Past tense of the two most essential verbs: å være → var, å ha → hadde.
I can use var and hadde correctly in simple past sentences.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Jeg var veldig sliten i går.
I was very tired yesterday.
De hadde en stor hund.
They had a big dog.
Hun var hjemme og hadde det bra.
She was home and was doing well.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
| Infinitive | Present | Past |
|---|---|---|
| å være (to be) | er | var |
| å ha (to have) | har | hadde |
Both are the same for all persons. No subject–verb agreement.
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Practice Exercises🇬🇧 English has was/were but Norwegian only has var. 🇷🇺 Forgetting explicit subject. 🇨🇿 Confusing with Czech byl/byl jsem patterns.
Used present tense 'er' where past tense 'var' is required
Used present tense 'har' where past tense 'hadde' is required
Jeg var veldig sliten i går.
I was very tired yesterday.
å være in past: var (same for all persons)
De hadde en stor hund.
They had a big dog.
å ha in past: hadde
Hun var hjemme og hadde det bra.
She was home and was doing well.
Both var and hadde used together
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises