Zaban
Chapter 7 of 16 · Explore the Norwegian path

How sentences work · Chapter 7 of 16

The doing word holds second place

In a Norwegian statement the doing word holds the second slot, whatever comes first. Put a time or a place at the front and the doer slides in behind it. Then swap two words and you have a question.

≈ 3 min of reading · Practise at your own pace

What’s in this chapter
  • In a statement the doing word is the second slot — not the second word, the second slot.
  • Put anything else first and the doer slides in behind the doing word.
  • Norwegian has no helper “do”: no “do you see?”, no “I do not see”.
  • A yes-or-no question is a statement with the first two pieces swapped.
  • Five question words begin with hv, said “v”; nårnawr“when” does not.

Which word takes second place

Norwegian holds the doing word in the second slot of a statement, whatever comes first. Compare each English row with the Norwegian one below it.

slot 1slot 2thenthen
EnglishIseethe fox
NorwegianJegyay“I”sersair“see”revenRAY-ven“the fox”
EnglishNowIseethe fox
NorwegianNånaw“now”sersair“see”jegyay“I”revenRAY-ven“the fox”

In the first pair the languages agree. In the second, English pushed the doing word to third place and Norwegian refused: ser held slot two, jeg slid behind it.

Ask a question by swapping two words

English adds “do” to make a question or a denial. Norwegian adds nothing. Read the English on the left, then see what Norwegian does instead.

I do not see the fox.
Jeg ser ikke reven.yay sair IK-kuh RAY-ven
No helper “do”, and ikke“not” follows the doing word.
Do you see the fox?
Ser du reven?sair duu RAY-ven
Swap the first two pieces and it is a question.

Six words that open a question

Recognising one of these tells you a question is coming, before you have worked out the rest of the line.

EnglishNorwegian
whathvavah“what”
whohvemvem“who”
wherehvorvoor“where”
whyhvorforVOOR-for“why”
howhvordanVOOR-dan“how”
whennårnawr“when”

Five of the six begin with hv, whose h is silent, so they open with a plain v; når is the exception. A question word takes slot one, so the doing word is right behind.

Where are you going?

Hvor går du?

voor gawr duu

Question word, then gårgawr“go”, then the doer — three words against four.

Add
gå — to go · Estimated A1

Find the doing word, then read the line

  1. Nå ser jeg bjørnen.

    “Now see I the bear”. The -en on the end is “the”; the next step explains it.

    Show answer +
    Nå ser jeg bjørnen.naw sair yay BYUR-nen“Now I see the bear.”
  2. Ser du huset?

    The doing word came first, so it is a question.

    Show answer +
    Ser du huset?sair duu HUU-suh“Do you see the house?”
Come back to these chapters whenever you need them.All Norwegian chapters ↗