You use ellers in sentences like: «Hva skal du gjøre i kveld, hvis du ikke skal på kino?»
You can translate ellers to «otherwise» or «if not» in English.
Here are some examples:
- «Vi må forte oss, ellers kommer vi for sent.» (We must hurry, otherwise we will be late.)
- «Er det noe annet du lurer på, eller er vi ferdige?» (Is there anything else you're wondering about, or are we done?)
- «Jeg kan hjelpe deg, hvis du ikke har tid ellers.» (I can help you, if you don't have time otherwise.)
When you use ellers, you're usually talking about what happens if something else doesn't happen. Think of it like saying "otherwise" in English. For example, you might say, "We need to hurry, ellers we'll miss the bus." This means if you don't hurry, you'll miss the bus. It can also mean "in other respects," like, "The car is old, but ellers it's fine." This means in all other ways, the car is okay.
When you use ellers, it's like saying 'otherwise' or 'in other respects' in English. It helps you talk about what happens if something isn't true or what's true about a situation apart from one specific thing.
For example, you might say, 'Jeg er ferdig med leksene mine, ellers kan jeg ikke se på TV.' (I'm done with my homework; otherwise, I can't watch TV.) Or, 'Været var dårlig, men ellers var turen fin.' (The weather was bad, but otherwise the trip was nice.)
It's a useful word for connecting ideas and showing conditions or contrasting information in Norwegian.
ellers in 30 Sekunden
- otherwise
- in other respects
- alternative
§ What 'Ellers' Means
The Norwegian word ellers is an adverb. It’s a very useful word that you’ll hear and read often. It generally means 'otherwise' or 'in other respects.' Think of it as a way to introduce a different condition or a general inquiry about other things.
- DEFINITION
- Otherwise or in other respects
§ How to Use 'Ellers'
You'll typically use ellers in a few common ways:
- To express a condition: 'If not this, then that.'
- To ask a general question about other topics or well-being.
- To comment on things apart from what's just been discussed.
§ Examples of 'Ellers' in Sentences
Du må studere hardt, ellers vil du ikke bestå eksamen.
Translation hint: You must study hard, otherwise you will not pass the exam.
Hvordan går det, ellers?
Translation hint: How are things going, otherwise? (This is a common way to ask 'how are you doing in general?')
Maten var god, men ellers var restauranten litt kjedelig.
Translation hint: The food was good, but otherwise the restaurant was a bit boring.
Kom inn, ellers blir du kald.
Translation hint: Come in, otherwise you will get cold.
§ Similar Words and When to Use 'Ellers' vs Alternatives
While ellers is quite versatile, there are other words and phrases that can sometimes be used similarly, but often with a slightly different nuance. Knowing these differences will help you sound more natural.
- I motsatt fall: This phrase also means 'otherwise' or 'in the opposite case.' It's a bit more formal and stronger than ellers when used to introduce a consequence.
Du må betale regningen nå, i motsatt fall vil strømmen bli kuttet.
Translation hint: You must pay the bill now, otherwise the electricity will be cut off.
Here, i motsatt fall emphasizes the direct and serious consequence more than ellers would. You could use ellers here, but 'i motsatt fall' carries more weight.
- På annen måte: This means 'in another way' or 'differently.' It focuses on the method or manner, not necessarily a consequence.
Kan vi løse problemet på annen måte?
Translation hint: Can we solve the problem in another way?
You wouldn't use ellers in this context because it's not about an alternative condition, but an alternative method.
- For øvrig: This also means 'otherwise' or 'by the way,' often used to introduce a new, often unrelated, topic or comment. It's very similar to ellers when ellers is used to mean 'in other respects' or to ask a general question.
Det var en fin tur. For øvrig, har du sett nøklene mine?
Translation hint: It was a nice trip. By the way, have you seen my keys?
You could often substitute ellers for for øvrig in these kinds of general inquiry or topic-shifting sentences. For example, 'Ellers, har du sett nøklene mine?' works just as well. The choice often comes down to slight stylistic preference or what feels most natural in the specific conversational flow.
Wichtige Grammatik
Can be used to introduce an alternative consequence if a condition is not met. It functions similarly to 'otherwise' in English.
Du må jobbe hardt, ellers får du sparken. (You must work hard, otherwise you'll be fired.)
Can be used to mean 'in other respects' or 'apart from that', often at the beginning of a sentence or clause.
Været var dårlig, men ellers var turen fin. (The weather was bad, but otherwise the trip was nice.)
Can be used in questions to ask about other things or aspects.
Hva gjør du ellers? (What else are you doing? / What are you doing in other respects?)
Can also be used with 'ikke' (not) to mean 'not otherwise'.
Jeg kan ikke hjelpe deg, ellers er jeg opptatt. (I can't help you, otherwise I'm busy.)
It is often placed after the verb in a main clause or after the first element in a subordinate clause.
Hvis du ikke spiser nå, blir du sulten ellers. (If you don't eat now, you'll be hungry otherwise.)
Beispiele nach Niveau
Jeg må dra nå, ellers kommer jeg for sent.
I must leave now, otherwise I will be late.
Du bør studere, ellers vil du ikke bestå eksamen.
You should study, otherwise you will not pass the exam.
Spis maten din, ellers får du ingen dessert.
Eat your food, otherwise you get no dessert.
Vi må skynde oss, ellers mister vi bussen.
We must hurry, otherwise we will miss the bus.
Han er alltid snill, men ellers er han litt sjenert.
He is always kind, but otherwise he is a little shy.
Regnet har stoppet, så vi kan gå ut nå, ellers da?
The rain has stopped, so we can go out now, otherwise (how are things)?
Here 'ellers da?' is a common way to ask 'how are things otherwise?'
Alt er bra her, ellers takk.
Everything is good here, otherwise thanks.
A polite way to say 'no, thank you' when offered something you don't need, or to affirm that everything is fine.
Følg instruksjonene nøye, ellers kan det bli feil.
Follow the instructions carefully, otherwise it could be wrong.
Redewendungen & Ausdrücke
"ellers takk"
no, thank you (often used when politely declining an offer)
Vil du ha mer kaffe? – Nei takk, ellers takk. (Would you like more coffee? – No, thank you, otherwise thanks.)
neutral"hvordan går det, ellers?"
how are things, otherwise? / how are you, apart from that?
Jeg har vært litt stresset med jobb, men hvordan går det, ellers? (I've been a bit stressed with work, but how are things, otherwise?)
neutral"ingenting ellers"
nothing else
Trenger du noe annet? – Nei, ingenting ellers. (Do you need anything else? – No, nothing else.)
neutral"hva ellers?"
what else?
Vi kan spise pizza. Hva ellers? (We can eat pizza. What else?)
neutral"ellers ville jeg ha gjort det"
otherwise I would have done it
Jeg var for syk til å komme, ellers ville jeg ha gjort det. (I was too sick to come, otherwise I would have done it.)
neutral"vi må skynde oss, ellers blir vi for sene"
we must hurry, otherwise we'll be too late
Vi må skynde oss, ellers blir vi for sene til flyet. (We must hurry, otherwise we'll be too late for the plane.)
neutral"det er bra, ellers"
it's good, otherwise / apart from that, it's good
Været er dårlig, men det er bra, ellers. (The weather is bad, but it's good, otherwise.)
neutral"ellers kan du gjøre det slik"
alternatively, you can do it like this
Du kan ta bussen, ellers kan du gjøre det slik. (You can take the bus, alternatively you can do it like this.)
neutral"har du ellers noe å legge til?"
do you have anything else to add?
Vi har diskutert det meste. Har du ellers noe å legge til? (We have discussed most things. Do you have anything else to add?)
formal"det var det, ellers"
that was it, otherwise / that's all for now
Jeg tror det var det, ellers. Vi snakkes! (I think that was it, otherwise. Talk to you later!)
neutralSo verwendest du es
Use ellers to mean 'otherwise' or 'in other respects.' It's often found at the beginning of a clause or sentence.
A common mistake is confusing ellers with 'annet.' While 'annet' can mean 'other,' ellers specifically refers to the condition of 'otherwise' or 'in other respects.' For instance, you wouldn't say 'Har du annet å si?' for 'Do you have anything else to say?' You'd use 'annet' in that context: 'Har du annet å si?' But if you mean 'Otherwise, do you have anything to say?', you'd use ellers: 'Ellers, har du noe å si?'
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Think of 'ellers' sounding a bit like 'else' in English. If you do something 'else,' it's 'otherwise.'
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a fork in the road. One path is the main plan, the other is the 'ellers' path – the 'otherwise' option or the 'in other respects' view.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Try to form five sentences: two using 'ellers' for 'otherwise,' two for 'in other respects,' and one common phrase. For example: 'Jeg må sove, ellers er jeg trøtt i morgen.' (I have to sleep, otherwise I'll be tired tomorrow.)
Teste dich selbst 48 Fragen
Hva betyr 'ellers' i denne setningen: 'Jeg må studere, ellers forstår jeg det ikke.'?
'Ellers' means 'otherwise' or 'or else'.
Velg riktig ord: 'Du må sove, ___ blir du trøtt.'
'Ellers' fits here because it means 'otherwise' or 'or else you will be tired'.
Fyll inn det riktige ordet: 'Skynd deg, ___ mister vi bussen.'
'Ellers' means 'otherwise' or 'or else we will miss the bus'.
I setningen 'Jeg spiser ikke grønnsaker, ellers blir jeg syk.' betyr 'ellers' 'otherwise'.
Yes, 'ellers' in this context means 'otherwise' or 'or else I will get sick'.
Setningen 'Er du glad, ellers trist?' er riktig bruk av 'ellers'.
No, 'ellers' is not used here to mean 'or'. You would use 'eller' for 'or'. 'Er du glad, eller trist?' (Are you happy, or sad?)
Man kan bytte ut 'ellers' med 'også' i alle setninger.
No, 'ellers' (otherwise) and 'også' (also) have different meanings and are not interchangeable in all sentences.
This means 'I am happy.'
This means 'You are kind.'
This means 'We eat food.'
Listen for 'later'.
Listen for the adverb that means 'otherwise'.
Listen for the word for 'or'.
Read this aloud:
Jeg er trøtt, ellers er alt fint.
Focus: ellers
Du hast gesagt:
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Read this aloud:
Vi kan spise nå, ellers kan vi vente litt.
Focus: vent
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Er du klar, ellers trenger du mer tid?
Focus: trenger
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Hva betyr 'ellers' i denne setningen: 'Vi må skynde oss, ellers kommer vi for sent.'?
In this context, 'ellers' means 'otherwise,' indicating a consequence if the action isn't taken.
Velg det beste ordet for å fullføre setningen: 'Jeg har ikke tid til å hjelpe deg nå, ___ kan jeg se på det senere.'
Here, 'ellers' means 'otherwise' or 'in other respects,' suggesting an alternative or a different time.
Hvilken setning bruker 'ellers' korrekt?
In this sentence, 'ellers' is used to add another piece of information about his abilities, similar to 'in other respects'.
Setningen 'Du må spise maten din, ellers blir du sulten' betyr 'You must eat your food, otherwise you will be hungry.'
The use of 'ellers' here correctly conveys the meaning of 'otherwise,' indicating a consequence.
I setningen 'Hvordan går det, ellers?' betyr 'ellers' 'however'.
In this common phrase, 'ellers' means 'otherwise' or 'in other respects,' referring to how things are generally, not 'however'.
'Ellers' kan alltid erstattes med 'derfor' uten å endre meningen.
'Ellers' means 'otherwise' or 'in other respects,' while 'derfor' means 'therefore.' They have different meanings and cannot always be interchanged.
Du må studere hardt, ___ stryker du på eksamen.
'Ellers' implies a consequence if the first action isn't taken, fitting the context of studying to avoid failing.
Han er en dyktig musiker, ___ er han også en god kokk.
Here, 'ellers' is used to introduce an additional characteristic or skill, meaning 'in other respects'.
Pass på lommeboken din, ___ blir den stjålet.
'Ellers' indicates a negative outcome if the warning is not heeded.
Vi kan møtes på kafeen, ___ har du andre forslag?
In this context, 'ellers' means 'otherwise' in the sense of 'if not', asking for alternative suggestions.
Været var ikke perfekt, men ___ var turen veldig fin.
'Ellers' here means 'in other respects', indicating that despite one flaw, the overall experience was good.
Du må bestille bord, ___ er det fullt.
'Ellers' indicates the consequence of not booking a table, implying it will be full.
Listen for 'ellers' and understand the speaker's availability.
What is the overall sentiment about the holiday, despite the weather?
What is the speaker almost ready for?
Read this aloud:
Jeg er usikker på om jeg kan komme til møtet. Ellers kan jeg sende deg referatet.
Focus: ellers
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Vi har spist middag, og oppvasken er nesten tatt. Ellers har vi ingen planer for kvelden.
Focus: ellers
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Boken var litt vanskelig å lese i starten, men ellers var den veldig interessant.
Focus: ellers
Du hast gesagt:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Choose the best translation for 'He is usually punctual, otherwise he is very busy.'
'Ellers' in this context means 'otherwise' or 'except for that', indicating an alternative reason for a potential deviation from the norm.
Which sentence correctly uses 'ellers' to mean 'in other respects'?
Here, 'ellers' refers to the other aspects of the evening apart from the food, meaning 'in other respects'.
Select the sentence where 'ellers' indicates a consequence if a condition is not met.
In this sentence, 'ellers' introduces the negative consequence of not studying hard, meaning 'otherwise' or 'if not'.
The sentence 'Vi bør skynde oss, ellers blir vi for sene.' means 'We should hurry, otherwise we will be too late.'
'Ellers' here correctly conveys the 'otherwise' meaning, indicating a consequence if the action is not taken.
In the sentence 'Boken er litt lang, ellers er den veldig bra.', 'ellers' means 'in addition'.
In this context, 'ellers' means 'in other respects' or 'apart from that', not 'in addition'.
The phrase 'Er det noe annet, ellers?' can be used to ask 'Is there anything else, by the way?'
When used at the end of a question, 'ellers' can convey a sense of 'by the way' or 'in other news', asking for additional information.
This sentence structure uses 'ellers' to introduce a consequence if the first part of the statement is not true. It means: 'You are not studying, otherwise you would pass the exam.'
This sentence presents two alternatives. 'Ellers' acts as 'otherwise' or 'alternatively'. It means: 'We could have gone for a walk, or alternatively, we could stay in the city.'
This sentence emphasizes the necessity of keeping an agreement to avoid severe consequences. 'Ellers' clearly functions as 'otherwise'.
/ 48 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Use "ellers" to express an alternative or to refer to other aspects of a situation.
- otherwise
- in other respects
- alternative
Verwandte Inhalte
Im Kontext lernen
Dieses Wort in anderen Sprachen
Mehr general Wörter
advare
B1To warn someone about a danger or risk
akseptabel
B2acceptable or satisfactory
aktiv
B1engaged in physical or mental activity
aktsom
C1careful or cautious in one's actions
aktuell
B1Current or relevant to the present time
allikevel
B2nevertheless; anyway
alt
A1everything
altfor
B1Too much or excessively
alvorlig
B1Serious or severe.
anbefale
B1To recommend something to someone
