verbA1
Verbets former og presens
[Verb Forms and Present Tense (Presens)]Norwegian verbs do not conjugate by person or number. In the present tense, simply append -r to the infinitive stem for all subjects (jeg snakker, vi snakker).
1. The Four Primary Verb Forms
Every Norwegian verb has four foundational principal parts used to construct all tenses:
Form
Infinitiv(Infinitive)
Function
med 'å' eller etter modalverb(with 'å' or after modals)
Example
å snakke / å bo / å spise(to speak / to live / to eat)
Form
Presens(Present Tense)
Function
handlingen skjer nå eller vanligvis(happening now or habitual)
Example
snakker / bor / spiser(speak / live / eat)
Form
Preteritum(Past Simple)
Function
avsluttet handling i fortiden(completed past action)
Example
snakket / bodde / spiste(spoke / lived / ate)
Form
Perfektum partisipp(Past Participle)
Function
brukes etter 'har' eller 'hadde'(used after 'har' or 'hadde')
Example
har snakket / har bodd / har spist(have spoken / lived / eaten)
| Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
InfinitivInfinitive | med 'å' eller etter modalverbwith 'å' or after modals | å snakke / å bo / å spiseto speak / to live / to eat |
PresensPresent Tense | handlingen skjer nå eller vanligvishappening now or habitual | snakker / bor / spiserspeak / live / eat |
PreteritumPast Simple | avsluttet handling i fortidencompleted past action | snakket / bodde / spistespoke / lived / ate |
Perfektum partisippPast Participle | brukes etter 'har' eller 'hadde'used after 'har' or 'hadde' | har snakket / har bodd / har spisthave spoken / lived / eaten |
2. Forming the Present Tense (Presens)
In present tense, append -r to the infinitive for all grammatical persons:
A. Standard Rule (Infinitive + r):
å lese → Jeg leser en spennende bok nå.to read → I am reading an exciting book now.
å bo → Jonas og Sofia bor i Bergen.to live → Jonas and Sofia live in Bergen.
å jobbe → Vi jobber på et sykehus i Tromsø.to work → We work at a hospital in Tromsø.
B. Essential Irregular Verbs in Present Tense:
Infinitive
å være(to be)
Present
er
Example
Jeg er student i Oslo.(I am a student in Oslo.)
Infinitive
å ha(to have)
Present
har
Example
Hun har to katter.(She has two cats.)
Infinitive
å gjøre(to do)
Present
gjør
Example
Hva gjør du i helgen?(What are you doing this weekend?)
Infinitive
å si(to say)
Present
sier
Example
Læreren sier at norsk er gøy.(The teacher says Norwegian is fun.)
Infinitive
å vite(to know)
Present
vet
Example
Jeg vet ikke svaret.(I don't know the answer.)
Infinitive
å spørre(to ask)
Present
spør
Example
Han spør om veien.(He asks for directions.)
| Infinitive | Present | Example |
|---|---|---|
å væreto be | er | Jeg er student i Oslo.I am a student in Oslo. |
å hato have | har | Hun har to katter.She has two cats. |
å gjøreto do | gjør | Hva gjør du i helgen?What are you doing this weekend? |
å sito say | sier | Læreren sier at norsk er gøy.The teacher says Norwegian is fun. |
å viteto know | vet | Jeg vet ikke svaret.I don't know the answer. |
å spørreto ask | spør | Han spør om veien.He asks for directions. |
Norwegian has no continuous (-ing) tense. 'Jeg spiser' expresses both habitual action and ongoing present action.