Verbs in the present tense
Good news: Norwegian verbs have the same form for every person.
We teach Bokmål, the written standard most people in Norway use.
What is this about?
A verb tells you what someone does or what happens: eat, work, sleep. The present tense is the form you use for now, for habits and often for the future too: «Jeg jobber nå» (I'm working now), «Jeg jobber hver dag» (I work every day), «Jeg jobber i morgen» (I'm working tomorrow).
In Norwegian the present tense is very easy. Most verbs just add -r: «å snakke» (to speak) becomes «jeg snakker» (I speak). And the form is the same for every person: «jeg snakker, du snakker, de snakker». A few key verbs are irregular, such as «å være» – «er» (to be – am/is/are) and «å ha» – «har» (to have).
English makes you remember the -s: I speak, but she speaks. Norwegian doesn't even have that. There is also no difference between «I work» and «I am working» – both are «jeg jobber». You learn one form and it fits everywhere, so you can build real sentences from day one.
Rules
- Most verbs add -r to the infinitive: å snakke → snakker (speak).
- Jeg snakker, du snakker, hun snakker, vi snakker – always the same.
- Important irregular verbs: å være → er (be), å ha → har (have), å gjøre → gjør (do), å si → sier (say).
Examples
- Jeg snakker litt norsk.I speak a little Norwegian.
- Vi jobber i Oslo.We work in Oslo.
- Hun er lærer.She is a teacher.
- Bussen går klokka halv åtte.The bus leaves at half past seven.
- Hva gjør du i helgen? – Vi drar på hytta.What are you doing at the weekend? – We're going to the cabin.
- Mamma henter barna i barnehagen hver dag.Mum picks the children up from kindergarten every day.
- Jeg har vondt i hodet og ringer legen.I've got a headache and I'm calling the doctor.
- Ahmed bor i Drammen og jobber på et lager.Ahmed lives in Drammen and works in a warehouse.