Language/Norwegian-bokmal/Grammar/Relative-clauses

Norwegian Bokmål → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Relative clauses

Welcome to this engaging lesson on relative clauses in Norwegian Bokmål! Understanding relative clauses is crucial for constructing more complex and meaningful sentences, which will greatly enhance your fluency and comprehension in the language. Relative clauses allow you to provide additional information about a noun without starting a new sentence, making your speech and writing more fluid and connected. This lesson is tailored for complete beginners, so don’t worry if you haven’t encountered relative clauses before. We’ll guide you step-by-step through the essentials.

In this lesson, we will cover the following topics:

Importance of Relative Clauses

Relative clauses are essential for adding detail and context to your sentences. They help you explain more about a person, place, or thing without the need to create multiple sentences. For example, instead of saying "I met a girl. She is a doctor," you can say, "I met a girl who is a doctor." This makes your language richer and more engaging.

What is a Relative Clause?

A relative clause is a dependent clause that modifies a noun or pronoun. It usually begins with a relative pronoun, which connects the clause to the main part of the sentence. In Norwegian, the most common relative pronouns are "som" (who/that/which) and "hvilken" (which).

Structure of Relative Clauses

Relative clauses generally follow the noun they modify. They provide additional information about this noun. Here’s a basic structure:

• Main clause + noun + relative clause

For example: "Boken som jeg leste var interessant." (The book that I read was interesting.)

Common Relative Pronouns

Let’s take a closer look at the relative pronouns used in Norwegian Bokmål:

• som: Used for people and things (who/that/which).

• hvilken: Used for choosing among options (which).

• hva: Used for things (what).

Examples of Relative Clauses

To give you a clearer understanding, let’s look at some examples of relative clauses in context.

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Bilen som står der er min.	ˈbiːlən som stoːr dær ær min.	The car that is standing there is mine.
Læreren som underviser oss er snill.	ˈlæːrən som ˈʉndərˌviːsər ɔs ær snil.	The teacher who teaches us is nice.
Huset som vi kjøpte er gammelt.	ˈhʉːsə som viː ˈjʉːptə ær ˈɡɑːməl.	The house that we bought is old.
Vennen min, som bor i Oslo, kommer til fest.	ˈvɛnən min, som buːr i ˈʊʃlu, ˈkɔmər til fest.	My friend, who lives in Oslo, is coming to the party.
Boken som handler om Norge er spennende.	ˈbuːkən som ˈhɑːndlər ɔm ˈnɔrɡə ær ˈspɛnənə.	The book that is about Norway is exciting.
Jenta som gikk forbi smilte.	ˈjɛn̩tɑ som jɪk fɔrˈbiː ˈsmɪltə.	The girl who walked by smiled.
Filmen som vi så i går var fantastisk.	ˈfɪlmən som viː soː i ˈɡoːr vɑːr fɑnˈtɑsˌtɪsk.	The movie that we saw yesterday was fantastic.
Katter som leker er søte.	ˈkɑtər som ˈleːkər ær søːtə.	Cats that are playing are cute.
Blomsten som vokser her er vakker.	ˈblʊmstən som ˈvɔksər hær ær ˈvɑkər.	The flower that is growing here is beautiful.
Skolen som jeg går på er stor.	ˈskuːlən som jɛɪ ɡɔːr pɔ ær stʊr.	The school that I attend is big.

How to Use Relative Clauses

Now that we've covered the basics, let's discuss how to use relative clauses effectively in sentences.

1. Identify the noun you want to add information about.

2. Choose the appropriate relative pronoun based on whether you are referring to a person or a thing.

3. Construct the relative clause, ensuring it follows the noun.

For example:

• Noun: "Lærebok" (textbook)

• Relative clause: "som jeg bruker" (that I use)

• Complete sentence: "Læreboken som jeg bruker er ny." (The textbook that I use is new.)

Important Notes

• In Norwegian, relative clauses often do not require a comma before "som."

• Ensure that the relative clause is relevant to the noun it modifies to maintain clarity.

Practice Exercises

To help solidify your understanding, here are some exercises. Try to complete them on your own before checking the answers!

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the following sentences with the correct relative pronoun (som or hvilken).

1. __________ bok leser du?

2. Mannen __________ står der er min far.

3. Filmen __________ vi så var spennende.

4. Jenta __________ synger er talentfull.

5. Hvilken restaurant __________ du liker best?

Exercise 2: Rewrite the Sentences

Rewrite the following pairs of sentences into one sentence using a relative clause.

1. Det er en hund. Den er veldig søt.

2. Jeg har en venn. Han bor i Trondheim.

3. Boken er interessant. Den handler om historie.

4. Jenta smiler. Hun går til skolen.

5. Det er en film. Den vant en pris.

Exercise 3: Translate to Norwegian

Translate the following sentences into Norwegian, using relative clauses.

1. The teacher who helped me is kind.

2. The car that I drive is old.

3. The book that you recommended was great.

4. The friend who called me is in town.

5. The cake that she made was delicious.

Answers to Exercises =

Now, let’s check your answers!

Answers for Exercise 1

1. Hvilken bok leser du? (Which book are you reading?)

2. Mannen som står der er min far. (The man who is standing there is my father.)

3. Filmen som vi så var spennende. (The movie that we saw was exciting.)

4. Jenta som synger er talentfull. (The girl who is singing is talented.)

5. Hvilken restaurant liker du best? (Which restaurant do you like best?)

Answers for Exercise 2

1. Det er en hund som er veldig søt. (That is a dog that is very cute.)

2. Jeg har en venn som bor i Trondheim. (I have a friend who lives in Trondheim.)

3. Boken som handler om historie er interessant. (The book that is about history is interesting.)

4. Jenta som smiler går til skolen. (The girl who is smiling is going to school.)

5. Det er en film som vant en pris. (That is a movie that won an award.)

Answers for Exercise 3

1. Læreren som hjalp meg er snill. (The teacher who helped me is kind.)

2. Bilen som jeg kjører er gammel. (The car that I drive is old.)

3. Boken som du anbefalte var flott. (The book that you recommended was great.)

4. Vennen som ringte meg er i byen. (The friend who called me is in town.)

5. Kaken som hun laget var deilig. (The cake that she made was delicious.)

Conclusion

Congratulations on completing this lesson on relative clauses in Norwegian Bokmål! You should now have a solid understanding of how to construct relative clauses and use them effectively in your sentences. Practice is key, so keep trying to use relative clauses in your daily conversations and writing.

As you continue your journey toward mastering Norwegian, you’ll find that relative clauses will not only enrich your language skills but also enable you to express yourself more clearly and creatively.

Table of Contents - Norwegian Bokmål Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Introduction to Norwegian Bokmål

• Alphabet and Pronunciation
• Basic Sentence Structure

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Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

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Nouns and Pronouns

• Gender and Definite Articles
• Personal Pronouns

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Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

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Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

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Daily Activities

• Daily Routine
• Hobbies and Interests

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparatives and Superlatives

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Food and Drink

• Common Foods
• Eating Out

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Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Coordinating Conjunctions

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Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

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Questions and Negation

• Question Words
• Negation

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Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Expressing Emotions

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Norwegian Customs and Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Etiquette and Social Norms

Other Lessons

• Pronouns
• Personal pronouns
• 0 to A1 Course
• Conditional Mood
• Negation
• How to Use Be
• Nouns and adjectives
• Formal writing and communication
• Future Tense