Sport and recreation

   |  Dan

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

Markus kjøpte en fotball i går.

Markus bought a football yesterday.

Sofia spilte tennis da hun var ung.

Sofia played tennis when she was young.

V2

I går kjøpte Markus en fotball.

Yesterday, Markus bought a football.

Da Sofia var ung, spilte hun tennis.

When Sofia was young, she played tennis.

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 spill

Spiller

Plays

Å løpe

Løper

Runs

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).

  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 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

Konkurransen er på søndag.

The competition is on Sunday.

Spillet starter snart.

The game starts soon.

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 stor konkurranse

A big competition

Store konkurranser

Big competitions

En ny sykkel

A new bicycle

Nye sykler

New bicycles

Feminine

Ei stor klubbe

A big mallet

Store klubber

Big mallets

Ei ny fiskestang

A new fishing rod

Nye fiskestenger

New fishing rods

Neuter

Et stort spill

A big game

Store spill

Big games

Et nytt rullebrett

A new skateboard

Nye rullebrett

New skateboards

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 store konkurransen

The big competition

De store konkurransene

The big competitions

Denne nye sykkelen

This new bicycle

Disse nye syklene

These new bicycles

Feminine

Den store klubba

The big mallet

De store klubbene

The big mallets

Denne nye fiskestanga

This new fishing rod

Disse nye fiskestangene

These new fishing rods

Neuter

Det store spillet

The big game

De store spillene

The big games

Dette nye rullebrettet

This new skateboard

Disse nye rullebrettene

These new skateboards

Sports in Norway

The most popular sport, in terms of active membership, is football (aka soccer in the US). There are over 1,800 registered football clubs in Norway, with over 390,000 players. Norwegian football clubs first formed in the late 1800s and the Football Association of Norway was founded in 1902.

Another sport that’s played in Norway is handball (håndball). A single game consists of two 30 minute periods. Each team on the field has six outfield players and a goalkeeper. A player can touch the ball with any part of the body that is above the knee. They can either hold possession (during which they can dribble), pass, or shoot the ball. The handball is the size of a large cantaloupe melon. To score, a team has to get the ball into the opponent’s goal.

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One other sport that is played, often by children, in the Nordic countries and in Germany is bränboll (brennball or slåball in Norwegian). It is similar to American baseball. Rules vary depending on location, but basically a batter either bounces a ball or throws a ball in the air and then hits it. They get 3 tries; if they successfully hit the ball, they run around the three bases. If the catcher on the opposing team catches the ball and touches the “outing plate,” the batter has to stop running and either goes back to the last plate they passed or to first base, depending on local rules.

Winter sports are extremely popular in Norway. There’s an old saying that says that Norwegians are born with skis on their feet. Cross-country skiing is the most popular winter sport in Norway, and there are many https://www.nordivatours.com/sport/cross-country-skiing-in-norway/locations] where one can cross-country ski. Other winter sports that many Norwegians enjoy include alpine skiing, snowboarding, curling, and ice hockey. The biathlon is one of the most popular winter sports watched on tv in Norway; it combines skiing and rifle shooting. The competitors are timed on how fast they complete the course. If they miss shots (in the rifle section), extra time is added to their score. The Norwegian Biathlon Association was formed in 1983.

imageimage

These are just a few popular recreational activities one can get involved with in Norway.

Verbs:

English Norwegian English Norwegian

To bike

Å sykle

Bouldering

buldring

To bowl

Å bowle

To box

Å bokse

To catch

Å fange

To cheer

Å heie på

To climb

Å klatre

To compete

Å konkurrere

To defend

Å forsvare

To dive

Å dykke

To exercise

Å trene

To fence

Å fekte

To fish

Å fiske

To golf

Å spille golf

To hike

Å vandre

To ice skate

Å skøyte

To jog

Å jogge

To jump

Å hoppe / (s)pringe

To kick

Å sparke

To lift weights

Å løfte vekter

To lose

Å tape

To move

Å bevege

To pass

Å sentre

To pitch

Å kaste

To play

Å spille

To practice

Å øve

To roller skate

Å gå på rulleskøyter

To row

Å ro

To run

Å løpe

To sail

Å seile

To score

Å score

To scuba dive

Å dykke

To ski

Å gå på ski

To snowboard

Å stå på snowboard / Å snowboarde

To stretch

Å strekke / tøye

To surf

Å surfe

To swim

Å svømme

To throw

Å kaste

To tie / draw

Å spille uavgjort

To win

Å vinne

To work out

Å trene

To wrestle

Å bryte

Nouns & Adjectives:

English Norwegian English Norwegian

Aerobics

Aerobic

Archery

Bueskyting

Arrow

Pil (ei)

Athlete

Atlet (en)

Athletic

Atletisk

Badminton

Badminton

Bait

Agn (ei)

Ball

Ball (en)

Base

Base (en)

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball glove

Baseballhanske (en)

Basketball

Basketball

Basketball hoop

Basketballnett (et)

Bat

Balltre

Biathlete

Skiskytter (en)

Biathlon

Skiskyting (en)

Bicycle

Sykkel (en)

Billiard

Biljard

Birdie / Shuttlecock

Fjærball (en)

Boat

Båt (en)

Bow

Bue (en)

Bowling ball

Bowlingball (en)

Boxer

Bokser (en)

Boxing gloves

Boksehansker (en)

12.5

Brännboll

Brennball / Slåball

Canoe

Kano (en)

Champion

Mester (en)

Championship

Mesterskap (et)

Cheerleader

Cheerleader (en)

Cleats

Fotballsko (en)

Coach / Trainer

Trener (en)

Competition

Konkurranse (en)

Court

Bane (en)

Cricket

Cricket

Croquet

Krokket

Cross Country Ski

Langrenn (et)

Curling

Curling

Dart

(Dart)pil (en)

Darts

Dart (spillet)

Dartboard

Dartskive (en)

Defense

Forsvar (et)

Diver

Dykker (en)

Dodgeball

Kanonball

Downhill skiing (Alpine)

Slalåm

Equestrian / Riding

Ridning

Equipment / Gear

Utstyr (et)

Exercise

Trening (ei)

Field

Bane (en)

Field hockey

Landhockey

Fishing boat

Fiskebåt (en)

Fishing hook

Fiskekrok (en)

Fishing rod

Fiskestang (ei)

Football (Soccer)

Fotball

Foul

Uærlig spill / Fusk / Juks

Frisbee

Frisbee (en)

Game

Spill (et)

Goal

Mål (et)

Goalie / Goalkeeper

Keeper / Målmann (en)

Golf

Golf

Golf ball

Golfball (en)

Golf club

(to hit the ball with)

Golfkølle (ei)

Golf course

Golfbane (en)

Gym

Treningsstudio

Gymnast

Gymnast (en)

Gymnastics

Gymnastikk

Handball

Håndball (en)

Helmet

Hjelm (en)

(Ice) Hockey

Ishockey

Hole-in-one

Hole-in-one

Home field

Hjemmebane (en)

Horseshoes

Hestesko (en)

Ice skates

Skøyter (ei)

Judo

Judo

Jump rope

Hoppetau (et)

Karate

Karate

Kayak

Kajakk (en)

Kite

Drage (en)

Lacrosse

Lacrosse

League

Liga (en)

Mallet / Club

Klubbe (ei)

Marathon

Maraton (en) / Maratonløp (et)

Martial arts

Kampsport (en)

Mouthguard

Munnbeskyttelse (en)

Net

Nett (et)

Oar

Åre (ei)

Offense

Angrep

Opponent

Motstander (en)

Paddle

Padleåre

Paintball

Paintball

Pastime

Tidsfordriv (et)

Penalty

Straff (en)

Ping pong

Bordtennis

Pitcher

Kaster (en)

Player

Spiller (en)

Playoffs

Playoff-kamp / Sluttspill

Pool

Svømmebasseng (et)

Pool table

Biljardbord (et)

Puck

Puck (en)

Race

Løp (et)

Racket

Racket (en)

Raft

Flåte (en)

Recreation

Rekreasjon (en)

Referee

Dommer (en)

Rink

Skøytebane (en)

Roller skates

Rulleskøyter (ei)

Rugby

Rugby

Runner

Løper (en)

Score

Poengsum

Skateboard

Rullebrett (et)

Skier

Skiløper (en)

Ski pole

Skistav (en)

Skis

Ski

Ski slope

Skibakke (en) / Løypa (ei)

Snowboard

Snøbrett (et)

Somersault

Rulle (en) - på bakken

Sport

Sport (en)

Salto(mortale) (en) - i luften

Sportsmanship

Sportsånd (en)

Stadium

Stadion (et)

Strike

(bowling)

Strike (en)

Surfboard

Surfebrett (et)

Surfer

Surfer (en)

Swimmer

Svømmer (en)

Swimsuit

Badedrakt (ei)

Taekwondo

Taekwondo

Target

Mål (et)

Team

Lag (et)

Teammate

Lagkamerat (en)

Teamwork

Samarbeid (et)

Tennis

Tennis

Tie

Uavgjort

Tug-of-war

Tautrekking

Uniform

Uniform (ei)

Volleyball

Volleyball (en)

Water polo

Vannpolo (en)

Wave

Bølge (ei)

Weights

Vekter

Wetsuit

Våtdrakt (ei)

Whistle

Fløyte (ei)

Winner

Vinner (en)

Wrestler

Bryter (en)

Wrestling match

Brytekamp (en)

Victory

Seier (en)

Yoga

Yoga

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Resources:

https://www.nordivatours.com/sport/winter-sports-in-norway/Winter Sports in Norway]

Living in Norway: Culture and Sports

Football in Norway (Wiki)

Biathlon (Wiki)

https://www.lifeinnorway.net/handball-in-norway/Handball in Norway]

Brännboll (Wiki)

Exercise: Write a paragraph about a sport or pastime.