Use of verb

A verb is a part of speech that tells us what a person or a thing does. Verbs focus on the actions. Some examples of verbs in English are come, study, see, go, etc.

There were two verbs used in this lesson: å være – to be; å hete – to be called. This is a neutral form of a verb, also called an infinitive. This is the form of a verb we find in dictionaries. Particle “å” before verbs, corresponds to the English “to”.

The general rule is that you need to add an ending -r when you use verbs in the present. For example:

å hete – to be called

Jeg heter Adrian. – My name is Adrian (I am called Adrian).

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Practice

Fill in with the correct form of the verbs:

The verb “to be”

The verb that you will use most in the Norwegian language is the verb “å være” – to be. Unlike in English, where we have to change the verb in different persons (I am, you are, she is), in Norwegian we use the same form in all persons:

Jeg er	I am
Du er	You are
Han er	He is
Hun er	She is
Vi er	We are
Dere er	You are (plural)
De er	They are

This verb remains the same if we mention people, things or ideas:

Mark er fra England. – Mark is from England.

Pablo og Maria er fra Spania. – Pablo and Maria are from Spain.

Oslo er i Norge. – Oslo is in Norway.