Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
To form the past tense for most regular Norwegian verbs, simply add '-et' to the infinitive stem.
- Identify the infinitive (e.g., 'å snakke').
- Remove the 'å' and add '-et' (e.g., 'snakket').
- This rule applies to the vast majority of everyday verbs.
Group 1 Verb Conjugation
| Infinitive | Present | Past | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
|
å snakke
|
snakker
|
snakket
|
snakket
|
|
å hoppe
|
hopper
|
hoppet
|
hoppet
|
|
å vaske
|
vasker
|
vasket
|
vasket
|
|
å åpne
|
åpner
|
åpnet
|
åpnet
|
|
å vente
|
venter
|
ventet
|
ventet
|
|
å male
|
maler
|
malte
|
malt
|
Meanings
The -et suffix is used to indicate that an action happened and was completed in the past.
Completed action
An action that started and finished in the past.
“Jeg vasket bilen.”
“Hun åpnet døren.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Verb-et
|
Jeg snakket.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + ikke + Verb-et
|
Jeg snakket ikke.
|
|
Question
|
Verb-et + Subject?
|
Snakket du?
|
|
Short Answer (Yes)
|
Ja, [subject] [verb-et].
|
Ja, jeg snakket.
|
|
Short Answer (No)
|
Nei, [subject] [verb-et] ikke.
|
Nei, jeg snakket ikke.
|
正式程度
Jeg snakket med ham. (Talking about a conversation)
Jeg snakket med ham. (Talking about a conversation)
Jeg snakka med'n. (Talking about a conversation)
Jeg snakka med'n. (Talking about a conversation)
The -et Verb Family
Verbs
- snakke talk
- hoppe jump
- vaske wash
Past Tense vs Present
How to make the past
Does it end in -e?
Common -et Verbs
Daily Actions
- • vaske
- • åpne
- • lage
按水平分级的例句
Jeg snakket.
I talked.
Han hoppet.
He jumped.
Vi vasket.
We washed.
Hun malte.
She painted.
Jeg snakket ikke med ham.
I did not talk to him.
Snakket du med henne?
Did you talk to her?
Vi ventet på bussen i ti minutter.
We waited for the bus for ten minutes.
Han åpnet gaven sin.
He opened his gift.
Da jeg kom hjem, vasket jeg klærne.
When I came home, I washed the clothes.
Hun forklarte situasjonen grundig.
She explained the situation thoroughly.
Vi diskuterte planen i går.
We discussed the plan yesterday.
Han studerte norsk i to år.
He studied Norwegian for two years.
Selv om det regnet, spilte vi fotball.
Even though it rained, we played soccer.
Hun insisterte på at vi skulle dra tidlig.
She insisted that we should leave early.
Vi vurderte alle alternativene nøye.
We considered all the options carefully.
Han presenterte prosjektet for styret.
He presented the project to the board.
Det var forventet at alle møtte opp presis.
It was expected that everyone showed up on time.
Hun reflekterte over valgene hun hadde tatt.
She reflected on the choices she had made.
De konkluderte med at løsningen var utilstrekkelig.
They concluded that the solution was insufficient.
Han demonstrerte en dyp forståelse for emnet.
He demonstrated a deep understanding of the subject.
Det ble antatt at forhandlingene ville føre frem.
It was assumed that the negotiations would succeed.
Hun artikulerte sine meninger med stor presisjon.
She articulated her opinions with great precision.
De implementerte strategien uten forsinkelser.
They implemented the strategy without delays.
Han manipulerte dataene for å passe hypotesen.
He manipulated the data to fit the hypothesis.
容易混淆
Learners use 'har' when they shouldn't.
Group 2 uses -te.
Applying -et to irregular verbs.
常见错误
Jeg snakkeet
Jeg snakket
Jeg gået
Jeg gikk
Han snakket i går
Han snakket i går
Jeg har snakket i går
Jeg snakket i går
Snakket du ikke?
Snakket du ikke?
Hun vasket ikke bilen
Hun vasket ikke bilen
Vi har ventet i går
Vi ventet i går
De har kjøpet maten
De kjøpte maten
Jeg har spist i går
Jeg spiste i går
Han har gjort det i går
Han gjorde det i går
Det var forventet at han har kommet
Det var forventet at han kom
Hun har reflektert over det i fjor
Hun reflekterte over det i fjor
De har konkludert i går
De konkluderte i går
Han har demonstrert det i 2020
Han demonstrerte det i 2020
句型
Jeg ___ i går.
___ du med henne?
Vi ___ ikke på bussen.
Hun ___ prosjektet i fjor.
Real World Usage
Jeg snakka med'n.
Jeg presenterte prosjektet.
Jeg ventet på toget.
Vi hoppet i det!
Jeg bestilte pizza.
Forskerne konkluderte med...
Listen to the ending
Irregular verbs
Dialect differences
Bokmål vs Nynorsk
Smart Tips
Check if it ends in -e. If yes, it's likely Group 1.
Don't worry about the final 't'. Focus on the 'e' sound.
Always check for irregulars first.
Look for the -et suffix to identify the time.
发音
The -et ending
The 't' is often silent in spoken Norwegian, especially in dialects.
Statement
Jeg snakket ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
记住它
记忆技巧
Think of 'et' as 'eaten'—the action is finished and gone.
视觉联想
Imagine a giant 'ET' alien holding a clock that shows the past. Every time he touches a verb, he stamps it with an '-et' sticker.
Rhyme
When the day is done and set, just add the suffix -et.
Story
Yesterday, I 'snakket' (talked) to my friend. We 'hoppet' (jumped) in the park. Then we 'vasket' (washed) our bikes. It was a great day.
Word Web
挑战
Write 5 sentences about what you did yesterday using only Group 1 verbs.
文化笔记
The -et ending is standard in written Bokmål.
Many dialects prefer -a instead of -et.
Dialects here often use -a and have distinct vowel shifts.
The -et suffix comes from the Old Norse weak verb class.
对话开场白
Hva gjorde du i går?
Hvem snakket du med?
Hvorfor ventet du på bussen?
Hva diskuterte dere på møtet?
日记主题
常见错误
Test Yourself
Jeg ___ (snakke) med ham.
Hvilken er riktig?
Find and fix the mistake:
Jeg gået til skolen.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
I washed the car.
Answer starts with: Jeg...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
De ___ (vente) på toget.
Hun ___ (male) huset.
Score: /8
练习题
8 exercisesJeg ___ (snakke) med ham.
Hvilken er riktig?
Find and fix the mistake:
Jeg gået til skolen.
snakket / jeg / med / ham
I washed the car.
å åpne -> ?
De ___ (vente) på toget.
Hun ___ (male) huset.
Score: /8
常见问题 (8)
No, only for Group 1 verbs.
They have their own forms like 'gikk' or 'spiste'.
Yes, in many dialects it is common.
No, it is the same for all.
Use 'har' for present perfect, not simple past.
Often yes, in spoken language.
Remove -e and add -et.
It is standard in both.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Präteritum (-te)
German has more complex vowel changes.
Pretérito indefinido
Norwegian is the same for all persons.
Passé composé
Norwegian uses a single suffix.
Ta-form
Norwegian is not agglutinative.
Past tense conjugation
Norwegian is gender-neutral for verbs.
Le marker
Norwegian uses verb morphology.
