Regular Verbs in Present Tense
Regular verbs: add -r to infinitive stem, same form for all persons
Can conjugate regular verbs in present tense by adding -r
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Jeg snakker norsk og hun snakker engelsk.
I speak Norwegian and she speaks English.
Vi jobber mye og de bor i Bergen.
We work a lot and they live in Bergen.
Liker du kaffe? Ja, jeg liker kaffe veldig mye.
Do you like coffee? Yes, I like coffee very much.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Regular Norwegian verbs in present: add -r to the infinitive stem. No person endings!
| Infinitive | Present | Example |
|---|---|---|
| å snakke | snakker | Jeg snakker norsk. |
| å jobbe | jobber | Hun jobber her. |
| å bo | bor | Vi bor i Oslo. |
| å lese | leser | Du leser norsk. |
| å skrive | skriver | Han skriver en bok. |
| å like | liker | Jeg liker kaffe. |
Key rule: Same form for ALL persons — jeg snakker, du snakker, han snakker!
English -s in 3rd person → Norwegian has none. Russian/Czech full conjugation → Norwegian only -r.
Common Error Patterns
Adds -s in 3rd person singular (han snakkers)
Norwegian has NO person endings. Han snakker — same as jeg snakker.
Uses infinitive as present tense (jeg snakke)
Present always adds -r: snakke → snakker, bo → bor, lese → leser.
Keeps the å prefix in conjugated form
'Å' is only the infinitive marker. Drop it when conjugating: å snakke → snakker.
Jeg snakker norsk og hun snakker engelsk.
I speak Norwegian and she speaks English.
Same form 'snakker' for both jeg and hun — no -s for 3rd person singular.
Vi jobber mye og de bor i Bergen.
We work a lot and they live in Bergen.
'Jobber' = work(s), 'bor' = live(s). Both use -r ending, same for all subjects.
Liker du kaffe? Ja, jeg liker kaffe veldig mye.
Do you like coffee? Yes, I like coffee very much.
'Liker' = like(s) for all. 'Veldig mye' = very much. Question: verb to front.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises