Preteritum (Simple Past Tense)
The past tense (preteritum) in Norwegian describes actions that have been completed at a specific time in the past.
Usage:
- To describe completed actions: I går leste jeg en bok. (Yesterday, I read a book.)
- To indicate habitual actions in the past: Da jeg var barn, lekte jeg mye. (When I was a child, I played a lot.)
Conjugation:
Regular verbs in the past tense typically follow a pattern based on their ending in the infinitive.
| Person | Verb: å snakke (to speak) |
|---|---|
| Jeg | snakket |
| Du | snakket |
| Han/Hun | snakket |
| Vi | snakket |
| Dere | snakket |
| De | snakket |
Irregular Verbs:
Some verbs are irregular. Examples include:
- Å være (to be): var
- Å ha (to have): hadde
Common Time Expressions:
- I går (yesterday)
- Forrige uke (last week)
- For to dager siden (two days ago)
Examples:
- Jeg spiste frokost. (I ate breakfast.)
- De reiste til Spania. (They traveled to Spain.)
