Meaning
Feeling happy about a future event.
Cultural Background
The concept of 'å glede seg' is central to surviving the long, dark winters. Norwegians often talk about what they are looking forward to months in advance to keep spirits high. In Norwegian work culture, which is quite flat and informal, 'Jeg gleder meg til samarbeidet' is a very common and professional way to start a partnership. It is considered polite to say you are looking forward to seeing someone again, even if you only met them once. It shows 'hygge'. Younger Norwegians often use 'gledings' as a slang noun for the state of looking forward to something.
The 'Seg' Rule
Always double-check your reflexive pronoun. It's the most common mistake for learners. If the subject is 'Vi', the pronoun MUST be 'oss'.
Email Closings
Use 'Gleder meg til å høre fra deg' to sound friendly but professional. It's the perfect balance for modern Norwegian business.
Meaning
Feeling happy about a future event.
The 'Seg' Rule
Always double-check your reflexive pronoun. It's the most common mistake for learners. If the subject is 'Vi', the pronoun MUST be 'oss'.
Email Closings
Use 'Gleder meg til å høre fra deg' to sound friendly but professional. It's the perfect balance for modern Norwegian business.
Don't use 'for'
English speakers often want to say 'gleder meg for'. In Norwegian, it is always 'til'.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct reflexive pronoun.
Vi gleder ___ til ferien.
The subject is 'Vi' (we), so the reflexive pronoun must be 'oss' (us).
Choose the correct preposition.
Jeg gleder meg ___ bursdagen min.
The phrase 'å glede seg' always takes the preposition 'til' when referring to a future event.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the phrase.
A: Skal du på konsert i kveld? B: Ja, jeg ______ ___ ____ det!
The speaker is 'jeg', so 'gleder meg til' is the natural, neutral choice.
Match the phrase to the correct formality level.
Which phrase is most appropriate for a formal business letter?
'Ser frem til' combined with the formal 'Deres' is the most formal option.
Add the missing word (verb form).
Hun gleder seg til ___ reise til Japan.
When 'til' is followed by a verb, you must use the infinitive marker 'å'.
🎉 Score: /5
Visual Learning Aids
Common Things to 'Glede Seg Til'
Social
- • Fest
- • Bursdag
- • Middag
Travel
- • Ferie
- • Tur
- • Reise
Time
- • Helg
- • I morgen
- • Sommer
Practice Bank
5 exercisesVi gleder ___ til ferien.
The subject is 'Vi' (we), so the reflexive pronoun must be 'oss' (us).
Jeg gleder meg ___ bursdagen min.
The phrase 'å glede seg' always takes the preposition 'til' when referring to a future event.
A: Skal du på konsert i kveld? B: Ja, jeg ______ ___ ____ det!
The speaker is 'jeg', so 'gleder meg til' is the natural, neutral choice.
Which phrase is most appropriate for a formal business letter?
'Ser frem til' combined with the formal 'Deres' is the most formal option.
Hun gleder seg til ___ reise til Japan.
When 'til' is followed by a verb, you must use the infinitive marker 'å'.
🎉 Score: /5
Frequently Asked Questions
4 questionsIt's better to say 'Jeg gleder meg til å se deg' (I look forward to seeing you). Just saying 'til deg' sounds slightly incomplete.
'Glede seg til' is more emotional and common. 'Se frem til' is more formal and used in professional writing.
In casual conversation, 'Gleder meg!' is a perfect and very natural response.
Use the verb 'å grue seg til'. For example: 'Jeg gruer meg til tannlegen' (I'm dreading the dentist).
Related Phrases
Å se frem til
similarTo look forward to
Å grue seg til
contrastTo dread something
Å lengte etter
similarTo long for
Å imøtese
specialized formTo await/anticipate
