verb lærer, which changes meaning depending on whether it has an indirect object or not.
If it lacks an indirect object, it translates to learn/learns/am learning/are learning/is learning.
Jeg lærer norsk.
I am learning Norwegian.
However, if it has an indirect object, it becomes teach/teaches/am teaching/are teaching/is teaching. You can see how it works in the sentence below, where meg is the indirect object and the person being taught something.
Hun lærer meg norsk.
She is teaching me Norwegian.
What about when you want to say "teach", and you don't have an indirect object? Well, then you can add the adverb "bort" to "lærer", like so:
De lærer bort norsk.
They are teaching Norwegian.
You can also use a whole other verb, which you will learn in a later skill. "Underviser" is used for teaching in a school or university context - classroom teaching.
Professoren underviser i norsk.
The professor teaches Norwegian.
The verb finnes is an interesting one. Not only does it have the passive ending -s, but it's used much more extensively than its English counterpart, exist.
Finnes is the passive version of finner, find, so anything that finnes is something that is to be found. Depending on what sounds more natural, you should translate it to either is/are or exist(s) in English.
The present tense is used to describe things that are happening or are true now:
Jeg leser nå. I am reading now.
The present tense is also used in general statements that are independent of time:
Jorda er rund. The earth is round.
For things that repeat and that are still recurring:
Jeg sover hver natt. I sleep every night.
The present tense can be used to talk about the future as well, especially when it is certain:
Jeg reiser i morgen. I leave tomorrow.
As a rule of thumb, you can use the present tense where you would use either the present (I leave tomorrow.) or present progressive (I am leaving tomorrow.) tenses in English.
You do not have to worry about person or number when dealing with verbs in Norwegian, the verb stays the same. This is even simpler than English where you have to remember to add the -s in the third person singular in the present tense.
Forming the present is extremely easy, just add the suffix -r to the infinitive (the form you'll find in the dictionary).
The table below shows you how to do it:
| Group | Suffix | Infinitive | Present | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -er | å vaske | vasker | wash(es), am/are/is washing |
| 2 | -er | å kjøre | kjører | drive(s), am/are/is driving |
| 3 | -r | å bo | bor | live(s), am/are/is living (as in making one's home somewhere) |
There are three groups of verbs with different patterns for forming tenses in Norwegian, but in the present case they all behave in the same way as you can see.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| lærer | learns, teaches |
| får | gets, receives |
| skjer | happens, occurs, takes place |
| holder | holds, is enough |
| foretrekker | prefers |
| stoler | trusts |
| følger | follows |
| ønsker | wishes |
| forsøker | tries, attempts |
| slutter | stops, quits |
| å fryse | to freeze, to be cold |
| begynner | begins, starts |
| finnes | exists, is |
| bærer | carries |
| stemmer | is right |
| kler på seg | gets dressed, puts on |
| man | one, you (impersonal) |
| godt | well |
| igjen | again |
| en tyv | a thief, a burglar |
| en vane | a habit |
In order to ask what time it is, you may ask,
Hva er klokka?
or literally, What is the clock?
The response will be something like,
Klokka er to.
which means the clock is two, or in other words,
It's two o'clock.
Norwegians are used to seamlessly jumping between using 12-hour and 24-hour time, depending on what the situation requires.
When the intended point of time should be obvious from the context, they'll use 12-hour time without specifying AM or PM.
When there is room for confusion, they will either use 12-hour time in conjunction with a time of day to specify, or they'll switch to 24-hour time, also known as military time.
| 12 hour | 12 hour + specification | 24 hour | military |
|---|---|---|---|
| to | to på/om dagen | fjorten | 14:00 |
| ni | ni på/om kvelden | tjueen | 21:00 |
When someone says halv to in Norwegian, it actually means half past one. The half hour relates to the next whole hour, rather than the previous one, which may take a little getting used to.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| halv fire | half past three |
| halv åtte | half past seven |
| halv elleve | half past ten |
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| allerede | already |
| halv | half |
| kvart på | a quarter to |
| kvart over | a quarter past |
| X på | X to |
| X over | X past |
| sen | late |
| tidlig | early |
| fort | fast, quickly |
| en/ei klokke | a clock, a watch, (a time) |
| et minutt | a minute |
| et sekund | a second |
Unlike in English, Norwegian usually drops the indefinite article when describing someone's profession.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg er student. | I am a student. |
| Hun er lege. | She is a doctor. |
| Han er forfatter. | He is a writer. |
Be mindful that constructions such as jeg er en student are also grammatical, but they are far less common.
In Norwegian, there are two very common verbs for to work, å arbeide and å jobbe.
While these are largely interchangeable, there are cases where one will be preferred to the other.
Å arbeide is the old workhorse, of Old Norse origin, and thus features in more compounds and fixed expressions.
Å jobbe is the young English apprentice, which has been adopted by the younger generations.
Both verbs are used extensively, and Norwegians will happily switch between the two within the same text or conversation.
Like English, Norwegian borrows heavily from Greek and Latin, especially for more technical terms. In this skill, you'll come across the noun fotograf, photographer, which stems from the words φῶς (phos), meaning light, and γραφή (graphê), meaning drawing or writing. That's what photographers do, right? They draw with light.
Whenever you come across a word of Greek origin that is spelled with a "ph" combination in English, it will be spelled with an "f" in Norwegian. Another example of this is elefant, which of course is elephant in English.
The same pattern holds true in Greek words with a "th" combination in English; the "h" disappears in Norwegian, leaving only the "t". An example from this skill is therapist, which becomes terapeut.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| å arbeide | to work |
| å selge | to sell |
| profesjonell | professional |
| et yrke | a profession |
| en pilot | a pilot |
| en arkitekt | an architect |
| en fotograf | a photographer |
| en/ei utdanning | an education |
| en fisker | a fisherman, a fisher |
| en advokat | a lawyer |
| en terapeut | a therapist |
| en politibetjent | a police officer, a policeman, a policewoman |
at · eller · for · fordi · hvis · inntil · men · mens · når · om · selv om · som · så · uten at
14 words
Below is a short list of some of the most common conjunctions in the Norwegian language. Four of them, og, men, fordi, and eller, you're already familiar with.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| og | and |
| men | but |
| eller | or |
| fordi | because |
| at | that |
| om | whether, if (binary plausibility) |
| hvis | if (cause and effect) |
Norwegian conjunctions act very similarly to English ones, with a couple of special rules.
Keep in mind that in dependent clauses, the negation ikke gets pulled to a position in-between the subject and the main verb. This occurs with several other constructions as well. This is one weird quirk with Norwegian grammar, but it will sound natural after a while.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Hun er ikke her. | She is not here. |
| Jeg vet at hun ikke er her. | I know that she is not here. |
Isn't that interesting?
The V-2 Rule is a linguistic law that applies to all Germanic languages... except English. You can see a rare instance of it in English in the expression here comes the bus. This rule states that all sentences that are statements, in other words not questions, must have a verb in the second position. This allows for some flexibility in the word order for emphasis. What it essentially means is that Norwegian verbs refuse to move from the second position in statements.
The V-2 Rule applies to dependent clauses that begin sentences. In this specific situation, the whole dependent clause is treated as being in the first position, so the verb in the independent clause comes immediately after it, in the second position, followed by the subject in the independent clause.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Du (1) må (2) støtte meg. | You must support me. |
| Hvis du vil hjelpe meg (1) , må (2) du støtte meg. | If you want to help me, you must support me. |
This may sound jarring, but this rule of inversion becomes easy enough after some exposure.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg (1) snakker (2) ikke norsk. | I do not speak Norwegian. |
| Selv om jeg er nordmann (1) , snakker (2) jeg ikke norsk. | Even though I am Norwegian, I do not speak Norwegian. |
If you think this word order is weird, try German.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| om | if, whether |
| at | that |
| så | so |
| når | when |
| mens | while |
| for | for, because |
| hvis | if |
| som | like, which |
| selv om | even if, even though, despite |
avbryt · bekymre · betal · bruk · forlat · fortsett · følg · gi · gjør · gå · hjelp · hold · kjøp · kom · kyss · la · legg · lek · les · lukk · lytt · løp · møt · pass · ring · se · selg · si · skriv · slapp av · slutt · spis · spør · svar · syng · ta · tenk · tro · vask · vennligst · vent · vær · vær så snill og · åpne
44 words
Forming the imperative in Norwegian is quite simple. Take the base form of the verb, such as spise and drop the -e to form the word spis. Congratulations! You have successfully created the imperative in Norwegian!
| English Verb | Norwegian Verb | Norwegian Command |
|---|---|---|
| eat | spise | spis |
| read | lese | les |
| be | være | vær |
You may be wondering about how we handle verbs that do not end in -e in their base form, such as tro and ta, which mean believe and take. The answer is, we don't change the verb at all in the imperative.
| English Verb | Norwegian Verb | Norwegian Command |
|---|---|---|
| believe | tro | tro |
| take | ta | ta |
| have | ha | ha |
Some verbs that do end in -e end in a string of consonants that may sound strange without the -e. This is why you are given the option to keep the -e ending in the imperative if you so desire, but only in these specific verbs.
| English Verb | Norwegian Verb | Norwegian Command |
|---|---|---|
| open | åpne | åpne or åpn |
| trade | handle | handle or handl |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| si | say |
| les | read |
| løp | run |
| spis | eat |
| ring | call, ring, phone |
| tenk | think |
| ta | take |
| tro | believe |
| lytt | listen |
| gjør | do |
| kyss | kiss |
| bruk | use |
| syng | sing |
| la | let, allow, permit |
| gi | give |
| vær | be |
| husk | remember |
| betal | pay |
| fortsett | continue |
| se | see, look |
| lek | play |
| pass (på) | watch out, look out, make sure |
| skriv | write |
| tegn | draw |
| bekymre | worry |
adressen · alléene · avdeling · bankene · baren · barer · bygningen · fabrikker · flyplassen · forsiden · gården · innsjøen · nærhet · nærheten · området · overalt · palass · park · parken · regionen · sentrum · skogkatt · slottet · sonen · sted · stuer · tidssone · tårnene · vei · venstre
30 words
Norway is a country of fjords and valleys, of babbling brooks and scenic waterfalls, and it's all topped off with a coastline longer than the polar night. If you ever get a chance to visit, you're in for a treat!
When describing rural communities in Norway, you can use either en/ei bygd or et tettsted.
Ei bygd is a small town or hamlet. It can have a defined center, but often it's more like a handful of farms strewn about the countryside, with a local store and not much more. Some even have to drive to another bygd to do their grocery shopping.
Et tettsted is a very vague term, as it can refer to any congregation of houses with a number of inhabitants of 200 and upward. So, it could be a tiny village, or one of Norway's largest cities.
When talking about villages outside of Norway, or in a historic context, we use the noun en landsby instead. There's a quaintness to it.
Larger towns and cities are referred to as en by.
We observe the same distinction as in English, where en gate, a street, is bordered by houses, while en vei, a road, just has to take you from A to B.
You can use vei when referring to a street as well, but it doesn't work the other way around; gate would never be used for a country road or a highway.
When something is to the left of you, you can say that it's either på venstre side, på venstre hånd, or til venstre.
It works the same way for høyre, right. Take care not to get the noun for the direction, høyre, mixed up with the noun for straight or correct, rett.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| omkring | around |
| overfor | opposite, across from, facing |
| venstre | left |
| høyre | right |
| borte ved | over by |
| der borte | over there |
| en by | a town, a city |
| et sted | a place |
| et tårn | a tower |
| et slott | a castle |
| en/ei kirke | a church |
| jorden (m/f) | the earth |
| en/ei bygd | a village, a small town, a hamlet |
| en/ei adresse | an address |
| et område | an area |
| en/ei bygning | a building |
| en eiendom | a property |
| en/ei gate | a street |
| en/ei sone | a zone |
| en innsjø | a lake, a pond |
| en/ei forside | a front |
| en/ei side | a side |
| en bank | a bank |
| en plass | a place |
| nærhet (m/f) | proximity, vicinity |
| en hovedstad | a capital city |
| en planet | a planet |
| en måne | a moon |
| en/ei stjerne | a star |
To infinitives, and beyond!
Most infinitive verbs in Norwegian end in the stem -e. There are many, many exceptions, however. A few modal constructions exist that link to infinitive verbs directly, such as kan and vil.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg kan spise. | I can eat. |
| Hun vil finne katten. | She wants to find the cat. |
Many infinitives link with other parts of the sentence with the word å, which translates to to, as in, å se or to see. This applies to all situations where an infinitive is present without a modal verb.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Det er viktig å lese. | It is important to read. |
| Han liker å lage mat. | He likes to cook. |
You may have noticed that in the final sentence above, the verb å lage mat could have easily translated to cooking, and you would be correct. Sometimes an infinitive beginning with an å can act like a gerund, which is nerd for a noun ending in -ing.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| for å | (in order) to |
| å le | to laugh |
| å finne | to find |
| pleier | tend to, usually do |
| å holde | to hold |
| å forsøke | to try, to attempt |
| å begynne | to begin, to start |
| å tro | to believe |
| å åpne | to open |
| å endre | to alter, to change, to edit |
| å bruke | to use |
| å bestemme | to decide |
| å gå | to walk, to go |
| å dø | to die |
| å sitte | to sit |
| å leke | to play |
| å miste | to lose, to drop |
| å huske | to remember |
| å stenge | to close, to shut |
| å drikke | to drink |
| å bo | to live, to reside |
| å stå | to stand, to be |
| å vinne | to win |
| å regne | to rain, to calculate, to count (on) |
| å få X til å | to make X, to get X to |
apen · arten · artene · artenes · arter · bite · bjeffe · bjeffer · bur · buret · ekorn · fange · fanget · fjær · flaggermus · flaggermusen · flue · fluenes · frosker · griser · hale · hjortene · insekt · insekter · jager · jakte · jakter · kaninen · kaniner · kattungene · kjæledyr · kjæledyrene · kjæledyret · lam · løve · pattedyr · pingvinene · reven · sau · sauen · slange · slangen · tigeren · tigerens · uglen · uglene · valper · vinger · øgle · øglen
50 words
There are a number of ways to say please in Norwegian. Some go at the beginning of the sentence, while others are more comfortable at the very end of the sentence.
Note that vær så snill is a plea or request, while vennligst is more of a polite demand. You'll often see vennligst used on signs in stores, restaurants, and other public areas.
| Norwegian | English | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| vær så snill (å) | please, be so kind as to | beginning |
| vær snill og | please, kindly | beginning |
| vennligst | please, kindly | beginning |
| takk | please, thanks | end |
| er du snill | please, if you please | end |
Forming the imperative in Norwegian is quite simple. Take the base form of the verb, such as spise and drop the -e to form the word spis. Congratulations! You have successfully created the imperative in Norwegian!
| English Verb | Norwegian Verb | Norwegian Command |
|---|---|---|
| eat | spise | spis |
| read | lese | les |
| be | være | vær |
You may be wondering about how we handle verbs that do not end in -e in their base form, such as tro and ta, which mean believe and take. The answer is that we don't change the verb at all in the imperative.
| English Verb | Norwegian Verb | Norwegian Command |
|---|---|---|
| believe | tro | tro |
| take | ta | ta |
| have | ha | ha |
Some verbs that do end in -e end in a string of consonants that may sound strange without the -e. This is why you are given the option to keep the -e ending in the imperative if you so desire, but only in these specific verbs. The versions with the -e suffix is generally preferred, so those are the ones we'll teach you in this course.
| English Verb | Norwegian Verb | Norwegian Command |
|---|---|---|
| open | åpne | åpne or åpn |
| trade | handle | handle or handl |
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| svar | answer, reply, respond |
| spør | ask |
| kom | come |
| hjelp | help |
| sett | put, place, set |
| vær så snill å | please |
| gå | walk, go |
| lukk | close, shut |
| slutt | stop, quit |
| vask | wash, clean |
| åpne | open |
| vennligst | please, kindly |
| følg | follow |
| møt | meet |
| vent | wait |
| hold | hold |
| forlat | leave, abandon |
| avbryt | interrupt |
| send | send |
| er du snill | please, if you please |
While we're not quite as obsessed with timeliness as the Germans, being reasonably punctual is important both at work and in private. If you want to make a good impression, you should always strive to be on time.
Of course, sometimes you're late because of things out of your control, in which case it's good to notify the people waiting for you that you're running late, giving some indication of when you're expecting to arrive.
Public transport in Norway tends to be pretty punctual as well. City buses may be late during rush hour, but trains and coaches are usually on time, as are ferries unless the weather's acting up.
Et døgn is a really neat noun, which allows you to make a distinction that doesn't exist in everyday English. It translates to a day, but specifically refers to the full 24-hour period. So it's not day as opposed to night, but the day and the night all wrapped up in one unambiguous package.
When translating the English word ago, you need two words in Norwegian, for ... siden. You should place for in front of the time expression and siden after.
For fem år siden
Five years ago
Several Norwegian expressions of time use the preposition i in combination with a noun. These must be learned independently and treated as completely separate from the nouns they're used with. For example:
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| i dag | today |
| i kveld | tonight |
| i morgen | tomorrow |
| i morgen tidlig | tomorrow morning |
| i går | yesterday |
| i år | this year |
| i fjor | last year |
Your first encounter with the past tense will be made in this skill, in the form of var (was), hadde (had), and kom (came).
As in many other languages, some of the most important verbs have highly irregular conjugations. No need to despair, though: We're introducing them early so that you'll get plenty of practice using them. By the time you're halfway through the course, these will have become second nature to you.
| Infinitive | Present | Past | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| å være | er | var | was |
| å ha | har | hadde | had |
| å komme | kommer | kom | came |
The majority of regular verbs end in either -te or -et, such as spiste and snakket, which mean ate and spoke, respectively.
| Infinitive | Present | Past | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| å spise | spiser | spiste | ate |
| å snakke | snakker | snakket | spoke |
Some also end in -de or -dde.
| Infinitive | Present | Past | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| å prøve | prøver | prøvde | tried |
| å bo | bor | bodde | lived |
With one notable exception, all adjectival ordinal numbers have the same spelling regardless of gender or number, ending in -e across the board.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | en første stol | a first chair |
| den første stolen | the first chair | |
| Feminine | ei første bok | a first book |
| den første boka | the first book | |
| Neuter | et første bord | a first table |
| det første bordet | the first table | |
| Plural | første hus | first houses |
| de første husene | the first houses |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| var | was |
| kom | came |
| hadde | had |
| fortsatt | still |
| i løpet av | in the course of, during |
| iblant | occasionally |
| lenger | anymore, any longer |
| i mellomtiden | in the meantime |
| siden | since |
| for ... siden | ago |
| inntil | until, up to |
| lenge | long |
| første | (the) first |
| neste | (the) next |
| siste | (the) last |
| klar | ready |
| rask | swift, quick |
| langsom | slow |
| et år | a year |
| et døgn | a day, a 24h period of time |
| et øyeblikk | a moment |
| en fest | a party |
| fortid (m/f) | past |
| nåtid (m/f) | present |
| fremtid (m/f) | future |
| en alder | an age |
| en bursdag | a birthday |
bilen · bilene · bit · ekstra · esker · etasjen · etasjer · film · gjenstand · gjenstandene · hjulene · hjulet · hyllene · ingenting · kjeler · kjeller · kjelleren · kort · leiligheten · mattene · motoren · motorer · radio · radiobiler · sak · stoffet · søppelet · veske
28 words
arbeidsgiveren · arbeidsplassen · arbeidstiden · dagbok · dagboken · e · fornøyelsesparken · leketøy · motorveien · rullestol · s · stavkirken · stekepannene · svømmebassenget · årstid
15 words
av · kommoden · skuffer
3 words
bader · balsam · barbere · barbermaskin · dusj · fuktig · føner · gre · grer · håndkle · hårføner · hårfønerne · kam · krem · kropp · maskin · pusse · sjampo · slags · såpe · tannkrem · tennene · toalettene · tørker · vasken
25 words
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| dets | its |
| viss | certain |
| sånn | so, such, like this, like that, that way |
| enhver | any, anyone, everyone |
| enten ... eller | either ... or |
| få | few |
| eneste | (the) only |
| samme | (the) same |
| samtlige | all |
| slik | so, such, like this, like that, that way, thus |
| verken ... eller | neither ... nor |
folket · herre · herrer · kronprinsen · kultur · menneskelig · menneskelige · noens · personlige · prins · prinsesse · tenåringer · vennskap · vennskapet · voksen
15 words
We were introduced to the Norwegian pronouns in the first skill. Let's have a look at them here:
| Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| jeg | I | vi | we |
| du | you (singular) | dere | you (plural) |
| han, hun, den/det | he, she, it | de | they |
As in English, the pronouns above only pertain to subjects. The pronouns at the receiving end of a verb, in other words the object pronouns, are as follows:
| Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| meg | me | oss | us |
| deg | you (singular) | dere | you (plural) |
| ham, henne, det/den | him, her, it | dem | them |
Den is used to mean it or that when referring back to a masculine or feminine subject.
Det is used to mean it or that when referring back to a neuter subject, and when introducing a brand new noun that has not yet been mentioned - regardless of the gender of that noun.
Han is an alternative form of ham, but in this course we will use "han" exclusively as a subject ("he"), and "ham" for the object form ("him").
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| viser | show |
| meg | me |
| deg | you (singular) |
| ham | him |
| henne | her |
| den (m/f) | it |
| det (n) | it |
| oss | us |
| dere | you (plural) |
| dem | them |
absolutt · fremdeles · først · helst · hva som helst · hvem som helst · hvor som helst · lenge · når som helst · nær · nøyaktig · sannsynligvis · siden · unna
14 words
In the table below, you'll find the twelve months of the year listed. Notice how they all share the same etymology as their English counterparts? That's right, this skill is going to be a breeze!
Just like weekdays, months are not capitalized in Norwegian. Unless they begin a sentence, of course. If you ever need to abbreviate them, just take the first three letters of any month and stick a period at the end.
Keep in mind the RS sound in mars makes it sound like marsh. This RS letter combination creates an SH sound in the Norwegian language.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| januar | January |
| februar | February |
| mars | March |
| april | April |
| mai | May |
| juni | June |
| juli | July |
| august | August |
| september | September |
| oktober | October |
| november | November |
| desember | December |
For grammatical purposes, all of the months are treated as masculine nouns.
While English tends to use the same word for both, Norwegian has one word for the four seasons of the year, en/ei årstid, and another one for any other type of season, like the hunting season or the skiing season, en sesong.
As you already know, we use the preposition på when referring to days or times of day.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| på mandag | on Monday |
| på morgenen | in the morning |
When talking about months and seasons, we switch things up a bit and use the preposition i instead. This is also the preposition of choice when it comes to describing how many times a week/month/year something happens.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| i januar | in January, this January |
| i vinter | this winter |
| i uken | a week |
| i måneden | a month |
| i året | a year |
If you're talking about something that isn't happening this winter in particular, but just generally happens in the wintertime, you would say om vinteren.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| i år | this year |
| januar | January |
| februar | February |
| en dato | a date |
| en vinter | a winter |
| en måned | a month |
| en kalender | a calendar |
| mars | March |
| april | April |
| mai | May |
| juni | June |
| juli | July |
| en vår | a spring |
| en sommer | a summer |
| august | August |
| september | September |
| oktober | October |
| november | November |
| desember | December |
| en høst | an autumn, a fall |
| en/ei årstid | a season, a time of year |
The present tense is used to describe things that are happening or are true now:
Jeg leser nå. I am reading now.
The present tense is also used in general statements that are independent of time:
Jorda er rund. The earth is round.
For things that repeat and that are still recurring:
Jeg sover hver natt. I sleep every night.
The present tense can be used to talk about the future as well, especially when it is certain:
Jeg reiser i morgen. I leave tomorrow.
As a rule of thumb, you can use the present tense where you would use either the present (I leave tomorrow.) or present progressive (I am leaving tomorrow.) tenses in English.
You do not have to worry about person or number when dealing with verbs in Norwegian, the verb stays the same. This is even simpler than English where you have to remember to add the -s in the third person singular in the present tense.
Forming the present is extremely easy, just add the suffix -r to the infinitive (the form you'll find in the dictionary).
The table below shows you how to do it:
| Group | Suffix | Infinitive | Present | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -er | å vaske | vasker | wash(es), am/are/is washing |
| 2 | -er | å kjøre | kjører | drive(s), am/are/is driving |
| 3 | -r | å bo | bor | live(s), am/are/is living (as in making one's home somewhere) |
There are three groups of verbs with different patterns for forming tenses in Norwegian, but in the present case they all behave in the same way as you can see.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| blir | becomes |
| klarer | is able, manages |
| inneholder | contains |
| ber | asks |
| antar | assumes, presumes |
| knuser | crushes, breaks, smashes |
| blander | mixes, blends |
| glemmer | forgets |
| fortsetter | continues |
| slår | beats, hits, strikes |
| håper | hopes |
| behøver | needs, requires |
| gjelder | pertains to, is about, is valid |
| skjærer | cuts, carves |
| forlater | leaves, abandons |
| orker | has the energy to/for |
| slipper | doesn't have to, is spared |
| sender | sends |
| stanser | stops, halts |
| handler | is about, acts |
| forteller | tells |
| tilbringer | spends (time) |
| overrasker | surprises |
| lite | little |
| som | that, which |
| fremfor | over |
| en/et/ei slags | a sort of, a kind of |
an · i ferd med · importerer · lyst på · lyst til · mislykkes · møtes · opp · produserer · respekterer · ses · synes · under
13 words
Many Norwegian verbs that end in -erer in the present tense, such as importerer and produserer, are loan words from Latin. As such, they are especially easy to learn for an English speaker. Be sure to recognize them when you can.
There are a very special set of verbs and expressions that exclusively end in the letter "s" in Norwegian. Usually, this construction is reserved for the passive form, but not here. These verbs represent very abstract concepts and must be learned individually.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg synes du er pen. | I think you are pretty. (Synes is used exclusively for personal opinions.) |
| Vi ses! | See you! |
| Du mislykkes. | You are failing. |
| Det føles forferdelig. | It feels terrible. |
You already know how to say that you want something using vil+[bare infinitive] and vil ha+[noun]. In this skill, you'll learn a slightly more polite way of expressing desire, using the phrasal verbs å ha lyst til+[infinitive] and å ha lyst på+[noun].
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| fungerer | functions, works |
| passerer | passes |
| reparerer | repairs |
| respekterer | respects |
| presenterer | presents |
| ses | see (each other) |
| føles | feels |
| trives | is enjoying X, thrives |
| synes | thinks, is of the opinion |
| møtes | meet (each other) |
| mislykkes | fails |
| har lyst til | would like to, wants to |
| gifter seg | gets married |
| skynder seg | hurries |
| oppfører seg | behaves |
| forbereder seg | prepares |
| har lyst på | would like, wants |
| er i ferd med | is about to, is in the process of |
| spiser opp | eats up |
| går glipp av | misses out on |
| skriver under | signs |
| kommer an på | depends on |
The simple past is used in a nearly identical way to how it is used in English. The vast majority of verbs in the simple past end in either -te or -et, such as spiste and snakket, which mean ate and spoke, respectively.
| Infinitive | Present | Past | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| å spise | spiser | spiste | ate |
| å snakke | snakker | snakket | spoke |
There are several irregular past forms, but, thankfully, these are often similar to the ones that exist in English. You've already encountered the two most common ones, var and hadde, in the Time skill, so you even have a head start!
| Infinitive | Present | Past | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| å være | er | var | was |
| å ha | har | hadde | had |
| å drikke | drikker | drakk | drank |
| å finne | finner | fant | found |
| å ta | tar | tok | took |
| å le | ler | lo | laughed |
| å gi | gir | ga | gave |
Notice how some of the irregular verb only get a vowel change in the past tense, with no added ending?
Watch out for two verbs in particular, å se and å si, as they are ridiculously easy to confuse in the past tense. Here they are in the present tense, as a review.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg ser noe. | I see something. |
| Jeg sier noe. | I am saying something. |
The past tense forms of these verbs are tricky for many reasons. They are each very, very common and they only have a circle above the a to distinguish them! If you imagine this circle to be an eyeball, it will go a long way to remembering that så means saw and that sa means said.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg så noe. | I saw something. |
| Jeg sa noe. | I said something. |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| ga | gave |
| fikk | got, received |
| spiste | ate |
| kysset | kissed |
| brukte | used |
| trodde | thought |
| så | saw |
| tok | took |
| visste | knew |
| elsket | loved |
| snakket | spoke, talked |
| lo | laughed |
| gikk | walked, went |
| ville | wanted |
| lekte | played |
| skrev | wrote |
| kjøpte | bought |
| valgte | chose |
| sov | slept |
| fant | found |
| fylte | filled, turned |
| kjørte | drove |
| takket | thanked |
| gjorde | did |
| et minne | a memory |
atten · begge · elleve · femten · femti · femtitre · fjorten · førti · førtito · førtiåtte · gang · ganger · hundre · mengder · milliarder · millioner · minus · nitten · nitti · nittifem · nittiseks · pluss · samtlige · seksten · seksti · sekstien · sekstifire · summen · sytten · sytti · syttito · tjue · tjuefem · tjuefire · tjueåtte · tolv · tretten · tretti · trettien · trettito · trettitre · åtti · åttifire
43 words
der · hva · som
3 words
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| der | where |
| hva | what |
| som | that, who |
| det (som) | what, that (which) |
One way to talk about the future in Norwegian, is to use kommer til with the infinitve of the verb. Kommer til is a bit hard to translate directly, but the closest equivalent would be going to. Sometimes, it can also be translated as will, but never as shall, as it does not carry that degree of control and certainty.
It is often used when making predictions about what is probably going to happen. In other words, often about things that you can't control.
Jeg tror at det kommer til å regne i morgen.
I think it is going to rain tomorrow.Hun kommer nok ikke til å like gaven. She is probably not going to like the gift.
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| å savne | to miss |
| å glemme | to forget |
| å ordne seg | to work (itself) out , to be okay |
| å trenge | to need, to require |
| å komme til å | to be going to |
In this skill, you'll be getting a taste of how comparisons are formed in Norwegian.
Comparisons, in the grammatical sense, are adjectives that express a relationship between two nouns. Some of them are irregular, just like in English. Luckily, irregular comparisons in Norwegian are mostly cognates with English ones.
For example:
| god | bedre | best |
|---|---|---|
| good | better | best |
Just like in English, there are two ways to form comparisons in Norwegian:
A special ending is added to the adjective.
| kald | kaldere | kaldest |
|---|---|---|
| cold | colder | coldest |
The word "more" or "most" is added, particularly for longer adjectives.
| religiøs | mer religiøs | mest religiøs |
|---|---|---|
| religious | more religious | most religious |
Be careful, though, since sometimes one language has a special ending where the other language does not.
| viktig | viktigere | viktigst |
|---|---|---|
| important | more important | most important |
Keep in mind that all these comparison adjectives still behave like adjectives. This means they'll usually take an -e ending in the definite or plural forms.
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| å ligne | to resemble |
| å kalle | to call |
| kul | cool |
| lat | lazy |
| rolig | calm |
| stygg | ugly |
| typisk | typical |
| tålmodig | patient |
| lav | short, low |
| høy | tall, high |
| dum | dumb, stupid |
| smart | smart, clever, bright |
| utrolig | incredible |
| ekte | real, genuine, true |
| bedre | better |
| snillere | kinder, nicer |
| best | best |
| en egenskap | a trait, a characteristic |
| en/ei personlighet | a personality |
The simple past is used in a nearly identical way to how it is used in English. The vast majority of verbs in the simple past end in either -te or -et, such as spiste and snakket, which mean ate and spoke, respectively.
Although there is no conjugation in the simple past, or anywhere in Norwegian, there are several irregular past forms, but they are similar to the ones that exist in English.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| var | was, were |
| hadde | had |
| drakk | drank |
Watch out for two verbs in particular, å se and å si, as they are ridiculously easy to confuse in the past tense. Here they are in the present tense, as a review.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg ser noe. | I see something. |
| Jeg sier noe. | I am saying something. |
The past tense forms of these verbs are tricky for many reasons. They are each very, very common and they only have a circle above the a to distinguish them! If you imagine this circle to be an eyeball, it will go a long way to remembering that så means saw and that sa means said.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg så noe. | I saw something. |
| Jeg sa noe. | I said something. |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| het | was named |
| døde | died |
| mistet | lost, dropped |
| tenkte | thought |
| bodde | lived, resided |
| betydde | meant, signified |
| så på | watched |
| holdt | held |
| virket | seemed |
| kjente | knew |
| solgte | sold |
| trengte | needed |
| forklarte | explained |
| lette | looked, searched |
| stolte | trusted |
| støttet | supported |
| betalte | paid |
| inneholdt | contained, held |
| oppførte seg | behaved |
| kunne | could |
| stengte | closed, shut |
| beholdt | kept |
| åpnet | opened |
| prøvde | tried, attempted, tested |
| dukket opp | turned up, appeared |
| så | then |
| i tide | in time |
| i fjor | last year |
attende · ellevte · ende · femte · femtende · fjerde · fjortende · forrige · første · hundrede · neste · niende · nittende · sekstende · siste · sjette · sjuende · syttende · tiende · tjuende · tolvte · tredje · trettende · åttende
24 words
With one notable exception, all adjectival ordinal numbers have the same spelling regardless of gender or number. All but one of them have an -e ending.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | en første stol | a first chair |
| den første stolen | the first chair | |
| Feminine | ei første bok | a first book |
| den første boka | the first book | |
| Neuter | et første bord | a first table |
| det første bordet | the first table | |
| Plural | første hus | first houses |
| de første husene | the first houses |
The one exception is annen, which we introduced in the Determiners chapter as meaning second or other. Watch how it operates below.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | en annen stol | a second chair |
| den andre stolen | the second chair | |
| Feminine | ei anna bok | a second book |
| den andre boka | the second book | |
| Neuter | et annet bord | a second table |
| det andre bordet | the second table | |
| Plural | andre hus | second houses |
| de andre husene | the second houses |
Keep in mind that annet is pronounced like the British or Boston pronunciation of the word aunt. It can also mean else, as in noe annet or something else.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| andre | (the) second |
| tredje | (the) third |
| fjerde | (the) fourth |
| femte | (the) fifth |
| sjette | (the) sixth |
| sjuende | (the) seventh |
| åttende | (the) eight |
| niende | (the) ninth |
| tiende | (the) tenth |
| ellevte | (the) eleventh |
| tolvte | (the) twelfth |
| trettende | (the) thirteenth |
| fjortende | (the) fourteenth |
| femtende | (the) fifteenth |
| sekstende | (the) sixteenth |
| syttende | (the) seventeenth |
| attende | (the) eighteenth |
| nittende | (the) nineteenth |
| tjuende | (the) twentieth |
| forrige | (the) previous, (the) last |
| et århundre | a century |
| en rekkefølge | an order |
bredden · dimensjonen · dimensjoner · dybde · dybden · form · formen · hjørner · hjørnet · høyden · kanten · kulas · kule · kurver · lengden · linje · linjer · midtpunkt · pyramiden · pyramidene · rund · runde · sirkel · sirkler · størrelse · topp · toppen · trekant · vinkelen
29 words
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| dro | left, went |
| likte | liked |
| møtte | met |
| spurte | asked |
| svarte | responded |
| presenterte | presented, introduced |
| ba | asked |
| antok | assumed |
| ringte | called |
| sa | said |
| traff | met, hit |
| hørte | heard |
| forsto | understood |
| skjedde | happened, occurred, took place |
| da | then |
| i sted | earlier, a little while ago |
| etterpå | afterwards |
| nettopp | just, just now, exactly |
| i går | yesterday |
| i morges | this morning |
| sist | last, last time |
| deretter | thereafter, afterwards |
| en samtale | a conversation |
| et problem | a problem |
| et vær | a weather |
| et rykte | a rumor |
| et tema | a topic, a subject, a theme |
The simple past is used in a nearly identical way to how it is used in English. The vast majority of verbs in the simple past end in either -te or -et, such as spiste and snakket, which mean ate and spoke, respectively.
Although there is no conjugation in the simple past, or anywhere in Norwegian, there are several irregular past forms, but they are similar to the ones that exist in English.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| var | was, were |
| hadde | had |
| drakk | drank |
Watch out for two verbs in particular, å se and å si, as they are ridiculously easy to confuse in the past tense. Here they are in the present tense, as a review.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg ser noe. | I see something. |
| Jeg sier noe. | I am saying something. |
The past tense forms of these verbs are tricky for many reasons. They are each very, very common and they only have a circle above the a to distinguish them! If you imagine this circle to be an eyeball, it will go a long way to remembering that så means saw and that sa means said.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg så noe. | I saw something. |
| Jeg sa noe. | I said something. |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| lå | lay (intransitive) |
| sto | stood |
| satt | sat (intransitive) |
| laget | made |
| hang | hung (intransitive) |
| husket | remembered |
| begynte | begun, started |
| la | laid (transitive) |
| satte | sat, placed, put (transitive) |
| hjalp | helped |
| levde | lived |
| glemte | forgot |
| hengte | hung (transitive) |
| bestemte | decided |
| ble | became |
| fløy | flew |
| leide | rented |
| føltes | felt |
| tørket | dried |
| sluttet | stopped, quit, ceased |
| forsøkte | tried |
| lot | let, allowed, permitted |
| falt | fell |
| rakk | was enough |
| fulgte | followed |
| pleide | used to |
| fantes | was, existed |
| spilte | played |
| havnet | ended up |
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| å motstå | to resist |
| å reagere | to react |
| å skremme | to scare |
| å fornærme | to insult |
| å bry | to care, to bother |
| å tilgi | to forgive |
| å gråte | to cry |
| å krangle | to argue, to fight |
| å kaste | to throw |
| å angre | to regret |
| å hate | to hate |
| å bryte | to break |
| å nøle | to hesitate |
| å riste | to shake |
| au | ouch, ow |
| for | what, such |
| fryktelig | terribly, awfully |
| nervøs | nervous |
| lei | tired |
| fornøyd | content, pleased |
| vellykket | successful |
| sur | sour, grumpy |
| merkelig | peculiar |
| forståelig | understandable |
| en/ei sorg | a sorrow |
| en frykt | a fear |
| en tåre | a tear |
| en/ei glede | a joy, a happiness |
| et smil | a smile |
| en/ei forventning | an expectation |
| gråt (m) | crying |
| en latter | a laughter |
| en effekt | an effect |
| en/ei endring | a change, an alteration |
| en reaksjon | a reaction |
With one notable exception, all adjectival ordinal numbers have the same spelling regardless of gender or number. All but one of them have an -e ending.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | en første stol | a first chair |
| den første stolen | the first chair | |
| Feminine | ei første bok | a first book |
| den første boka | the first book | |
| Neuter | et første bord | a first table |
| det første bordet | the first table | |
| Plural | første hus | first houses |
| de første husene | the first houses |
The one exception is annen, which we introduced in the Determiners chapter as meaning second or other. Watch how it operates below.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | en annen stol | a second chair |
| den andre stolen | the second chair | |
| Feminine | ei anna bok | a second book |
| den andre boka | the second book | |
| Neuter | et annet bord | a second table |
| det andre bordet | the second table | |
| Plural | andre hus | second houses |
| de andre husene | the second houses |
Keep in mind that annet is pronounced like the British or Boston pronunciation of the word aunt. It can also mean else, as in noe annet or something else.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| andre | (the) second |
| tredje | (the) third |
| fjerde | (the) fourth |
| femte | (the) fifth |
| sjette | (the) sixth |
| sjuende | (the) seventh |
| åttende | (the) eight |
| niende | (the) ninth |
| tiende | (the) tenth |
| ellevte | (the) eleventh |
| tolvte | (the) twelfth |
| trettende | (the) thirteenth |
| fjortende | (the) fourteenth |
| femtende | (the) fifteenth |
| sekstende | (the) sixteenth |
| syttende | (the) seventeenth |
| attende | (the) eighteenth |
| nittende | (the) nineteenth |
| tjuende | (the) twentieth |
| forrige | (the) previous, (the) last |
| et århundre | a century |
| en rekkefølge | an order |
abonnere · abonnerer · abonnerte · automatisk · avbryter · avbrøt · bloggen · brukere · e-post · e-posten · e-postene · e-poster · filene · gyldig · hodetelefonene · hodetelefoner · innlegg · innlegget · innstillingene · installere · internett · klikker · kommenterer · kommenterte · kontoen · kontoer · lagre · laste ned · laster ned · lastet · lenken · logge · logger · logget · lukket · maskinvare · maskinvaren · nettside · nettsiden · nettverk · passord · passordet · programmeringsspråk · programmeringsspråket · programmet · robot · roboten · slettet · slo av · slå av · slå på · slår av · slår du av · slår på · tilgjengelig · trykk · trykker · ugyldig · utgave · utgaven · vedlegg
61 words
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| å installere | to install |
| å oppdatere | to update |
| å lukke | to close |
| å slette | to delete |
| å klikke | to click |
| å slå på | to turn on, to switch on |
| å lagre | to save |
| å slå av | to turn off, to switch off |
| å trykke | to press, to push |
| tilgjengelig | accessible, available |
| en/ei fil | a file |
| en bruker | a user |
| en/ei utgave | a version, an edition |
| et tastatur | a keyboard |
| et program | a program |
| en konto | an account |
| et uhell | an accident |
| en/ei innstilling | a setting |
| hodetelefoner (m) | headphones |
| programmering (m/f) | programming |
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| å eie | to own |
| å låne | to borrow |
| å følge | to accompany |
| å bytte | to change, to exchange, to swap |
| å starte | to start, to begin |
| å passe | to fit, to suit |
| å vekke | to wake up |
| å forstå | to understand |
| å rulle | to roll |
| å gjette | to guess |
| å bygge | to build |
| å kunne | to be able, to know |
| å stoppe | to stop, to quit, to cease, to halt |
| å få til | to make (something happen) |
| å kjenne igjen | to recognize |
| å bære | to carry |
| å legge | to lay |
| å tvinge | to force |
| å forlate | to abandon, to leave |
| å advare | to warn |
| å stjele | to steal |
| å utsette | to postpone |
| å tømme | to empty |
| å dytte | to push |
| å forbli | to remain, to stay |
| å spille | to play |
| å stå på spill | to be at stake |
| å oppleve | to experience |
| å gjemme | to hide |
| å anbefale | to recommend |
| å være nødt til | to have to, to need to, to be required to |
aller · bedre · best · eldre · eldst · eldste · enda · fleste · fremst · færre · færrest · jo · kaldere · kaldeste · lengre · lettere · mindre · minst · nyere · oftere · oftest · penere · penest · relativt · snillere · større · største · tidligere · varmere · varmeste · verre · verste · yngre · yngst
34 words
Comparisons, in the grammatical sense, are adjectives that express a relationship between two nouns. Some of them are irregular, just like in English. Luckily, irregular comparisons in Norwegian are mostly cognates with English ones.
For example:
| god | bedre | best |
|---|---|---|
| good | better | best |
Just like in English, there are two ways to form comparisons in Norwegian:
A special ending is added to the adjective.
| kald | kaldere | kaldest |
|---|---|---|
| cold | colder | coldest |
The word "more" or "most" is added, particularly for longer adjectives.
| religiøs | mer religiøs | mest religiøs |
|---|---|---|
| religious | more religious | most religious |
Be careful, though, since sometimes one language has a special ending where the other language does not.
| viktig | viktigere | viktigst |
|---|---|---|
| important | more important | most important |
Keep in mind that all these comparison adjectives still behave like adjectives. This means they'll usually take an -e ending in the definite or plural forms.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| lignet | resembled, was alike |
| mer | more |
| enda | even |
| jo ... jo ... | the [comparative] the [comparative] |
| like | alike, similar |
| yngre | younger |
| større | bigger |
| lettere | lighter |
| varmere | warmer |
| færre | fewer |
| nyere | newer |
| lengre | longer |
| mindre | smaller |
| kaldere | colder |
| verre | worse |
| eldre | older, elder |
| penere | prettier |
| tidligere | earlier, previously |
| -ere | comparative suffix |
arbeidet · begynt · blitt · bodd · dratt · fått · gitt · gjort · gått · hatt · hengt · hørt · kommet · lest · ligget · mistet · presentert · regnet · ringt · sagt · satt · sendt · sett · skrevet · snakket · sovet · spist · spurt · stengt · stilt · tatt · vært
32 words
Present perfect is used to talk about the past when the time is uncertain.
It is also used to talk about actions or states that started in the past, that have not completed and that stretch into the present and/or the future.
Finally, it is used when talking about the future when one action ends before another begins.
What we have to do to express present perfect in Norwegian, is to create a form of the verb, called the past participle. Then we combine this with the present form of ha, which is har.
This probably looks complicated, and to be perfectly honest, it is. There are three different basic ways to construct present perfect in Norwegian, and they look like this:
| Group | Suffix | Infinitive | Present Perfect | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -et/-a | å vaske | har vasket/vaska | have washed |
| 2 | -t | å kjøre | har kjørt | have driven |
| -d | å leve | har levd | have lived (as in being alive) | |
| 3 | -dd | å bo | har bodd | have lived (as in making one's home somewhere |
This group is easy which is good since most of the verbs in Norwegian belong to it. The past participle is the same as the simple past.
We use the suffix -et in this course, since it is the most common form in writing and there are a few cases where it is also the only allowed form. In speech, the suffix -a is common and in some dialects the only one used.
This is the other big group. The past participle is formed by adding a -t. If the stem ends in v, g or a diphthong (ai, au, ei, oi, øy) we use a -d.
In this group we find single syllable words such as tro, så, nå, bry og spå. They get the ending -dd or -tt such as ha.
Keep in mind when forming the present perfect that there are no built-in progressive forms in Norwegian. The present perfect covers both the progressive and non-progressive meanings of the verb.
| Norwegian | Eng. Non-Progressive | Eng. Progressive |
|---|---|---|
| Jeg har lest boken. | I have read the book. | I have been reading the book. |
| Han har spist for mye. | He has eaten too much. | He has been eating too much. |
All the difficulties aside, good luck learning the Norwegian present perfect skill!
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| har | have |
| tatt | taken |
| fått | received |
| hatt | had |
| blitt | become |
| hørt | heard |
| gitt | given |
| lest | read |
| sett | seen |
| ringt | called, phoned, ringed |
| spist | eaten |
| dratt | gone, left |
| bodd | lived, resided |
| gått | walked, gone |
| sagt | said |
| vært | been |
| gjort | gone |
| sendt | sent |
| begynt | begun, started |
| skrevet | written |
| satt | set, put, placed |
| spurt | asked |
| ligget | lain |
| mistet | lost, dropped |
| stengt | closed, shut |
| snakket | talked, spoken |
| kommet | come |
avhørt · behandlet · brukes · bygges · elskes · elsket · erstattet · fjernet · flyttes · født · kritiseres · leses · mottatt · nektes · oppleves · produsert · påkjørt · ranet · repareres · s · ses · skadet · stoppes · stoppet · tegnet · trykkes · trykket · velges · økes
29 words
dum · flink · forsiktige · frisk · friske · få · høye · kjempesterk · kompliserte · kule · kuleste · lavere · lavt · ledig · lur · mest · mett · mette · midlertidige · mykt · rolig · ryddig · sann · sant · stygg · stygt · svak · tørst · tørste · ulikt · vant
31 words
Norwegian adjectives change for gender, number, indefinite and definite forms. Let's take a look at adjectives joined to nouns by the phrase to be, starting with the adjective stor, which means big or great.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | En stol er stor. | A chair is big. |
| Feminine | Ei bok er stor. | A book is big. |
So far, so good. There is no change to the adjective in either masculine or feminine form.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Neuter | Et bord er stort. | A table is big. |
| Plural | Hus er store. | Houses are big. |
As you can see above, the neuter noun changes the spelling of stor to include a -t ending, and the plural noun changes stor to include an -e ending. This pattern applies to most adjectives in the indefinite form, as shown below.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | en stor stol | a big chair |
| Feminine | ei stor bok | a big book |
| Neuter | et stort bord | a big table |
| Plural | store hus | big houses |
Many adjectives ending in -ig or -sk, like viktig and norsk, do not sound pleasant with a -t ending. This is why we do not add a -t to these specific adjectives in the neuter form.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| et viktig brev | an important letter |
| et norsk hus | a Norwegian house |
We do still add the -e ending in the plural form, however!
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| viktige brev | important letters |
| norske hus | Norwegian houses |
The simple thing about adjectives in the definite form is that the endings are almost all the same.
Most adjectives in the definite form end in -e.
In addition to the noun transitioning into the definite form, we place an additional word before the adjective in the definite form. This word changes depending on gender and number, as you see below.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | den store stolen | the big chair |
| Feminine | den store boka | the big book |
| Neuter | det store bordet | the big table |
| Plural | de store husene | the big houses |
As students of Danish may be aware, the postfixes after the nouns above are absent in Danish, and as a legacy of Danish colonialism, some Norwegian phrases lack the noun endings shown in the table above. These words are generally famous titles or institutions, such as The White House or The French Academy. See how they operate below.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Det franske akademi | The French Academy |
| Det hvite hus | The White House |
Note that det hvite huset can also mean the white house, just not the one the US President lives inside.
There are two ways to combine possessive pronouns with adjectives. The possessive pronoun can either follow the noun in the definite form or precede the adjective. Let's take a look at how this works.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | den store stolen min | my big chair |
| Feminine | den store boka mi | my big book |
| Neuter | det store bordet mitt | my big table |
| Plural | de store husene mine | my big houses |
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | min store stol | my big chair |
| Feminine | mi store bok | my big book |
| Neuter | mitt store bord | my big table |
| Plural | mine store hus | my big houses |
In the second set of examples, notice how the adjective endings are all -e, just like in the definite form, but the nouns have no endings, just like in the indefinite form. In a sense, this second method of combining possessive pronouns and adjectives is a blending of grammar rules.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| lur | clever |
| sann | true |
| kjent | famous, (well-)known |
| klar | clear |
| forsiktig | careful |
| død | dead |
| stille | silent |
| gyldig | valid |
| ordentlig | proper |
| sjelden | rare, uncommon |
| nødvendig | necessary |
| gal | crazy |
| flink | good (at something) |
| mett | full, satiated |
| skarp | sharp |
| rotete | messy, untidy |
| populær | popular |
| våt | wet |
| myk | soft |
| vant | used (to something) |
| tørst | thirsty |
| ryddig | tidy |
| favoritt | favorite |
| u- | assorted negative adjectives |
Comparisons, in the grammatical sense, are adjectives that express a relationship between two nouns. Some of them are irregular, just like in English. Luckily, irregular comparisons in Norwegian are mostly cognates with English ones.
For example:
| god | bedre | best |
|---|---|---|
| good | better | best |
Just like in English, there are two ways to form comparisons in Norwegian:
A special ending is added to the adjective.
| kald | kaldere | kaldest |
|---|---|---|
| cold | colder | coldest |
The word "more" or "most" is added, particularly for longer adjectives.
| religiøs | mer religiøs | mest religiøs |
|---|---|---|
| religious | more religious | most religious |
Be careful, though, since sometimes one language has a special ending where the other language does not.
| viktig | viktigere | viktigst |
|---|---|---|
| important | more important | most important |
Keep in mind that all these comparison adjectives still behave like adjectives. This means they'll usually take an -e ending in the definite or plural forms.
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| å sammenligne | to compare |
| aller | (the) very (superlative adjective) |
| nest | (the) second (superlative adjective) |
| forholdsvis | relatively |
| ulik | unlike, different |
| størst | biggest, largest |
| færrest | fewest |
| varmest | warmest, hottest |
| -est | -est, most (superlative suffix) |
| flest | most (countable nouns) |
| minst | least |
| penest | prettiest |
| kaldest | coldest |
| eldst | oldest, eldest |
| yngst | youngest |
| fremst | foremost, in the front |
| annerledes | different |
| en/ei sammenligning | a comparison |
antatt · bestilt · betalt · burde · drukket · forlatt · forsøkt · fortalt · fulgt · hoppet · kjent · kjøpt · laget · lagt · lekt · savnet · sittet · skjedd · sluttet · smakt · solgt · stanset · stått · sunget · svømt · tenkt · tillatt · truffet · tvunget · utviklet · valgt · vasket · villet · vunnet · åpnet
35 words
Present perfect is used to talk about the past when the time is uncertain.
It is also used to talk about actions or states that started in the past, that have not completed and that stretch into the present and/or the future.
Finally, it is used when talking about the future when one action ends before another begins.
What we have to do to express present perfect in Norwegian, is to create a form of the verb, called the past participle. Then we combine this with the present form of ha, which is har.
This probably looks complicated, and to be perfectly honest, it is. There are three different basic ways to construct present perfect in Norwegian, and they look like this:
| Group | Suffix | Infinitive | Present Perfect | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -et/-a | å vaske | har vasket/vaska | have washed |
| 2 | -t | å kjøre | har kjørt | have driven |
| -d | å leve | har levd | have lived (as in being alive) | |
| 3 | -dd | å bo | har bodd | have lived (as in making one's home somewhere |
This group is easy which is good since most of the verbs in Norwegian belong to it. The past participle is the same as the simple past.
We use the suffix -et in this course, since it is the most common form in writing and there are a few cases where it is also the only allowed form. In speech, the suffix -a is common and in some dialects the only one used.
This is the other big group. The past participle is formed by adding a -t. If the stem ends in v, g or a diphthong (ai, au, ei, oi, øy) we use a -d.
In this group we find single syllable words such as tro, så, nå, bry og spå. They get the ending -dd or -tt such as ha.
Keep in mind when forming the present perfect that there are no built-in progressive forms in Norwegian. The present perfect covers both the progressive and non-progressive meanings of the verb.
| Norwegian | Eng. Non-Progressive | Eng. Progressive |
|---|---|---|
| Jeg har lest boken. | I have read the book. | I have been reading the book. |
| Han har spist for mye. | He has eaten too much. | He has been eating too much. |
All the difficulties aside, good luck learning the Norwegian present perfect skill!
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| sittet | sat |
| laget | made |
| tenkt | thought |
| smakt | tasted |
| truffet | met, hit |
| forsøkt | tried, attempted |
| lagt | laid |
| stått | stood |
| fulgt | followed |
| kjøpt | bought |
| betalt | paid |
| forlatt | left, abandoned |
| valgt | chosen |
| villet | wanted |
| hengt | hung, hanged |
| fortalt | told, said |
| hoppet | jumped |
| tvunget | forced |
| solgt | sold |
| tillatt | permitted, allowed |
| åpnet | opened |
| bestilt | ordered |
| skjedd | happened, occurred |
| stanset | stopped, halted |
| presentert | presented |
| stilt | put, set, placed, asked |
| kjent | known |
| burde | should |
| antatt | assumed, presumed |
| sluttet | quit, stopped, ceased |
| vasket | washed, cleaned |
| drukket | drunk |
ansvar · beslutning · blikk · blikkene · drøm · emne · emner · emnet · enighet · feil · formål · formålet · forslag · forslaget · forståelse · fred · fremgang · håpet · kjærlighet · kjærligheten · later · latt · lot · løsning · løy · mareritt · meningen · minner · mulighet · mystisk · mystiske · ombestemt · ombestemte · omtenksomme · omtenksomt · oppfant · oppfunnet · opplysning · opplysningen · opplysninger · opplysningstiden · problem · problemer · problemet · samhold · samtale · syn · synet · tanke · tro · tåle · tåler · tålte · utenkelig · uvitende · valg · vare på · verdi · våkne · våkner · våknet · årsaken · årsaker · ønsker
64 words
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| å illustrere | to illustrate |
| å lyve | to lie |
| å foreslå | to suggest |
| å oppfinne | to invent |
| å ombestemme seg | to change one's mind |
| å tåle | to tolerate, to bear, to put up with |
| å late som | to pretend |
| å våkne | to wake up |
| utenkelig | unthinkable |
| omtenksom | considerate |
| mystisk | mysterious, mystical |
| uvitende | ignorant |
| en tanke | a thought |
| et minne | a memory |
| en/ei mening | a meaning |
| en verdi | a value |
| en årsak | a reason |
| en/ei mulighet | an opportunity |
| en forståelse | an understanding |
| et formål | a purpose |
| en/ei enighet | an agreement |
| et samhold | a unity, a togetherness, a camaraderie |
| en fremgang | a step forward, a success |
| en/ei beslutning | a decision |
| et emne | a topic, a subject |
| en hjerne | a brain |
| en opplysning | a piece of information |
bør · får · måtte · skal · tør
5 words
Below are four modals from previous lessons:
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| kan | can, be able to |
| vil | want to, will (willing to) |
| må | have to, need to, must |
| la | let, allow |
And here are the new modals introduced in this chapter:
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| skal | shall, will (regardless of willingness) |
| bør | should, ought to |
| får | may, get to, be allowed to |
| tør | dare to |
All of the modal verbs above also have forms in the simple past, as shown below:
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| kunne | could, was able to |
| ville | wanted to, was going to (willing to) |
| måtte | had to, needed to |
| skulle | should, was going to (regardless of willingness) |
| burde | should have, ought to have |
| fikk | got to, was allowed to |
| lot | let, allowed |
| turte | dared to |
The first rule of Modal Club is that a modal is followed by a bare infinitive, i.e. an infinitive without the infinitive marker "å".
Jeg vil danse.
Hun må dra.
Vi skal gifte oss.
However, the verb tør is the exception to that rule. The infinitive marker is optional following tør.
Han tør ikke (å) bli med.
dødd · funnet · gitt · glemt · gått · hadde · hørt · klart · kommet · levd · oppdaget · ringt · skrevet · skåret · tatt · trodd · visst
17 words
Oh dear, yet another tense. But do not worry! There is no new form of the verb to learn. The past perfect is identical to the present perfect, except for one small thing. The auxillary verb ha is in the past tense, hadde rather than in the present tense, har.
The challenge is to know when to use it. The past perfect is used to talk things that happened before some other thing in the past.
The past perfect is also used in indirect speech, when someone said something about the past in the past. That sounds confusing, but hopefully the following example will help:
What we have to do to express past perfect in Norwegian, is to create a form of the verb, called the past participle, our friend from the present perfect. Then we combine this with the past form of ha, which is hadde.
Du sa at du hadde vasket hendene. (You said that you had washed your hands.)
Hun visste at de hadde kjørt bil. (She knew that they had driven a car.)
Da hun døde, hadde hun levd lenge. (When she died, she had lived for a long time.)
Da jeg hadde solgt henne en avis, gikk hun. (When I had sold her a newspaper, she left.)
Før det hadde jeg bodd i Oslo. (Before that, I had lived in Oslo.)
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| hadde | had |
| gått | walked, gone |
| hørt | heard |
| ringt | called |
| kommet | come |
| gitt | given |
| tatt | taken |
| klart | managed, been able to |
| skåret | cut, carved |
| funnet | found |
| skrevet | written |
| visst | known |
| levd | lived |
| dødd | died |
| trodd | believed |
| glemt | forgot, forgotten |
| oppdaget | discovered |
ansvarlig · ansvarlige · erfaring · faktum · filosofene · handling · illusjon · illusjons · livsløgn · makten · menneskeheten · menneskehetens · påminnelsen · regel · sannheten · sinn · tvil · vilje · virkeligheten · virkeligheter · ærlig
21 words
A livsløgn is a personal favorite untranslatable philosophical concept, invented by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in the play Vildanden, or The Wild Duck. A løgn is a lie or an untruth, and the prefix livs- means of life. Therefore, a livsløgn is commonly translated as a life-lie. Ibsen defined a livsløgn as the central delusion we have in life that keeps us happy. It could be anything ranging from the conviction that you will become a famous Hollywood actor to the belief that your ex-spouse will change his/her mind and remarry you. Once the lie is exposed as such, a person is left without hope for the future, and becomes only a shell of a human being.
Philosophy is not a science for the faint of heart.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| å diskutere | to discuss |
| å innse | to realize |
| å misbruke | to abuse |
| å lure | to wonder, to trick |
| klok | wise |
| ærlig | honest |
| fornuftig | reasonable |
| vis | wise (a little more profoundly than "klok") |
| ærlig talt | honestly |
| en teori | a theory |
| en filosofi | a philosophy |
| en erfaring | an experience |
| en/ei løgn | a lie |
| en filosof | a philosopher |
| en fornuft | a reason, a common sense |
| en/ei sannhet | a truth |
| en eksistens | an existence |
| menneskeheten (m/f) | humanity |
| en/ei makt | a power, a might |
| et faktum | a fact |
| en/ei virkelighet | a reality |
| en/ei samvittighet | a conscience |
| en vilje | a will |
| et sinn | a mind |
| en kraft | a power |
| en bevissthet | a consciousness |
anbefalte · anta · bytte · bytter · erstatte · forandrer · forberede · forlate · forstå · importert · innfører · sitte · sjekke · spare · stoppe · tillate · tillater · treffer · øke
19 words
Verbs Review is a set of action words using all the constructions and tenses introduced thus far. It is a grammatical review for the intermediate learner.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| da | then |
| den | the one, (impersonal) he |
| under | during, in |
| uten at | without (that) |
| noen gang | ever |
| på grunn av | because of, due to |
| å snu | to turn around |
| å treffe | to meet, to hit |
| å skifte | to change |
| å kjenne | to know, to feel, to be familiar with |
| å innføre | to introduce, to put into place, to import |
| å erstatte | to replace |
| å like | to like |
| å anta | to assume, to presume |
| å tillate | to allow, to permit |
| å sjekke | to check |
| å unngå | to avoid |
| å avbryte | to interrupt |
| å forvente | to expect |
| å lytte | to listen |
| å vare | to last |
| å spare | to save |
| å godta | to accept |
| å bevege (seg) | to move |
| å mangle | to lack, to miss |
| å senke | to lower |
| å dekke | to cover, to deck |
| å blande | to blend, to mix |
| å forberede | to prepare |
| å distrahere | to distract |
| å inneholde | to contain |
| å gjøre ferdig | to finish, to complete |
astronauten · astronautene · astronomen · bane · basen · basene · beboelige · energi · enorm · etablert · etablerte · galakser · lyser · lyste · mysterium · månen · observerte · planet · planetens · romstasjonen · satellitten · satellitter · smell · smellet · solsystemet · solsystemets · stjerne · teleskopet · tyngdekraft · ubeboelig · universer · universet · utenomjordisk · utforsker · verdensrommet
35 words
avslutte · avslutter · begravelsen · druknet · dø · døden · dødt · endelig · graven · heldig · leve · lide · lykkelig · lykken · overleve · selvmord · sjel · skjebne · sørger · sørget · tapet
21 words
There are two ways to form the passive voice in Norwegian.
You can form the passive with the verb bli, which usually means to become. You combine the conjugated verb with the past participle, just like in English. This is the more usual, less formal way of forming the passive, and the most likely to be spoken.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Eplet blir spist. | The apple is eaten. |
The other way to form the passive is with an -s ending on a verb. This method is more abstract, more formal, and more likely to appear in written texts.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Eplet spises. | The apple is eaten. |
Either passive form can be combined with future constructions (and the bli-form with past constructions) to change the tense of the passive verb.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Eplet ble spist. | The apple was eaten. |
| Eplet skal bli spist. | The apple will be eaten. |
| Eplet skal spises. | The apple will be eaten. |
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| å økes | to be increased |
| å elskes | to be loved |
| å nektes | to be denied |
| å trykkes | to be printed |
| å kritiseres | to be criticized |
| [s] | assorted passive verbs |
| født | born |
| elsket | loved |
| avhørt | questioned |
| trykket | printed |
| produsert | produced |
bestille · drikke · fungere · følge · gifte · glemme · henge · hindre · hvile · invitere · kommer · kommer til å · lete · miste · oppnå · ordne seg · overmorgen · påvirke · savne · skal · skje · skynde · slutte · stund · undervise
25 words
Let's talk about the future. There are three different ways to express future in Norwegian.
The present tense can be used to talk about the future, especially when it is certain. To make sure it is about the future we include some adverb specifying the time. For example:
Jeg reiser i morgen.
I am leaving tomorrow.
Although the same kind of constructions exist in English they are a bit more common in casual Norwegian.
It is also possible to use the auxillary verbs skal and vil and the infinitve. In Norwegian, skal and vil are the equivalent of the English verbs shall and will, as in I shall or I will. Note that skal does not sound anyway near as formal as shall in English.
Jeg skal ta eksamen til våren.
I shall take the examination this spring.
Det vil snø i fjellet.
It will snow in the mountains.
This construction can be used "modally" as well to express desire and obligation.
Du skal gjøre leksene dine først.
You shall do your homework first.
Jeg vil ikke gå!
I do not want to go!
The third way is to use kommer til with the infinitve of the verb. Kommer til is a bit hard to translate directly, but the closest equivalent would be going to. It is often used when making predictions about what is probably going to happen. In other words, often about things that you can't control.
Jeg tror at det kommer til å regne i morgen.
I think it is going to rain tomorrow.
Hun kommer nok ikke til å like gaven.
She is probably not going to like the gift.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| skal | shall, am going to |
| vil | will, am going to |
| å følge | to follow |
| å bestille | to order |
| å skynde seg | to hurry |
| å skje | to happen |
| å lete | to search, to look |
| å henge | to hang |
| å fungere | to work, to function |
| å hvile | to rest |
| å gifte (seg) | to marry, to get married |
| å slutte | to stop, to quit |
| å oppnå | to achieve |
| å påvirke | to influence, to impact, to affect |
| å invitere | to invite |
| overmorgen | the day after tomorrow |
| en/ei stund | a while |
aktiv · ballen · lag · slalåm · sparke · spill · spiller · treneren · verdensmester · verdensmestere · volleyballen
11 words
alven · alvene · dvergene · dverger · nivå · riddere · ridderen · skjold · spillene · sverd · øksa
11 words
figur · fortelling · helten · metaforer · novellene · rime · rimer
7 words
begeistring · begeistringen · fiolin · konserten · lytter · lyttere · piano · publikum · salen · taushet · tausheten · trommene
12 words
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| å øve | to practice |
| å inspirere | to inspire |
| å begeistre | to thrill, to excite, to enthuse |
| å imponere | to impress |
| sunget | sung |
| musikalsk | musical |
| en lyd | a sound |
| en fiolin | a violin |
| et instrument | an instrument |
| en/ei fløyte | a flute |
| en sanger | a singer |
| en/ei tromme | a drum |
| et publikum | an audience |
| et verk | a piece, a work, an opus |
| et bidrag | a contribution |
| en melodi | a melody |
| en rytme | a rhythm |
| et vers | a verse |
| et refreng | a refrain |
| en komponist | a composer |
| en sal | a hall |
| en symfoni | a symphony |
| et orkester | an orchestra |
| et volum | a volume |
| en tilhører | a listener |
| en musiker | a musician |
| en/ei begeistring | an excitement, an enthusiasm |
| [assorted genres] | jazz, rock, opera, funk, blues... |
behov · brann · brannbil · brannbilen · bremsene · hjelp · hjelpen · iverksetter · kontroll · legevakten · legevaktene · nød · nødbremsen · nødutgangene · nødutganger · nødvendig · nødvendige · omstendigheter · sykebil · sykehus · sykehuset · tiltak · ulykke · ulykken
24 words
drama · hendelse · hendelsen · komedier · komikeren · komikerne · kreative · regissøren · samler · samling · sjokkerte · skaper · vitser
13 words
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| å skape | to create |
| å tegne | to draw |
| å male | to paint |
| kunstig | artificial, fake |
| talentfull | talented |
| briljant | brilliant |
| kunstnerisk | artistic |
| en kunst | an art |
| en kunstner | an artist |
| håndverk (n) | handiwork, crafts |
| en tusj | a marker |
| en prikk | a dot |
| en/ei tegning | a drawing |
| et mønster | a pattern |
| en detalj | a detail |
| en pensel | a paint brush |
| et design | a design |
| et geni | a genius |
| en dans | a dance |
| en/ei maling | a paint |
| et kamera | a camera |
| en/ei ramme | a frame |
| en bakgrunn | a background |
Norway is a centrally governed constitutional monarchy with a unicameral legislature in Oslo. The Norwegian Constitution was signed and dated on May 17, 1814. For this reason, Norwegians celebrate May 17th as their national holiday. The Constitution itself, which is still in use today, ranks among the oldest in the world.
The following is a list of parties that are currently represented in the Storting, also called the Norwegian Parliament.
| Norwegian | English | Ideology |
|---|---|---|
| Arbeiderpartiet | Labour Party | Social Democracy |
| Høyre | Conservative Party (lit. Right) | Liberal Conservatism |
| Fremskrittspartiet | Progress Party | Right-Wing Populism |
| Kristelig Folkeparti | Christian Democratic Party | Christian Democracy |
| Senterpartiet | Centre Party | Centrism |
| Venstre | Liberal Party (lit. Left) | Social Liberalism |
| Sosialistisk Venstreparti | Socialist Left Party | Democratic Socialism |
| Miljøpartiet De Grønne | Green Party | Green Politics |
| Rødt | Communist Party (lit. Red) | Marxism & Socialism |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| å fatte | to get, to make (a decision) |
| å bidra | to contribute |
| å representere | to represent |
| å føre | to lead |
| å samarbeide | to cooperate, to collaborate |
| å styre | to steer, to govern |
| å forsvare | to defend |
| å planlegge | to plan |
| politisk | political |
| ansvarlig | responsible |
| en tale | a speech |
| et parti | a party |
| et valg | an election |
| en stemme | a vote |
| et samfunn | a community |
| en motstander | an opponent |
| en streik | a strike |
| en strategi | a strategy |
| et fremskritt | a progress |
| et hat | a hate |
| et mangfold | a diversity |
| en nasjon | a nation |
| politikk (m) | politics |
artikkel · artikkelen · artikler · bekrefte · bekreftet · brosjyre · brosjyren · dekning · fjern · fjernet · foregår · foregått · frimerke · frimerker · fylle · inntrykk · kildene · kontroversiell · kontroversielle · mottatt · mottok · nyheter · nyhetskanal · nyhetskanalen · overvåke · overvåker · overvåket · postkortet · ropte · skjemaer · skjemaet · spalte · spalten · talskvinne · talsmann · talsmannen · talsperson · tekstmelding · tekstmeldinger
39 words
avgjørende · blivende · deprimerende · døende · fengende · flygende · flytende · forvirrende · fungerende · givende · gjenværende · grunnleggende · gående · hengende · imponerende · irriterende · kommende · lekende · levende · liggende · lignende · løpende · nåværende · overraskende · passende · rasende · sittende · sjokkerende · skuffende · snakkende · sovende · spennende · svømmende · tilsynelatende · underholdende · utelukkende
36 words
alkoholen · avstanden · beholdere · beholderen · består · bevege · bevegelse · beveget · centimeter · detalj · ekspert · ekspertene · elektrisitet · elektrisk · elektriske · enhet · enheter · forbindelsen · forbindelser · forskerne · fysikk · hastighet · kilo · konklusjon · konklusjonen · kraftverk · kraftverket · laboratorium · løftet · mangler · masse · merkelig · metode · mål · måler · nobelprisen · oppdagelse · oppdagelsen · oppdaget · oppfinnelse · oppfinnelsen · overfladisk · overflaten · prikk · rister · ristet · senket · skifte · skiftende · skifter · stikkontakt · teknikken · teknikker · teknologi · temperaturer · undersøker · undersøkt · undersøkte · utvikler · veier · vekt · vitenskap · volum
63 words
| Vocabulary | Tree 4 |
|---|---|
| å utvikle | to develop |
| å teste | to test |
| å undersøke | to examine, to research |
| å bestå | to consist of, to comprise |
| å oppdage | to discover |
| effektiv | effective, efficient |
| en ekspert | an expert |
| en forsker | a scientist, a researcher |
| en vitenskap | a science |
| en teknologi | a technology |
| matematikk (m) | mathematics |
| fysikk (m) | physics |
| en teknikk | a technique |
| en konklusjon | a conclusion |
| en/ei oppdagelse | a discovery |
| et laboratorium | a laboratory |
| en enhet | a unit |
| biologi (m) | biology |
| en metode | a method |
| en beholder | a container, a canister |
| en forbindelse | a connection |
| en gass | a gas |
| en/ei væske | a liquid, a fluid |
| forskning (m/f) | research |
| kjemi (m) | chemistry |
| elektrisitet (m) | electricity |
| en oppfinnelse | an invention |
blitt · endret · gitt · gjort · gått · kjøpt · kunne · lest · ringt · skadet · skrevet · spist · svart · var · ville · vært
16 words
bestemt · funnet · innen · lært · ringt
5 words
The Norwegian future perfect is formed by combining the helping verb vil or kommer til å with the present perfect, which is ha in addition to the past participle. Take a look at some examples, which translate directly word-for-word.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg vil ha spist. | I will have eaten. |
| Du vil ha lest. | You will have read. |
| Hun vil ha funnet boken. | She will have found the book. |
beliggenhet · benker · bensinstasjonen · bensinstasjonens · bergen · brannstasjonen · fontenen · fortauene · fotgjengeren · fotgjengerfeltet · fotgjengerne · garasjen · gatelyset · innbyggere · innbyggerne · jernbanestasjonen · kjøpesenteret · klubbens · krysser · krysset · kvartalet · leverer · levert · leverte · marked · minnesmerke · minnesmerket · offentlig · offentlige · oslo · parkeringsplass · parkerte · passasjer · passasjerene · politistasjonen · rulletrappen · rulletrapper · rådhus · rådhuset · statuer · stavangers · syklistene · syklister · torg · trafikklysene · trondheim · tunneler · vandrerhjemmet · vandrerhjemmets
49 words
allergisk · bananer · bringebær · bringebærsyltetøyet · brødskivene · brødskiver · bær · deilig · ekkel · ekkelt · favorittpålegg · fløte · frokostblanding · frokostblandingen · gryterett · gryteretten · gulrot · gulrøttene · gulrøtter · kjøleskapet · kjøttkakene · knekkebrød · kålen · løk · løker · mais · matpakken · ostehøvel · poteter · pølser · salat · salaten · saus · sennep · serviett · serviettene · skinke · smak · smakte · smør · smørepålegg · storfekjøtt · svinekjøtt · syltetøy · vaffel · vaflene · vårruller
47 words
altså · an · daglig · deretter · derfor · derimot · ellers · engang · etterpå · faktisk · forholdsvis · forresten · fort · heldigvis · hittil · i alle fall · knapt · lenger · like · likevel · midt · nettopp · noensinne · nylig · omtrent · opprinnelig · plutselig · på forhånd · rett og slett · riktig · samtidig · selv · simpelthen · sist · stadig · straks · særlig · temmelig · tidsnok · uansett · vekk · videre
42 words
In Norwegian, adverbs usually follow the verb.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Du snakker godt norsk! | You speak Norwegian well! |
One exception is that adverbs of time often appear at the end of the sentence or clause.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg har tid nå. | I have time now. |
Another exception is related to the V-2 Rule in Germanic linguistics, which applies to all Germanic languages... besides English. You can see a rare instance of it in English in the expression here comes the bus. This rule states that all sentences that are statements, in other words not questions, must have a verb in the second position. This allows for some flexibility in the word order for emphasis, but don't get crazy.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Jeg har tid nå. | I have time now. |
| Jeg har nå tid. | I now have time. |
| Nå har jeg tid. | Now I have time. |
The final example is a demonstration of the V-2 Rule. When the adverb moved to the front of the statement, the subject moved to the other side of the verb har. This is because Norwegian verbs refuse to move from the second position in statements.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| å gå an | to be possible |
| å legge an på | to hit on, to flirt with |
| ellers | else, otherwise |
| riktig | really, properly, correctly |
| faktisk | actually, in fact |
| derimot | on the other hand |
| i alle fall | at least |
| rett og slett | simply, plain and simple |
| plutselig | suddenly |
| knapt | barely |
| hittil | thus far, so far |
| tydelig | clearly, clear |
| straks | (very) soon, shortly, straight away |
| stadig | constantly, ever more, more and more |
| videre | further, on(ward) |
| samtidig | simultaneously, at the same time |
| altså | therefore, then |
| særlig | especially |
| likevel | still, after all |
| tidsnok | in time |
| fremover | forward, forth |
| temmelig | rather |
| på forhånd | in advance |
| vekk | away, gone |
| nylig | recently |
| derfor | therefore, why |
| engang | even |
| noensinne | ever |
| forresten | by the way |
| opprinnelig | originally |
akseptere · aksepterer · akseptert · aksepterte · aksjer · avgift · avgiften · avtale · bilindustri · bilindustrien · børs · børsen · børsene · fattigdom · finansierer · finansiert · finansierte · forfremmet · formuen · forsikring · global · grådig · grådige · inntekt · inntekter · investering · investeringer · konkurs · kredittkortet · leverandør · leverandører · lån · lånet · lås · låst · låste · organisasjon · overskudd · privat · regnskapsføreren · renten · sløs · sløse · sløste · styret · tjene · tjener · tjente · underskudd · undervurder · undervurderte · varemerke · veksler · vekslet · økonomiene · økonomisk
56 words
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| å undervurdere | to underestimate |
| å anslå | to estimate |
| å akseptere | to accept |
| å sløse | to waste, to squander |
| å veksle | to exchange |
| å finansiere | to finance |
| grådig | greedy |
| privat | private |
| konkurs | bankrupt |
| et styre | a board |
| en/ei rente | an interest |
| en formue | a fortune |
| en økonomi | an economy |
| en/ei forsikring | an insurance |
| en fattigdom | a poverty |
| en investering | an investment |
| et lån | a loan |
| en avtale | a deal, an agreement, an appointment |
| en organisasjon | an organization |
| en regnskapsfører | a bookkeeper |
| en børs | a stock exchange |
| en aksje | a stock |
| et overskudd | a surplus, a profit |
| et underskudd | a deficit, a loss |
| en/ei avgift | a fee, a tax |
| en valuta | a currency |
albuen · albuer · arret · bart · brystene · brystet · fregner · håndleddene · håndleddet · hælene · kinn · leddet · lever · lungene · muskler · neglene · nervene · nerver · nyrene · ryggrad · ryggraden · rynke · rynker · skjeletter · tannkjøtt · tannkjøttet · tomler · tommel · øyelokk · øyelokket
30 words
In Norwegian, as in many other languages, body parts generally do not carry possessive pronouns. Instead, we use the definite form for all pronouns. Øyet can mean the eye, my eye, or your eye, etc. The person's body in question should be intuited from context.
This is especially common when speaking about one's own body parts
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| naken | naked |
| et bein | a bone |
| et ledd | a joint |
| en negl | a nail |
| en albue | an elbow |
| en/ei skulder | a shoulder |
| en tommel | a thumb |
| et håndledd | a wrist |
| et kinn | a cheek |
| en/ei rynke | a wrinkle |
| en/ei leppe | a lip |
| en/ei panne | a forehead |
| en/ei fregne | a freckle |
| et øyelokk | an eyelid |
| et øyenbryn | an eyebrow |
| et lår | a thigh |
| et arr | a scar |
| en hæl | a heel |
| en nerve | a nerve |
| et ribbein | a rib |
| et skjelett | a skeleton |
| en ryggrad | a spine |
| en/ei/et nyre | a kidney |
| en/ei lever | a liver |
| et bryst | a chest, a breast |
| en/ei lunge | a lung |
| tannkjøtt (n) | gums |
basilikum · bønnene · eddik · honning · hvitløk · ingredienser · kaffebønner · kokebok · kokende · kokes · krydder · krydre · krydrer · melet · mikrobølgeovn · mikrobølgeovnen · nøtt · olivenene · olivenolje · oppskriften · ovn · riseddik · smeltet · smule · smuler · soppen · soppene · spiselig · steke · stekt · urt
31 words
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| å koke | to boil |
| å steke | to fry |
| å krydre | to season, to spice (up) |
| å smelte | to melt |
| fersk | fresh |
| smakfull | tasty, delicious, tasteful |
| spiselig | edible, eatable |
| rå | raw, uncooked |
| et mel | a flour |
| en smule | a crumb |
| en sopp | a mushroom |
| en/ei kokebok | a cookbook |
| en/ei oppskrift | a recipe |
| en ingrediens | an ingredient |
| en ovn | an oven |
| en/ei bønne | a bean |
| en mikrobølgeovn | a microwave oven |
| en/ei nøtt | a nut |
| en eddik | a vinegar |
| en hvitløk | a garlic |
| et krydder | a spice, a seasoning |
drill · drillen · driller · hammer · hammere · hammeren · kassen · kassene · praktisk · redskap · redskaper · sag · skrue · skruen · skrutrekkere · snekkere · snekkeren · snekkerne · spiker · verksted · verkstedet · verktøy · verktøyet
23 words
attraktiv · attraktive · avvist · ekteskap · flørt · flørtet · forelsket · forlovet · giftet · gjengjelde · gjengjeldte · intens · kjær · kjære · kjært · koser · kysse · lengtet · lidenskap · lidenskapen · overnatte · overnatter · overnattet · partner · partnere · romantisk · romantiske · samboeren · samboerskap · skilles · tiltrekning · ugift · ugifte
33 words
driver · holder på · ligger · sitter · sto · står
6 words
annerledes · avhengig · barnslig · beskjedne · brukket · ekte · frekt · gammeldags · gift · greit · grusomme · hemmelig · hemmelige · høflige · ille · interessert · mandig · middelmådig · moderne · nysgjerrig · nyttig · opptatt · selvfølgelig · sjenert · smal · smaleste · smalt · stille · stillere · tradisjonelle · troverdig · tydelig · tålmodig · utmerket · våken · våt
36 words
Norwegian adjectives change for gender, number, indefinite and definite forms. Let's take a look at adjectives joined to nouns by the phrase to be, starting with the adjective stor, which means big or great.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | En stol er stor. | A chair is big. |
| Feminine | Ei bok er stor. | A book is big. |
So far, so good. There is no change to the adjective in either masculine or feminine form.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Neuter | Et bord er stort. | A table is big. |
| Plural | Hus er store. | Houses are big. |
As you can see above, the neuter noun changes the spelling of stor to include a -t ending, and the plural noun changes stor to include an -e ending. This pattern applies to most adjectives in the indefinite form, as shown below.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | en stor stol | a big chair |
| Feminine | ei stor bok | a big book |
| Neuter | et stort bord | a big table |
| Plural | store hus | big houses |
Many adjectives ending in -ig or -sk, like viktig and norsk, do not sound pleasant with a -t ending. This is why we do not add a -t to these specific adjectives in the neuter form.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| et viktig brev | an important letter |
| et norsk hus | a Norwegian house |
We do still add the -e ending in the plural form, however!
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| viktige brev | important letters |
| norske hus | Norwegian houses |
The simple thing about adjectives in the definite form is that the endings are almost all the same.
Most adjectives in the definite form end in -e.
In addition to the noun transitioning into the definite form, we place an additional word before the adjective in the definite form. This word changes depending on gender and number, as you see below.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | den store stolen | the big chair |
| Feminine | den store boka | the big book |
| Neuter | det store bordet | the big table |
| Plural | de store husene | the big houses |
As students of Danish may be aware, the postfixes after the nouns above are absent in Danish, and as a legacy of Danish colonialism, some Norwegian phrases lack the noun endings shown in the table above. These words are generally famous titles or institutions, such as The White House or The French Academy. See how they operate below.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Det franske akademi | The French Academy |
| Det hvite hus | The White House |
Note that det hvite huset can also mean the white house, just not the one the US President lives inside.
There are two ways to combine possessive pronouns with adjectives. The possessive pronoun can either follow the noun in the definite form or precede the adjective. Let's take a look at how this works.
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | den store stolen min | my big chair |
| Feminine | den store boka mi | my big book |
| Neuter | det store bordet mitt | my big table |
| Plural | de store husene mine | my big houses |
| Gender | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | min store stol | my big chair |
| Feminine | mi store bok | my big book |
| Neuter | mitt store bord | my big table |
| Plural | mine store hus | my big houses |
In the second set of examples, notice how the adjective endings are all -e, just like in the definite form, but the nouns have no endings, just like in the indefinite form. In a sense, this second method of combining possessive pronouns and adjectives is a blending of grammar rules.
| Vocabulary | Tree 4 |
|---|---|
| nær | near, close |
| smal | narrow |
| kraftig | strong, powerful |
| grusom | gruesome, terrible |
| selvfølgelig | obvious, of course |
| bred | wide |
| fjern | far |
| barnslig | childish, immature |
| grei | okay, passable |
| opptatt | occupied, taken, busy |
| avhengig | dependent |
| utmerket | exquisite, remarkable |
| ytre | outer |
| høflig | polite |
| nysgjerrig | curious |
| beskjeden | modest, reserved, shy |
| [-lig] | adjective ending + assorted adjectives |
| frekk | rude |
| indre | inner |
| sosial | social |
| nyttig | useful |
| middelmådig | mediocre, middling |
forbudt · forbudte · forsinket · forvirret · imponert · invitert · involvert · overrasket · spist · stengt · stengte · stjålet · åpnet
13 words
Welcome to another lesson in the magical world of participles!
Passive participles are past participles that act like adjectives. That means that unlike past participles, they are declined for gender, number, and definite or indefinite form.
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| en stengt dør | a closed door |
| den stengte døren | the closed door |
| stengte dører | closed doors |
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| spist | eaten |
| åpnet | opened |
| stjålet | stolen |
| forsinket | delayed |
| involvert | involved |
| overrasket | surprised |
| stengt | closed, shut |
| invitert | invited |
| forbudt | illegal |
| forvirret | confused |
| imponert | impressed |
bake · baker · baker · bakeren · bakeri · bakerier · bollene · boller · dessert · eplepai · godteri · kaken · kakene · kaker · kanel · kjeks · kjeksene · lefsa · lefse · pai · sjokolade · sjokoladen · smultringer
23 words
akkar · akkaren · akvariet · atlanterhavet · blekkspruten · blåskjell · finner · fiske · fisker · hai · haien · hval · hvalen · hvalrossen · isfjell · isfjellet · kamskjell · kapteinen · laks · laksen · lugar · lugarene · maneten · mannskap · mannskapet · måken · måkene · måker · om bord · omkom · reker · rekesmørbrød · saltvann · sank · seiler · seilte · selen · selene · sild · sjøstjernen · sjøstjernene · skalldyr · skjell · stillehavet · sunket · sursild · torsk
47 words
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| å fiske | to fish |
| å svømme | to swim |
| å seile | to sail |
| å drukne | to drown |
| å synke | to sink |
| å omkomme | to perish, to die |
| ombord | on board, aboard |
| en hai | a shark |
| en laks | a salmon |
| en hval | a whale |
| en torsk | a cod |
| en manet | a jellyfish |
| en/ei sjøstjerne | a starfish |
| en sel | a seal |
| en finne | a fin |
| en/ei gjelle | a gill |
| en/ei måke | a seagull |
| en/ei krabbe | a crab |
| saltvann (n) | saltwater |
| en blekksprut | an octopus |
| en/ei sild | a herring |
| en/ei reke | a shrimp |
| et skjell | a shell |
| et blåskjell | a (blue) mussel |
| et akvarium | an aquarium |
| et kamskjell | a scallop |
| en kyst | a coast |
| en/ei havn | a port |
| en marine | a navy |
| en lugar | a cabin |
| et isfjell | an iceberg |
| en kaptein | a captain |
| et mannskap | a crew |
| Stillehavet | the Pacific Ocean |
| Atlanterhavet | the Atlantic ocean |
gjort · gått · skulle · spist
4 words
The future preterite is used about time and also modally.
About time it is used about something in the past that is going to happen after something else also in the past.
Etter at de hadde stått opp, skulle de spise frokost. After they had woken up, they were going to eat breakfast.
Similarly, it is used modally in hypothetical statements:
Hvis han vant, ville han reise jorden rundt. If he won, he would travel around the world.
And also when expressing wishes and polite speach:
Jeg skulle ønske det virket I should wish it worked.
The future preterite is expressed using the auxillary verbs skulle and ville and the infinitive. That's right, the same as in the future tense except our friends skal og vil are in the past.
| Vocabulary | |
|---|---|
| skulle | should |
| gått | gone, walked |
| spist | eaten |
| gjort | done, made |
fargeløs · fargeløse · fargeløst · forsvarsløs · grenseløs · grenseløse · hjelpeløs · hjelpeløse · hjemløs · håpløs · maktesløs · maktesløse · målløs · smakløs · smakløse · søvnløse · tankeløse · tankeløst · tidløs · trådløs · verdiløs · verdiløse
22 words
You've already learned the adjective ending -full, used to indicate the presence of a quality or thing. It's a component of words like smakfull, tasty, håpefull, hopeful, and verdifull, valuable.
In this skill, you'll be introduced to the ending -løs, which is used to the opposite effect: to indicated the absence of a quality or thing. In the vast majority of cases, it translates directly to -less in English. One example would be håpløs, which translates to hopeless.
While many of these adjectives have negative connotations, as is the case for hjelpeløs, helpless, and verdiløs, worthless, that's not a requirement. Take the adjective tidløs, timeless, for example.
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| håpløs | hopeless |
| hjelpeløs | helpless |
| grenseløs | boundless, limitless |
| maktesløs | powerless |
| forsvarsløs | defenseless |
| tidløs | timeless |
| trådløs | wireless, threadless |
| verdiløs | worthless |
| fargeløs | colorless |
| smakløs | tasteless, bland |
| målløs | speechless |
| søvnløs | sleepless |
| hjemløs | homeless |
| tankeløs | thoughtless |
| bevisstløs | unconscious |
bomull · bomullsstoff · diamant · diamanten · diamantene · diamanter · grunnstoff · grunnstoffer · jern · kobber · kvikksølv · leire · materiale · mineral · mineraler · papp · pappeska · pappeske · silkekjole · smidde · strikker · stål · stålbrua · stålull · sy · sølv · sølvmynt · ulla · ullgenser
29 words
bien · billene · flåtten · flåtter · humla · humler · kryper · loppene · lus · lusa · marihøner · mygg · sommerfugl · sommerfuglene · sommerfugler · stikker · stukket · veps · øyenstikkere
19 words
| Vocabulary (Tree 4) | |
|---|---|
| å stikke | to sting |
| en/ei flue | a fly |
| en/ei bille | a beetle |
| et insekt | an insect |
| en/ei humle | a bumblebee |
| en/ei marihøne | a ladybug, a ladybird |
| en øyenstikker | a dragonfly |
| en/ei lus | a louse |
| en flått | a tick |
| en veps | a wasp |
| en mygg | a mosquito |
| en/ei loppe | a flea |
1. Test
2. Test
1. Test
2. Test
-1. Test
-2. Test
- Test
- Test
1. Test
2. Test
1. Test
2. Test
bokstaver · halvmåne · korset · murene · parentes · pilene · punktum · spørsmålstegn · symbol
9 words
While the punctuation system in Norwegian is, thankfully, very similar to that of English, there are a few notable exceptions.
Firstly, Oxford commas are not used. If you're genuinely afraid you'll be misunderstood, you're free to add one, but if it's just a stylistic choice you have to let it go.
| Norwegian | Oxford English |
|---|---|
| Hun brukte et spørsmålstegn, et utropstegn og et punktum. | She used a question mark, an exclamation mark, and a period. |
Norwegian uses a comma ("et komma") rather than a decimal point to separate a whole number from a decimal.
| Norwegian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 25,3 | tjuefemkommatre | 25.3 |
Punctuation is there to make the text more easily readable. It either separates distinct units of text or represents a pause that would be present in speech. Use it in a way that serves the text.
In Norwegian, one would say that (this word) står i parantes, using the singular noun, as we think of the two brackets as forming one parenthesis.
In English, one would say that (this word) is in parentheses, using a plural noun, as English counts each bracket as one separate parenthesis.
Keep this in mind when translating from Norwegian to English and vice versa.
| Vocabulary (Tree 4) | |
|---|---|
| en/ei pil | an arrow |
| en mur | a wall |
| et kors | a cross |
| et tegn | a sign |
| et symbol | a symbol |
| en metafor | a metaphor |
| en bokstav | a letter |
| en/ei skrift | a writing |
| et alfabet | an alphabet |
| en parentes | a parenthesis, parentheses |
| et punktum | a period, a full stop, a point |
| et utropstegn | an exclamation mark |
| et spørsmålstegn | a question mark |
drage · drager · enhjørning · enhjørninger · fantasi · fantasien · fe · forestill · forsvant · forutse · forutsett · forvandlet · havfrua · havfrue · havfruen · heks · heksen · hekser · kjempe · kjempen · kjempene · kjemper · lyssabel · lyssabelen · magi · mektige · mektigere · nettroll · ond · onde · overnaturlig · overnaturlige · romskip · romskipet · romvesener · skapning · skapninger · skurk · spøkelser · svevde · svever · tidsmaskinen · tidsreise · troll · trollmenn · tryllestav · udødelig · udødelige · umenneskelig · umenneskelige · usynlig · vampyr · varulven · varulver · vesener · ånden
56 words
| Vocabulary | (Tree 4) |
|---|---|
| å forsvinne | to disappear, to vanish |
| å sveve | to levitate, to float (in air) |
| å forestille (seg) | to imagine |
| å forvandle (seg) | to transform, to turn into |
| å forutse | to predict |
| ond | evil, wicked |
| usynlig | invisible |
| mektig | mighty, powerful |
| udødelig | immortal |
| en/ei heks | a witch |
| en magi | a magic |
| en tryllestav | a wand |
| en fe | a fairy |
| en ånd | a spirit |
| en drage | a dragon |
| en vampyr | a vampire |
| et spøkelse | a ghost |
| et vesen | a being |
| et uhyre | a monster |
| en lyssabel | a lightsaber |
| en varulv | a werewolf |
| en fantasi | a fantasy, an imagination |
| en kjempe | a giant |
| en/ei havfrue | a mermaid |
| en skapning | a creature |
