Send us Fan Mail

We break down the real difference between “både” and “begge” so you can say “both” in Norwegian without guessing. We also tackle the tricky part, when Norwegian wants “begge deler” because you are talking about an idea instead of a specific thing you can point at.
• “Både” requires the “og” structure and cannot stand alone as “both”
• Using “både” to list categories, including three or more items
• “Begge” as a single grouped category, limited to exactly two
• Definite vs indefinite meaning, including when to use “begge deler”

Don't forget to do the test in the end and write the answers in the comment field :) I'm curious to know what you wrote!

Support the show

Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com

....

Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!

norskmedsilje@gmail.com

....

Other places to find me:

www.norsk-med-silje.com

www.facebook.com/norskmedsilje

www.instagram.com/norskmedsilje

www.linkedin.com/in/silje-linn-moss

Send us Fan Mail

“His car” sounds clear until it suddenly isn’t. When the subject is third person, English often forces us to guess who owns what, but Norwegian grammar refuses to let that ambiguity slide. We walk you through the real reason Norwegian has reflexive possessives and show how sin, si, sitt, and sine create instant clarity compared with hans, hennes, and deres. If you have ever felt like you understand the theory but still freeze mid-sentence, this is designed to make the rules feel usable.

We start from the ground up: what “third person” really means, why ownership gets confusing, and the two rules that explain nearly everything. First, sin, si, sitt, sine have no fixed meaning out of context. Second, they must refer back to the subject in the same sentence or clause, not something mentioned earlier. From there, we make the forms practical: choosing sin/si/sitt/sine based on the gender and number of the thing being owned, not the person who owns it.

Then we move into the situations that actually trip people up: when the possessive sits inside the subject, and when you have a clause inside a sentence. With multiple subjects, placement tells you exactly who the reflexive points to, and we show how Norwegian can even disambiguate a sentence about a daughter wearing “her” hat. We finish with a quick challenge that tests whether you can hear the difference between a reflexive and a non-reflexive possessive in a simple sentence.

If this helps, subscribe for more Norwegian language learning, share it with a friend who struggles with Norwegian grammar, and leave a review so more learners can find the show.

Support the show

Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com

....

Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!

norskmedsilje@gmail.com

....

Other places to find me:

www.norsk-med-silje.com

www.facebook.com/norskmedsilje

www.instagram.com/norskmedsilje

www.linkedin.com/in/silje-linn-moss

Send us Fan Mail

That one little choice between infinitive and present tense van be tricky. We sit down and untangle the confusion from the ground up, because most learners were taught a shortcut that works… until it doesn’t. If you’ve ever stared at a verb and thought, “Do I add R or not?” this is the reset you need.

We explain what infinitive really is: the dictionary form that sits outside time. Once you understand that, the sentence logic gets simpler. You hear why infinitives usually cannot follow a subject directly, how an infinitive phrase can act like a noun, and how that mental model helps you build correct Norwegian word order without guessing. We also talk about why English can hide the difference between forms, and why French and other Latin languages can push you toward the wrong pattern.

Then we hit the big exception: modal verbs. We unpack why modal verbs are “special”, and why the infinitive marker is skipped after modals.

Finally, we tackle the listening trap: the final written R in present tense is not always pronounced, depending on what comes next, so spelling and pronunciation don’t always match. We end with a practical mini-exercise to translate and to write what should be written, not only what you think you heard.

If this helps, subscribe so you don’t miss the next grammar fix, share it with a friend learning Norwegian, and leave a review with the verb form you struggle with most.

Support the show

Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com

....

Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!

norskmedsilje@gmail.com

....

Other places to find me:

www.norsk-med-silje.com

www.facebook.com/norskmedsilje

www.instagram.com/norskmedsilje

www.linkedin.com/in/silje-linn-moss