Fortid: preteritum og presens perfektum (talking about the past)
jobbet, spiste, var — and har jobbet.
15 minutes · A free lesson from A2: Hverdagen (everyday life) · Roman and Urdu pronunciation guides and English meanings are shown under each phrase
Norwegian has two everyday past tenses:
- preteritum for a time that is over: I går jobbet jeg til fem. (Yesterday I worked until five.)
preteritum Say prehtehreetoom پرےتےریتُوم Means: the simple past tense I går jobbet jeg til fem. Say ee gohr yobuht yai teel fehm. ای گور یوبَت یائی تیل فےم. Means: Yesterday I worked until five. - presens perfektum, har + the participle, when no finished time is named — for experiences, and for something that is still going on: Jeg har bodd i Norge i to år. (I have lived in Norway for two years — and still do.)
presens perfektum Say prehsuhns parfuhktoom پرےسَنس پارفَکتُوم Means: the present perfect (har + participle) har Say har ہار Means: have, has Jeg har bodd i Norge i to år. Say yai har bod ee norguh ee too ohr. یائی ہار بود ای نورگَ ای تُو اور. Means: I have lived in Norway for two years.
Regular verbs fall into four groups:
| infinitivSay: infeeneeteevاِنفینیتیوMeans: infinitive | preteritumSay: prehtehreetoomپرےتےریتُومMeans: the simple past tense | presens perfektumSay: prehsuhns parfuhktoomپرےسَنس پارفَکتُومMeans: the present perfect (har + participle) |
|---|---|---|
| å jobbeSay: oh yobuhاو یوبَMeans: to work | jobbetSay: yobuhtیوبَتMeans: worked | har jobbetSay: har yobuhtہار یوبَتMeans: have worked, has worked |
| å spiseSay: oh speesuhاو سپیسَMeans: to eat | spisteSay: spistuhسپِستَMeans: ate | har spistSay: har spistہار سپِستMeans: have eaten, has eaten |
| å prøveSay: oh proevuhاو پروےوَMeans: to try | prøvdeSay: proevduhپروےودَMeans: tried | har prøvdSay: har proevdہار پروےودMeans: have tried, has tried |
| å boSay: oh booاو بُوMeans: to live (somewhere) | boddeSay: boduhبودَMeans: lived | har boddSay: har bodہار بودMeans: have lived, has lived |
Irregular verbs you need every day
Lesson quiz
Check what you have learned. Choose an answer to see whether it is right, and why.
Quick check: Choose the right form: “I går ___ jeg til fem.” (å jobbe)
- har jobbet
- jobbet
- jobber
Show the answer
B: jobbet — A finished time, i går, takes the past tense: jobbet.
Quick check: Choose the right form: “Jeg ___ i Norge i to år.” (I still live here)
- har bodd
- bodde
- bo
Show the answer
A: har bodd — Something that reaches up to now takes har and the participle: har bodd.
Quick check: Choose the past tense of “å gå”.
- gådde
- gått
- gikk
Show the answer
C: gikk — gå is irregular: gikk, har gått.
Quick check: Choose the past tense of “å se”.
- så
- sett
- ser
Show the answer
A: så — se is irregular: så, har sett. ser is the present tense.
Quick check: Which time words go with the past tense?
- noen gang, siden mai
- i går, i fjor, for to år siden
- i morgen, neste uke
Show the answer
B: i går, i fjor, for to år siden — A time that is over takes the past tense. noen gang and siden take har and the participle.
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