The Verb 'to have'
The verb 'to have' (å ha): present tense 'har' is the same for all persons
Can use 'har' correctly with all pronouns to express possession
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Jeg har en søster og to brødre.
I have one sister and two brothers.
Hun har ikke bil, men han har en sykkel.
She does not have a car, but he has a bicycle.
Har dere tid? Vi har litt tid.
Do you (plural) have time? We have a little time.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
The verb å ha (to have): present tense har is the same for ALL persons.
| Pronoun | Present | Example |
|---|---|---|
| jeg | har | Jeg har en hund. |
| du | har | Du har et hus. |
| han/hun | har | Hun har to katter. |
| vi | har | Vi har tid. |
| dere | har | Dere har bøker. |
| de | har | De har et barn. |
Key phrase: Ha det bra! (Goodbye!) | Jeg har det bra. (I am fine.)
English have/has → Norwegian only 'har'. Russian 'у меня есть' → jeg har. Do not drop 'har'.
Common Error Patterns
Conjugates 'har' differently per person
Norwegian 'har' is invariable — same for all persons.
Omits 'har' using Russian-style possession
Norwegian always uses 'har' for possession. Jeg har en hund = У меня есть собака.
Jeg har en søster og to brødre.
I have one sister and two brothers.
'Har' = have/has for all persons. 'En søster' = a sister (common gender), 'to brødre' = two brothers.
Hun har ikke bil, men han har en sykkel.
She does not have a car, but he has a bicycle.
'Har ikke' = does not have. Negation: 'ikke' placed directly after 'har'.
Har dere tid? Vi har litt tid.
Do you (plural) have time? We have a little time.
Yes/no question: 'har' moves to front. 'Litt' = a little/some.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises