Meaning
To state that one disagrees with.
Cultural Background
In Norwegian politics, 'å ta avstand fra' is a critical tool for maintaining the 'cordon sanitaire' around extremist views. It is expected that all mainstream parties 'tar avstand' from anti-democratic rhetoric. Norwegian companies (like Equinor or Telenor) use this phrase in their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) reports to clarify their stance on corruption or environmental damage in foreign markets. On Norwegian Twitter/X, 'å ta avstand' is often used in hashtags during social justice movements to show allyship. The Norwegian school curriculum (Læreplanen) emphasizes 'medborgerskap' (citizenship), which includes teaching students to 'ta avstand' from exclusion and hate speech.
Add an Adverb
To sound like a native, add 'sterkt' (strongly) or 'tydelig' (clearly) between 'ta' and 'avstand'.
Preposition Alert
Always use 'fra'. Using 'til' is the most common mistake for intermediate learners.
Meaning
To state that one disagrees with.
Add an Adverb
To sound like a native, add 'sterkt' (strongly) or 'tydelig' (clearly) between 'ta' and 'avstand'.
Preposition Alert
Always use 'fra'. Using 'til' is the most common mistake for intermediate learners.
The 'Silent' Rule
In Norway, if you don't 'ta avstand' from something bad in your group, people might think you agree with it.
News Reading
Look for this phrase in the 'Innenriks' (National) section of Norwegian newspapers to see it in action.
Test Yourself
Fyll inn riktig form av verbet 'å ta'.
I går ______ statsministeren avstand fra de nye tallene.
The sentence refers to 'i går' (yesterday), so we need the past tense 'tok'.
Hvilken setning er riktig?
Velg den grammatisk korrekte setningen.
The correct idiom is 'ta avstand fra' without an article on 'avstand'.
Match situasjonen med riktig reaksjon.
En kollega sier noe slemt om en annen ansatt.
This is a moral/ethical boundary, which is the perfect use for 'ta avstand fra'.
Fullfør dialogen.
A: Hvorfor vil du ikke jobbe med ham? B: Fordi jeg må ______ ______ ______ hans uetiske metoder.
The context of 'uetiske metoder' (unethical methods) requires the formal repudiation of 'ta avstand fra'.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesI går ______ statsministeren avstand fra de nye tallene.
The sentence refers to 'i går' (yesterday), so we need the past tense 'tok'.
Velg den grammatisk korrekte setningen.
The correct idiom is 'ta avstand fra' without an article on 'avstand'.
En kollega sier noe slemt om en annen ansatt.
This is a moral/ethical boundary, which is the perfect use for 'ta avstand fra'.
A: Hvorfor vil du ikke jobbe med ham? B: Fordi jeg må ______ ______ ______ hans uetiske metoder.
The context of 'uetiske metoder' (unethical methods) requires the formal repudiation of 'ta avstand fra'.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
12 questionsNo, for physical distance use 'å holde avstand'. 'Å ta avstand' is for opinions and ethics.
Yes, for minor things. Use it with friends only for serious topics like politics or bullying.
The past tense is 'tok avstand fra'. Example: 'Han tok avstand fra det i går.'
No, that is grammatically incorrect. It must be 'fra'.
Almost. 'Distansere seg' is slightly more formal and often used about personal relationships or reputations.
Say 'Jeg tar sterkt avstand fra...'
Yes, very often in PR and corporate ethics statements.
It's slightly weaker. 'To condemn' is 'å fordømme'. 'Ta avstand' is more about disassociation.
Yes! 'Jeg tar avstand fra å lyve' (I distance myself from lying).
It is one of the most common phrases in Norwegian political journalism.
Absolutely, it is a great phrase for academic or argumentative writing.
There isn't one direct opposite, but 'å støtte' (to support) or 'å stille seg bak' (to stand behind) are close.
Related Phrases
å distansere seg fra
synonymTo distance oneself from.
å fordømme
specialized formTo condemn.
å vende ryggen til
similarTo turn one's back on.
å si nei til
similarTo say no to.
å være uenig i
similarTo disagree with.
å bryte med
builds onTo break with.
