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Chapter 6 of 16 · Explore the Norwegian path

How sentences work · Chapter 6 of 16

Say who someone is, and say no

Say hello, say who you are, and say no. Eight short words stand in for a name, and one gift comes with them: er covers am, is and are, for everybody.

≈ 4 min of reading · Practise at your own pace

What’s in this chapter
  • Eight short words stand in for a name, and Norwegian always writes them out.
  • One gift: erair“is, am, are” is the only present form of “to be” — it never changes for the person.
  • In a statement, ikkeIK-kuh“not” comes straight after the doing word.
  • A thing is denden or detday, depending on the little word the noun takes, not on what it is.

A standing-in word takes the place of a name: “she sees the bird”. Norwegian always writes them out. A direct order is the one place the doer is dropped, as in English.

The eight standing-in words, doing and receiving

A standing-in word saves repeating a name. Each has two shapes: one for the doer, one for whoever the doing lands on.

Englishdoingreceiving
I · mejegyay“I”megmay“me”
jeg — I · Estimated A1
you — one personduduu“you”degday“you”
du — you · Estimated A1
he · himhanhan“he”hamham“him”
han — he · Estimated A1
she · herhunhuun“she”henneHEN-nuh“her”
hun — she · Estimated A1
it — an en thingdenden“it”den
it — an et thingdetday“it”det
we · usvivee“we”ossoss“us”
vi — we · Estimated A1
they · themdedee“they”demdem“them”
de — they · Estimated A1

Two words for “it”; a later step sorts them out. dereDEH-ruh“you all” covers more than one “you”. After the doing word the receiving shape is used: Reven ser meg.RAY-ven sair may“The fox sees me.” han also serves for “him”.

I am Mina. That is not my house.

Jeg heter Mina. Det er ikke huset mitt.

yay HAY-ter MEE-nah. day air IK-kuh HUU-suh mit

For a name Norwegian uses heterHAY-ter“am called”. And ikkeIK-kuh“not” sits straight after the doing word, where English puts it too. huset mittHUU-suh mit“my house” puts the owner last; a later step takes that apart.

heter — is calledAdd
heter — is called · Estimated A2

Yes, no, and three ways to open or close a scene

These come up on the first page of almost any story. Learn them as whole words; nothing here needs taking apart.

jayah“yes” · neinay“no” · takktak“thanks”
Heihay“hi” · God daggoo dahg“good day” · Ha dethah day“bye”

Hei works at any hour with anybody, God dag is the polite one, and Ha det is the everyday goodbye — word for word, “have it”, with the silent t on det the spelling step promised.

Read the sentence before revealing it

  1. Hun er ikke trist.

    she · is · not · sad

    Show answer +
    Hun er ikke trist.huun air IK-kuh trist“She is not sad.”
  2. Jeg heter Tobi.

    Word for word: I am called Tobi.

    Show answer +
    Jeg heter Tobi.yay HAY-ter TOH-bee“My name is Tobi.”
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