Today I worked through the last chapter (chapter 12) of Norwegian in three months, covering:
- more about prepositions
- past participle used as an adjective
- colloquial speech
- greetings and congratulations
- other words
More about prepositions
Some verbs and adjectives with av (by): le av (laught at); lide av (suffer from); stolt av (be proud of)
Some verbs and adjectives with over: klage over (or på) (complain about); skuffet over (disappointed with); glede seg over (rejoice at)
Some verbs or adjectives with other prepositions: lengte etter (long for); stri (streve) med (work hard at); interessere seg for (be interested in)
Prepositions are often used with an infinitive where English would use a form in -ing:
- Hun gleder seg til å komme (she looked forward to coming)
- Han var redd for å dø (he was afraid of dying)
- De var trette av å gå (they were tired of walking)
Some other uses of prepositions:
- jeg har vondt i hodet (I have a headache)
- Er du kald på føttene? (are your feet cold?
- Vask deg i ansiktet! (Wash your face!)
- Tørk av deg på bene! (Wipe your feet!)
- a gjøre noe med noe (to do something about something)
Past participle as adjective
The past participle can be used as an adjective. In the definite form and plural forms, -e is added as for other adjectives, but the -t is usually changed to a -d.
- en ventet virkning (an expected effect); den ventede virkning(en); ventede virkninger; de ventede virkningene
- et forsikret hus (an insured house); det forsikrede huset; forsikrede hus; de forsikrede husene
The participles of strong verbs often change to -ne:
- et brukket ben ( broken leg); det brukne benet; brukne ben; de brukne bena
Colloquial speech
Some common tags:
- Han er i Norge, er han ikke det?
(He’s in Norway, isn’t he?) - Han er ikke hjemme, er han det?
(He’s not at home, is he?) - Du studerer norsk, gjør du ikke det?
(You are studying Norwegian, aren’t you) - Du synes ikke det er for vanskelig, gjør du det?
(You don’t find it too difficult, do you?) - Det er ganske spennende, ikke sant?
(It’s quite exciting, isn’t it?) - Det er litt tidlig, vet du.
(It’s a bit early, you know) - Møtet er utsatt, tror jeg.
(The meeting has been postponed, I believe) - Hun kunne ikke komme, forstår du.
(She couldn’t come, you see)
Examples of some adverbs used without specific meaning (discourse particles):
- Hvordan har du det, forresten?
(By the way, how are they?) - Vi er jo venner.
(After all, we are friends.) - Jeg føler meg liksom (så) svimme.
(I feel kind of dizzy.) - Det kommer nok av varmen.
(That’s probably due to the heat.) - Så morsomt at du kunne komme!
(I’m so glad you could come.) - Han har vel forsovet seg.
(He must have overslept, I suppose.) - Ja da! (certainly); Adjø da! (bye-bye); Kom nå da! (Oh, come on!); Enn jeg da! (What about me?); Vær så god da! (please help yourself); Fy da! (For shame!)
Greetings and congratulations
Greetings:
- God dag; god morgen; god aften (god kvell)
- Morn (hello); hej (hi)
- hyggelig å hilse på Dem (pleased to meet you)
- velkommen
Thanks and congratulations:
- Takk for meg! (thank you for having me)
- Takk for maten! (thanks for the meal)
- Takk for sist! (thank you for the previous time)
- Gratulerer! / Til lykke!
Taking leave:
- Adjø / Farvel (both formal)
- Morn da (morn)! (informal)
- Ha det bra! (formal) / Ha det! (informal) (Have a good time!)
- På gensyn (so long!)
- Vi sees! (see you later)
- God helg! (have a good weekend)
Please:
- vær så snill (polite request)
- vær så god (permission / consent: please do)
Both of these expressions can be introduced with either og and a new clause or å plus infinitive:
- vær så snill og send meg sukkeret [or: å sende meg …
(please pass me the sugar) - vær så god å forsyne deg [or: og forsyn deg]
(please help yourself)
Some of the other words in this chapter
Nouns (like in English or German): seieren (the victory = German Sieg?); nederlaget (defeat); spilleren (the player); landskampen i fotball (international football match); mindreverdighetsfølelsen (the inferiority complex); bjørnen; overraskelsen (the surprise); havnen (the port)
Other nouns: idretten (the sport); laget (the team (forball-); dommeren (the referee); et gjerde (fence); en veske (handbag); lommetørklet (the handkerchief); oppholdt (stay); lykke / hell (luck); sannhet (the truth)
Some words about the landscape: fossen (the waterfall); å heve seg (to tower); kystlandskapet (coastal landscape); klippen (the rock); fjellveggen (the maintain wall); midnattssolen (the midnight sun); inne i landet (inland); reinsdyret (the reindeer)
Verbs (like in English or German): skylde (blame); skade (injure); lide (led, lidt) av (suffer from); berolige (calm down); ta feil (be wrong)
Other verbs: tape (lose); føle trang til (feel like); ligne på (resemble); frigjøre (liberate); tro (think, believe); innse (-så, -sett, realise); innrømme (admit); glemme (forget);
sant å si (tell the truth); nøle (hesitate)
Adjectives: spent (curious = German gespannt?); kjedelig (boring); umåtlig (immense); fornøyd med (happy with)
Other adjectives: vanlig (ordinary); vennlig (friendly);
Other words and phrases: igjen / enda en gang (again); i så henseende (in that respect); tidlig på året (early in the year); i begynnelsen (in the beginning); gir de beste utbyttet (is the most worthwhile); på begge sider (on both sides); midt blandt (amid); bortenfor (beyond); noensinne (ever)