Language/Norwegian-bokmal/Grammar/Past-tense-verbs

Norwegian Bokmål → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Past tense verbs

Welcome to our lesson on Past Tense Verbs in Norwegian Bokmål! Understanding the past tense is crucial for expressing actions that have already happened. Whether you want to share a story about your day, recall an event, or simply talk about something from the past, mastering the past tense will enable you to do so with confidence.

In this lesson, we will cover:

• The importance of the past tense in Norwegian

• The formation of regular and irregular past tense verbs

• Useful examples illustrating each point

• Practice exercises to solidify your understanding

So, let’s embark on this journey into the past!

Importance of Past Tense in Norwegian

The past tense allows you to communicate events that have taken place. In Norwegian Bokmål, it’s essential for storytelling, sharing experiences, and discussing history. Without the past tense, you might find it challenging to express yourself fully.

Formation of Past Tense Verbs

In Norwegian Bokmål, verbs can be categorized into two main groups: regular verbs and irregular verbs.

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs follow a consistent pattern when forming the past tense. Typically, you add the suffix -et or -te to the infinitive form of the verb.

Here’s the general rule:

• If the verb ends in a vowel, add -te.

• If the verb ends in a consonant, add -et.

Let’s look at some examples.

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
å spille	[ɔː ˈspɪlːə]	to play
spilte	[ˈspɪlːtə]	played
å danse	[ɔː ˈdɑːnsə]	to dance
danset	[ˈdɑːnsə]	danced
å lage	[ɔː ˈlɑːɡə]	to make
laget	[ˈlɑːɡət]	made
å besøke	[ɔː bəˈsøːkə]	to visit
besøkte	[bəˈsøːktə]	visited

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs do not follow a standard pattern when forming the past tense. Instead, their past tense forms must be memorized.

Here are some common irregular verbs:

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
å gå	[ɔː ˈɡoː]	to go
gikk	[jɪk]	went
å se	[ɔː ˈseː]	to see
så	[sɔː]	saw
å spise	[ɔː ˈspiːsə]	to eat
spiste	[ˈspɪstə]	ate
å gjøre	[ɔː ˈjœːrə]	to do
gjorde	[ˈjʊrə]	did

Common Uses of the Past Tense

The past tense is used in various contexts, such as:

• Describing completed actions

• Narrating events in stories

• Talking about past habits or routines

Here are some illustrative examples:

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Jeg spilte fotball i går.	[jæɪ ˈspɪlːtə ˈfʊtbɑl i ɡɔːr]	I played football yesterday.
De danset hele natten.	[de ˈdɑːnsə ˈheːlə ˈnɑtən]	They danced all night.
Vi laget middag sammen.	[vi ˈlɑːɡət ˈmɪdɑɡ ˈsɑmən]	We made dinner together.
Hun besøkte besteforeldrene sine.	[hʊn bəˈsøːktə ˈbɛstəˌfɔːrəlʁnə ˈsiːnə]	She visited her grandparents.
Jeg gikk til skolen.	[jæɪ jɪk tɪl ˈskuːlən]	I went to school.
Han så en film.	[hɑn sɔː ɛn fɪlm]	He saw a movie.
Vi spiste frokost sammen.	[vi ˈspɪstə ˈfrʊkɔst ˈsɑmən]	We ate breakfast together.
Jeg gjorde leksene mine.	[jæɪ ˈjʊrə ˈlɛksənə ˈmiːnə]	I did my homework.

Practice Exercises

Now that you have a grasp of the past tense, let’s put your knowledge to the test! Here are some exercises:

1. Fill in the blanks with the correct past tense form of the verbs in parentheses.

a. Jeg ___ (spille) fotball i går.

b. De ___ (reise) til Spania forrige sommer.

c. Hun ___ (se) en interessant dokumentar.

d. Vi ___ (gå) til parken i helgen.

e. Jeg ___ (lage) en kake til bursdagen.

2. Choose the correct past tense form of the verb from the options given.

a. Jeg ___ (spise/spiste) frokost tidlig.

b. Han ___ (gå/gikk) til butikken.

c. Vi ___ (se/så) filmen i går.

d. De ___ (danse/danset) på festen.

e. Hun ___ (besøke/besøkte) vennene sine.

3. Translate the following sentences into Norwegian Bokmål:

a. I played video games yesterday.

b. They danced at the party.

c. We visited the museum last week.

d. He saw his friend last night.

e. I made a cake for the party.

4. Convert the following sentences from present to past tense:

a. Jeg leser en bok.

b. Vi spiller musikk.

c. Hun lager middag.

d. De går til stranden.

e. Jeg ser på TV.

5. Match the verbs with their correct past tense forms:

a. å skrive || 1. ___

b. å kjøpe || 2. ___

c. å finne || 3. ___

d. å hjelpe || 4. ___

e. å sove || 5. ___

Options:

1. skrev

2. kjøpte

3. fant

4. hjalp

5. sov

Solutions and Explanations

Let’s go through the exercises together and see how you did!

1.

a. Jeg spilte fotball i går.

b. De reiste til Spania forrige sommer.

c. Hun så en interessant dokumentar.

d. Vi gikk til parken i helgen.

e. Jeg lagde en kake til bursdagen.

2.

a. Jeg spiste frokost tidlig.

b. Han gikk til butikken.

c. Vi så filmen i går.

d. De danset på festen.

e. Hun besøkte vennene sine.

3.

a. Jeg spilte videospill i går.

b. De danset på festen.

c. Vi besøkte museet forrige uke.

d. Han så vennen sin i går kveld.

e. Jeg lagde en kake til festen.

4.

a. Jeg leste en bok.

b. Vi spilte musikk.

c. Hun lagde middag.

d. De gikk til stranden.

e. Jeg så på TV.

5.

a. å skrive || 1. skrev

b. å kjøpe || 2. kjøpte

c. å finne || 3. fant

d. å hjelpe || 4. hjalp

e. å sove || 5. sov

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve now learned how to form and use past tense verbs in Norwegian Bokmål. This is a significant step in your language journey, allowing you to express actions that have occurred in the past. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll feel more comfortable speaking and writing in the past tense.

Remember, language learning is a journey. Don't hesitate to revisit this lesson as needed, and practice with friends or language partners. The more you use these skills, the more natural they will become.

Happy learning!

Table of Contents - Norwegian Bokmål Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Norwegian Bokmål

• Alphabet and Pronunciation
• Basic Sentence Structure

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Gender and Definite Articles
• Personal Pronouns

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Daily Activities

• Daily Routine
• Hobbies and Interests

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparatives and Superlatives

  ---

Food and Drink

• Common Foods
• Eating Out

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Coordinating Conjunctions

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Questions and Negation

• Question Words
• Negation

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Expressing Emotions

  ---

Norwegian Customs and Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Etiquette and Social Norms

Other Lessons

• Future tense verbs
• Questions
• Plurals
• Nouns
• Relative clauses
• Infinitive and present participle forms
• Pronouns
• Future Tense
• How to Use Have