Grammar review
Sentence structure
While most Norwegian sentences use the subject-verb-object (SVO) word order, like English does, Norwegian does have the V2 (verb second) rule. If an adverbial phrase or subordinate clause is at the front of the sentence, the subject and the verb have to switch places (this is called “inversion”) so that the verb stays in the second position.
Eksempel | English | |
---|---|---|
SVO |
Oliver skrev ei bok i fjor. |
Oliver wrote a book last year. |
Emma bodde i Oslo da hun var barn. |
Emma lived in Oslo when she was a child. |
|
V2 |
I fjor skrev Oliver ei bok. |
Last year, Oliver wrote a book. |
Da Emma var barn, bodde hun i Oslo. |
When Emma was a child, she lived in Oslo. |
Verb Conjugation
Conjugating present tense of verbs in Norwegian is fairly simple. Most present tense verbs just add an -r to the end of the infinitive.
Infinitive |
Present |
English |
Infinitive |
Present |
English |
Å lese |
Leser |
Reads |
Å skrive |
Skriver |
Writes |
Å møte |
Møter |
Meets |
Å synge |
Synger |
Sings |
There are some exceptions / irregulars:
Infinitive |
Present |
English |
Infinitive |
Present |
English |
Å kunne |
Kan |
To be able to |
Å måtte |
Må |
To have to |
Å skulle |
Skal |
To have to; to be going to |
Å ville |
Vil |
To want |
Å være |
Er |
To be |
Å vite |
Vet |
To know |
Past tense conjugation is a bit more difficult, however there are some guidelines (but keep in mind there are exceptions).
-
If the verb ends with a double consonant, consonant cluster, or voiced plosive (b / d), past tense will end in -et.
-
If the verb ends in a single consonant (except v / b / d), past tense ends in -te.
-
If the verb ends with v or diphthong, the past tense ends in -de.
-
If the verb has only one syllable with a long vowel, past tense ends in -dde.
Rule Number |
Infinitive |
Past Tense |
English |
1 |
Å snakke |
Snakket |
Talked |
Å ønske |
Ønsket |
Wished |
|
2 |
Å lære |
Lærte |
Learned |
Å kjøpe |
Kjøpte |
Bought |
|
3 |
Å leve |
Levde |
Lived |
Å pleie |
Pleide |
Used |
|
4 |
Å bo |
Bodde |
Lived |
For future tense, typically the present tense verb is used with a time adverbial to clarify it is a future action.
Eksempel | English |
---|---|
Emilie kjøper det nye spillet i morgen. |
Emilie is buying the new game tomorrow. |
Forelesningene begynner neste uke. |
(University) classes begin next week. |
Adjective Basics
Adjectives typically have to agree with the gender and the number of the noun.
Singular Indefinite | Plural Indefinite | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Norwegian |
English |
Norwegian |
English |
|
Masculine |
En høy mann |
A tall man |
Høye menn |
Tall men |
En tynn gren |
A thin branch |
Tynne grener |
Thin branches |
|
Feminine |
Ei høy bro / bru |
A tall bridge |
Høye broer /bruer |
Tall bridges |
Ei tynn jente |
A thin girl |
Tynne jenter |
Thin girls |
|
Neuter |
Et høyt tre |
A tall tree |
Høye trær |
Tall trees |
Et tynt barn |
A thin child |
Tynne barn |
Thin children |
When the noun is in the definite form, the adjective takes an -e ending (like in the plural indefinite above).
Singular Definite | Plural Definite | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Norwegian |
English |
Norwegian |
English |
|
Masculine |
Den høye mannen |
The tall man |
De høye mennene |
The tall men |
Den tykke katten |
The chonky cat |
De tykke kattene |
The chonky cats |
|
Denne tynne grenen |
This thin branch |
Disse tynne grenene |
These thin branches |
|
Feminine |
Den høye broa / brua |
The tall bridge |
De høye broene / bruene |
The tall bridges |
Denne tynne jenta |
This thin girl |
Disse tynne jentene |
These thin girls |
|
Neuter |
Det høye treet |
The tall tree |
De høye trærne |
The tall trees |
Dette tynne barnet |
This thin child |
Disse tynne barna |
These thin children |
Going places
When you visit or live in another country, it is helpful to understand directions if you get lost (or to give directions if someone asks you). So we will look at some vocab associated with traveling and directions.
Directions
To start out, let’s look at the most common directional words, found on a compass and any map.
English |
Norwegian |
English |
Norwegian |
East |
Øst |
North |
Nord |
Northeast |
Nordøst |
Northwest |
Nordvest |
South |
Sør |
Southeast |
Sørøst |
Southwest |
Sørvest |
West |
Vest |
Prepositions
Prepositions can also help tell us where something is located, for example, “Across from the library…”
English |
Norwegian |
English |
Norwegian |
Above |
Over / Ovenfor |
Across |
På tvers av… |
Across from |
På tvers fra |
After |
Etter |
Against / Toward |
Mot |
Before |
Før |
Behind |
Bak |
Between |
Mellom |
Face to face |
Overfor |
In front of |
Foran |
Inside |
Inni (inne i) |
Near … |
I nærheten av … |
Next to…. |
Ved siden av… |
On top of |
På toppen av |
Outside |
Utenfor |
Through |
Gjennom |
To / Until |
Til |
Under |
Under |
Directional Phrases
Here are some common phrases that you may hear or that you may want to use when giving directions.
English | Norwegian | English | Norwegian |
---|---|---|---|
Around the corner |
Rundt hjørnet. |
Downhill |
Nedover(bakke) |
Downstairs |
Ned trappa |
Follow the road. |
Følg veien. |
Follow the signs. |
Følg skiltene. |
Go back… |
Gå tilbake… |
Go past… |
Gå forbi… |
(Go) Straight forward |
(Gå) Rett frem / fram |
On the other side… |
På den andre siden… |
Over there… |
Der borte… |
Parallel to…. |
Parallelt med… |
(Turn) to the left |
(Gå / Snu / Ta) Til venstre |
(Turn) to the right |
(Gå / Snu / Ta) Til høyre |
Uphill |
Oppover(bakke) |
Upstairs |
Opp trappa |
Watch for…. |
Se etter…. |
Locations
Here is a short list of some locations that you may need directions in order to get to.
English | Norwegian | English | Norwegian |
---|---|---|---|
Airport |
Flyplass (en) |
Amusement park |
Fornøyelsespark (en) |
Area |
Område (et) |
ATM |
Minibank (en) |
Bank |
Bank (en) |
Bay |
Bukt (ei) |
Beach |
Strand (ei) |
Border |
Grense (en) |
Bridge |
Bro / Bru (ei) |
Bus station |
Busstasjon (en) |
Bus stop |
Bussholdeplass (en) |
Capital |
Hovedstad (en) |
Coast |
Kyst (en) |
Convenience store |
Nærbutikk (en) |
Corner |
Hjørne (et) |
County |
Fylke (et) |
Destination |
Mål (et) |
Downtown (city ctr) |
Sentrum (et) |
Fjord |
Fjord (en) |
Forest |
Skog (en) |
Gas station |
Bensinstasjon (en) |
Grocery store |
Dagligvarebutikk / Matbutikk (en) |
Hospital |
Sykehus (et) |
Hotel |
Hotell (et) |
Island |
Øy (ei) |
Lake |
Innsjø (en) |
Library |
Bibliotek (et) |
Mall |
Kjøpesenter (et) |
Movie theatre |
Kino (en) |
Municipality |
Kommune (en) |
Museum |
Museum (et) |
Park |
Park (en) |
Parking lot |
Parkeringsplass (en) |
Pharmacy / Drugstore |
Apotek (et) |
Post office |
Postkontor (et) |
Restaurant |
Restaurant (en) |
River |
Elv (ei) |
Subway station |
T-banestasjon (en) |
Theatre |
Teater (et) |
Train station |
Togstasjon (en) |
Valley |
Dal (en) |
Village |
Landsby (en) / Bygd (ei) |
Car Terms
If you rent a car or own a car in Norway, here are some important words to know.
English | Norwegian | English | Norwegian |
---|---|---|---|
Automatic |
Automatgir (et) |
Brakes |
Bremser (en) |
Car rental |
Bilutleie (en) |
Engine |
Motor (en) |
Gas / Petrol |
Bensin (en) |
Headlight |
Frontlykt (en) |
High beams / Brights |
Fjernlys (et) |
Ignition |
Tenning (en) |
Manual / Standard / Stick shift |
Manuelt gir (et) |
Oil |
Olje (en) |
Rearview mirror |
Bakspeil (et) |
Side view mirror |
Sidespeil (et) |
Steering wheel |
Ratt (et) |
Taxi |
Taxi (en) / Drosje |
Tire(s) |
Dekk (et) |
Turn signal / Blinker |
Blinklys (et) |
Windshield |
Frontrute (en) |
Windshield wipers |
Vindusviskere (en) |
Driving Terms and Street Signs
Here are some more important words to know if you drive in Norway.
English | Norwegian | English | Norwegian |
---|---|---|---|
Alley |
Smug (et) |
Avenue |
Allé (en) |
Bicycle lane |
Sykkelfelt (et) |
Dead end |
Blindvei (en) |
Detour |
Omvei (en) |
Directions (driving) |
Veibeskrivelse (en) |
(Driving) lane |
(Kjøre)felt (et) |
Driveway |
Innkjørsel (en) |
Exit (on highway) |
Avkjøring (en) / Avkjørsel |
Highway |
Motorvei (en) |
Intersection |
Veikryss (et) |
Merge |
Flette |
No parking. |
Parkering forbudt |
One-way street |
Enveiskjørt gate (en) |
Ramp |
Rampe (en) |
Road |
Vei (en) |
Road sign |
Veiskilt (et) |
Roundabout |
Rundkjøring (en) |
Route |
Rute (en) |
Shoulder |
Veiskulder (en) |
Speed limit |
Fartsgrense (en) |
Stop sign |
Stoppskilt (et) |
Street |
Gate (en) |
Toll |
Bompenger (en) |
Toll road |
Bomvei (en) |
Toll roads surrounding e.g. a town |
Bomring (en) |
Toll station |
Bompengestasjon (en) |
Traffic light |
Trafikklys (et) |
U-Turn |
U-sving (en) |
Yield |
Vike |
Yield (markings painted on the road) |
Vikelinje / Haitenner |
Misc. Nouns
English |
Norwegian |
English |
Norwegian |
Bus |
Buss (en) |
Compass |
Kompass (et) |
Coordinates |
Koordinater (en) |
Direction |
Retning (en) |
Elevator |
Heis (en) |
Escalator |
Rulletrapp (en) |
Ferry |
Ferje (ei) / Ferge (ei) |
Landmark |
Landemerke (et) |
Latitude |
Breddegrad (en) |
Longitude |
Lengdegrad (en) |
Map |
Kart (et) |
Mountain |
Fjell (et) |
Stairs |
Trapp (en) |
Subway |
Undergrunnsbane (en) |
Ticket |
Billett (en) |
Train |
Tog (et) |
Tram |
Trikk (en) |
Transportation |
Transport (en) |
Window seat |
Vindussete (et) |
Verbs
English | Norwegian | English | Norwegian |
---|---|---|---|
To brake |
Å bremse |
To drive |
Å kjøre |
To fly |
Å fly |
To go |
Å dra |
To park |
Å parkere |
To pay |
Å betale |
To rent |
Å leie |
To reverse |
Å rygge |
To run |
Å løpe |
To steer |
Å styre |
To take (e.g. the ferry) |
Å ta (f. eks. ferga) |
To travel |
Å reise |
Turn (around) |
Å snu (rundt) |
To walk |
Å gå |
A note on å gå and å dra:
In English, we can say “I’m going to my grandmother’s house,” but
there’s no specific mention of how we’re getting there (we could be
walking, taking a bus, driving, etc). In Norwegian, the verb “å gå”
typically refers specifically to walking (there are exceptions which are
covered in this
lesson).
If one wants to say they are going someplace, without specifying the
mode of transportation, “å dra” is used instead. One can also use “å
reise” as well to express travelling somewhere, typically further away.
Adjectives
English |
Norwegian |
English |
Norwegian |
Crowded |
Folksom (not common) |
Empty |
Tom |
Occupied / Busy |
Opptatt |
Vacant |
Ledig |
Questions / Phrases
Finally, here are some important phrases you may use or hear with regards to traveling someplace or asking where things are located.
English | Norwegian | English | Norwegian |
---|---|---|---|
Can you help me? |
Kan du hjelpe meg? |
Can you recommend any good…? |
Kan du anbefale noe(n) bra…? |
Can you show me….? |
Kan du vise meg…? |
Can you tell me how to get there from here? |
Kan du fortelle meg hvordan jeg kommer meg dit herfra? |
Where am I? |
Hvor er jeg? |
Where is the bathroom? |
Hvor er toalettet? |
Where can I find…? |
Hvor kan jeg finne…? |
How long does it take to get there? |
Hvor lang tid tar det å komme seg dit? |
How much further is it? |
Hvor mye lenger er det? |
How much is a ticket to…? |
Hvor mye koster en billett til…? |
How can I get to…? |
Hvordan kan jeg komme meg til…? |
Which direction is…? |
(I) Hvilken retning er…? |
Have I gone too far? |
Har jeg gått for langt? |
Must I go much further to reach…? |
Må jeg gå mye lenger for å nå…? |
Does the bus stop at…? |
Stopper bussen på…? |
I am looking for… |
Jeg leter / ser etter… |
I am lost. |
Jeg har gått meg bort. |
I’m not from here. |
Jeg er ikke herfra. |
I have a flat tire. |
Jeg har punktert. |
I want (x) tickets, please. |
Jeg vil ha (x) billetter, takk. |
I’d like to buy a (return) ticket to… |
Jeg vil gjerne kjøpe en (retur)billett til… |
I’d like to rent a car. |
Jeg vil gjerne leie en bil. |
I want full coverage insurance. |
Jeg vil ha kaskoforsikring. |
The car needs oil. |
Bilen trenger olje. |
You can walk there. |
Du kan gå dit. |
It’s within walking distance. |
Det er i gangavstand |
It’s near here. |
Det er i nærheten. |
It’s close. |
Det er nærme. |
It will take you about (x) minutes. |
Det vil ta deg cirka (x) minutter. |
It is right over here / there. |
Det er rett her / der borte. |
If you have gone past (the)…, you’ve gone too far. |
Hvis du har gått forbi…, har du gått for langt. |
You’re almost there. |
Du er nesten framme. |
Just up / down the road… |
Bare opp / nedover gaten… |
It’s not far from here. |
Det er ikke langt herfra. |
Just a block away. |
Bare et kvartal unna. |
It’s on the second / third / etc floor. |
Det er i andre / tredje / etc etasje. |
It’s far from here. |
Det er langt herfra. |
You should take the (x) bus / tram / train… |
Du burde ta buss / trikk / tog (nummer x).. |
**If the lesson was beneficial, please consider buying me a virtual coffee. Thanks.**
References:
Exercises
Exercise 1: Using the map above, write directions out from…to….
-
Parkeringsplassen til biblioteket
-
Universitet til matbutikken
-
Busstasjonen til kinoen
-
Parkeringsplassen til bensinstasjonen
-
Banken til teateret
-
Universitetet til bussholdeplassen
-
Ekornskogveien 3 til museet
-
Hotellet til postkontoret
-
Busstasjonen til kjøpsenteret
-
Hotellet til parken
-
Bensinstasjonen til museet
-
Parkeringsplassen til Ekornskogen
-
Matbutikken til sykehuset
-
Banken til hotellet
-
Universitetet til dagligvarebutikken
Exercise 2: Give directions to your favorite place (fictional or real).