Adverbs
Where does ikke go? Why hjem but hjemme? Here are the rules for adverbs.
We teach Bokmål, the written standard most people in Norway use.
What is this about?
An adverb is a word that tells you more about a verb, an adjective or the whole sentence. It answers questions like how, where, when and how often: fast, at home, today, always. The tiny word «ikke» (not) is an adverb too, and perhaps the most important word of them all.
In Norwegian there are two things to watch. The first is position: short words like «ikke», «alltid» (always) and «aldri» (never) go right after the verb: «Jeg spiser ikke kjøtt» (I don't eat meat), «Hun kommer alltid for sent» (she's always late). The second is form: many adverbs are made from adjectives with -t: «Han kjører fort» (he drives fast), «Hun synger pent» (she sings beautifully). Some adverbs even have two forms, one for direction and one for location: «Jeg går hjem» (I'm going home) but «Jeg er hjemme» (I'm at home).
English says «I don't eat meat», with the helper «do». Norwegian has no such word, «ikke» just follows the verb. The -t ending is like English -ly: nicely = «pent». But the split between «hjem» and «hjemme» doesn't exist in English. You'll hear adverbs in every conversation: «Jeg kan dessverre ikke komme» (unfortunately I can't come), «Vi er ute nå» (we're outside now).
Rules
- Sentence adverbs (ikke, alltid, aldri, også, bare, kanskje, ofte, gjerne) go right after the verb in a main clause: Jeg spiser ikke kjøtt. English 'I don't eat' – Norwegian has no 'do': never 'jeg ikke spiser' here.
- With two verbs the adverb follows the first: Jeg har ikke spist. Hun kan alltid komme.
- With inversion the adverb follows the subject: I dag spiser jeg ikke kjøtt. Kommer du ikke?
- In a subordinate clause the adverb comes BEFORE the verb: …fordi jeg ikke spiser kjøtt. …at hun alltid kommer for sent.
- A pronoun object can come before ikke: Jeg ser ham ikke. But: Jeg ser ikke Per.
- Adverbs from adjectives: add -t (like English -ly): pen – pent, god – godt. Hun synger pent (She sings beautifully). Han kjører fort.
- Adjectives in -ig often don't take -t: Han snakker rolig. Words in -sk: praktisk.
- Direction (where to?) vs location (where?): hjem – hjemme, ut – ute, inn – inne, opp – oppe, ned – nede, bort – borte.
- Jeg går hjem (I'm going home). Jeg er hjemme (I'm at home). Gå ut! Barna er ute. Kom inn! Vi sitter inne.
- Verbs like går, reiser, kommer, løper show direction; er, bor, sitter, står show location.
Examples
- Jeg drikker ikke kaffe.I don't drink coffee.
- Hun sier at hun aldri har vært i Bergen.She says she has never been to Bergen.
- I morgen kommer jeg kanskje.Maybe I'll come tomorrow.
- Vi går hjem nå.We're going home now.
- Er du hjemme i kveld?Are you at home tonight?
- Det er kaldt ute, så vi blir inne.It's cold outside, so we're staying in.
- Han snakker norsk veldig godt.He speaks Norwegian very well.
- Jeg ser ham ikke.I don't see him.