Modal verbs (part 1)

   |  Dan

This lesson goes over three of the modal verbs in Norwegian: Skal, Vil, and Må.

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

Lukas bygde et trehus forrige helg.

Lukas built a treehouse last weekend.

Sofia overrasket sønnen sin med en hund på bursdagen hans.

Sofia surprised her son with a dog for his birthday.

V2

Forrige helg bygde Lukas et trehus

Last weekend, Lukas built a treehouse.

På bursdagen til Sofia sin sønn, overrasket hun ham med en hund

For Sofia’s son’s birthday, she surprised him with a dog.

If a sentence has more than one verb, the second verb will be in a nonfinite form (e.g. å finne). If the sentence has inversion, then the subject will come between the finite (i.e. conjugated) verb and the nonfinite verb.

Eksempel English

SVO

Markus og vennene hans liker å spille fotball i helgene.

Markus and his friends like to play football on the weekends.

Gustav og Ella prøvde å gå på ski da de var i Norge.

Gustav and Ella tried to ski when they were in Norway.

V2

I helgene likar Markus og venane hans å spela fotball.

On the weekends, Markus and his friends like to play football.

Då Gustav og Ella var i Noreg, prøvde dei å gå på ski.

When Gustav and Ella were in Norway, they tried to ski.

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 høre

hører

Hears / Hearing

Å spille

spiller

Plays / Playing

Å danse

danser

Dances / Dancing

Å arkivere

arkiverer

Files / Filing

Past tense conjugation is a bit more difficult, however there are some guidelines (but keep in mind there are exceptions).

  1. If the verb ends with a double consonant, consonant cluster, or voiced plosive (b / d),past tense will end in -et.

  2. If the verb ends in a single consonant (except v / b / d), past tense ends in -te.

  3. If the verb ends with v or diphthong, the past tense ends in -de.

  4. If the verb has only one syllable with a long vowel, past tense ends in -dde.

Rule Number

Infinitive

Past Tense

English

1

Å overraske

overrasket

Surprised

Å hoste

hostet

Coughed

2

Å smile

smilte

Smiled

Å ignorere

ignorerte

Ignored

3

Å kreve

krevde

Demanded

Å greie

greide

Managed

4

Å snø

snødde

Snowed

Å vri

vridde

Twisted

For future tense, often the present tense verb is used with a time adverbial to clarify it is a future action. (Note: There are ways to form future sentences using modals; that is covered in a more in-depth lesson).

Eksempel English

Viktor drar til Tromsø neste uke.

Viktor is going to Tromsø next week.

Nora holder fest i morgen.

Nora is having a party tomorrow.

Adjective Basics

Adjectives typically have to agree with the gender and the number of the noun. If the noun is neuter gender, then in the singular indefinite form, the adjective takes a -t ending. In the plural indefinite, the adjective takes an -e ending. Note there are exceptions.

Singular Indefinite Plural Indefinite

Norwegian

English

Norwegian

English

Masculine

En stygg genser

An ugly sweater

Stygge gensere

Ugly sweaters

En ren kjole

A clean dress

Rene kjoler

Clean dresses

Feminine

Ei stygg jakke

An ugly jacket

Stygge jakker

Ugly jackets

Ei ren leilighet

A clean apartment

Rene leiligheter

Clean apartments

Neuter

Eit stygt hus

An ugly house

stygge hus

Ugly houses

Eit reint (rom) værelse

A clean room

reine (rom) værelser

Clean rooms

When the noun is in the definite form, the adjective takes an -e ending.

Singular Definite Plural Definite

Norwegian

English

Norwegian

English

Masculine

Den stygge genseren

The ugly sweater

De stygge genserne

The ugly sweaters

Denne rene kjolen

This clean dress

Disse rene kjolene

These clean dresses

Feminine

Den stygge jakka

The ugly jacket

De stygge jakkene

The ugly jackets

Denne rene leiligheta

This clean apartment

Disse rene leilighetene

These clean apartments

Neuter

Det stygge huset

The ugly house

De stygge husa / husene

The ugly houses

Dette rene værelset

This clean room

Disse rene værelsa / værelsene

These clean rooms

Modals

Modal verbs are a type of auxiliary verb that combine with an infinitive verb (without “å”) or with a directional adverbial. They express the speaker’s attitude, belief, intentions, recommendations, doubt, etc about the activity. While there are other modal verbs, today’s lesson is focused on skal, vil, må.

Quick note on sentence structure

Unlike in other sentences that contain two verbs next to each other, where the second verb is in the infinitive (e.g. without the present tense -r ending) with the “å” infinitive marker, when a sentence contains a modal verb for the first verb, the verb that follows it will be in the infinitive but not have the infinitive “å” marker. Let’s look at this comparison:

Eksempel English

Without Modals

Sofia lærte å lese da hun var ung.

Sofia learned to read when she was young.

Markus prøvde å tegne en elefant.

Markus tried to draw an elephant.

Karine begynte å lese boka i går.

Karine began reading the book yesterday.

WIth Modals

Erik skal lese boka neste uke.

Erik will read the book next week.

Faren hennes skal spille gitar senere.

Her father will play guitar later.

Tor kan male som Van Gogh.

Tor can paint like Van Gogh.

In the above examples, the sentences that do not contain modal verbs must have the infinitive marker, “å” between the conjugated verb and nonfinite verb. In the examples with modal verbs, the infinitive marker is not included.

Å skulle

Usually translates into “shall” but not always. It’s used for:

  • Commands; orders; demands

  • Advice / recommendation; often used with “heller” (rather), “helst” (preferably), and “nok” (probably)

  • Doubt or uncertainty - using “skulle” sounds more cautious and polite vs “skal”

  • Threat

  • Promise

  • Rumor

Eksempel English Use

1

Du skal spise grønnsakene dine!

You will eat your vegetables!

Command / Order / Demand

2

Jeg skal helst være hjemme før kl. 10.

I should (preferably) be home before 10.

Advice / Recommendation

3

Du skulle nok ha drukket mer vann.

You should probably have drunk more water.

Advice / Recommendation

4

Skal jeg spørre henne nå?

Should I ask her now?

Doubt / Uncertainty

5

Skulle vi gå nå kanskje?

Should we go now, maybe?

Doubt / Uncertainty

6

Hvis dere sier noe,(så) skal vi drepe dere.

If you say anything, we will kill you.

Threat

7

Hvis du er snill,(så) skal du få sjokolade.

If you are good, you will get chocolate.

Promise

8

Hun skal visst være i byen.

She must be in town.
(She is said to be in town).

Rumor

9

Jeg skal vri halsen om på deg.

I will twist your neck.

Threat

10

Jeg skal skrive ei setning

I will write a sentence

Promise / Threat

Å ville

“Å ville” is subjective, meaning that when it’s used, it’s based on feeling and not fact; there are no actual set plans or agreements in place. It’s used for:

  • Opinion, prediction, or hypothetical

  • Willingness or desire - using “ville” sounds more polite vs “vil”

  • Used with a negation (ikke), it becomes a refusal

Eksempel English Use

1

En fridag ville være fint.

A day off would be nice.

Opinion / Prediction / Hypothetical

2

Vi vil hjelpe deg så godt vi kan.

We want to help you as best as we can.

Willingness / Desire

3

Kanskje du vil forsøke en gang til?

Perhaps you would like to try again?

Willingness / Desire

4

Jeg vil ikke høre det.

I do not want to hear it.

Willingness (Refusal)

5

Jeg vil gjerne skrive ei setning

I would like to write a sentence

Willingness / Desire

6

Jeg vil spise søte boller

I want to eat sweet buns

Willingness / Desire

Phrases:

There are a couple of phrases which “ville” is used in.

  • Vil gjerne - clarifies that you would like to

  • Vil heller / helst - corresponds to “would rather (be)” in English

Phrase Eksempel English

Vil gjerne

Isabella vil gjerne ha kake.

Isabella would like to have cake.

Vil heller

Jeg vil heller spille dataspill.

I would rather play PC games.

Vil helst

Jeg vil helst være alene.

I would rather be alone.

For more info on vil heller and vil helst, click this link.

Å måtte

“Måtte” usually translates to “must” in English. It’s used for:

  • Necessity

  • Express hope or a wish in certain expressions

Eksempel English Use

1

Du må gå selv om du ikke vil.

You must go even if you don’t want to.

Necessity

2

Du må gjøre leksene dine.

You must do your homework.

Necessity

3

Måtte lykken følge deg.

May luck follow you.

Wish / Hope

4

Må du ha det bra.

I wish you well.

Wish / Hope

5

Du måtte ha kake, Dan

You had to have cake Dan

Wish for a hope

6

Jeg må spise sukker (caxap)

I must eat the sugar (caxap)

Necessity

Conjugations for the Modal Verbs (in this lesson):

Infinitive

Present

Past

Past Participle

Meaning

Skulle

Skal

Skulle

Skullet

Shall

Ville

Vil

Ville

Villet

Will; want to

Måtte

Må

Måtte

Måttet

Must

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Sources:

Exercise: Write 5 sentences using the modals used in this lesson.