jeg er
The English phrase "I am" is translated into Norwegian as jeg er.
jeg er is a phrase used to state who or what the speaker is or to describe their current state.
Which one should you use?
In Norwegian, jeg er is used for both permanent identities, such as saying "I am a man," and for temporary states, such as saying "I am tired."
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb er (am/is/are) does not change based on the subject in the present tense. This means that while jeg er means "I am," the same verb is used for other subjects, such as vi er for "we are."
Did you know?
- When stating 'I am' as part of a continuous action, such as 'I am running', Norwegian typically avoids jeg er and simply uses the present tense verb jeg løper.
- The word jeg is a loan from Danish that replaced the original Old Norse ek. This shift happened during the period when Denmark and Norway were joined in a union.
- While jeg er is the standard form, some Norwegian dialects use a double-subject construction, adding a pronoun at the end of the sentence for emphasis, such as jeg er det, jeg.
Examples in context
- Jeg er i Paris.I am in Paris.This sentence shows how to use jeg er to indicate a location.Tatoeba #10958034 by Mayk, translation #1098336 by cntrational
- Jeg er en mann.I am a man.This sentence shows how to use jeg er to state an identity.Tatoeba #12262306 by augine, translation #386704 by Mouseneb
- Jeg er i London.I am in London.Tatoeba #2881895 by eirik174, translation #321815 by CN
- Hei, jeg er Tone. Hyggelig å møte deg.Hi, I am Tone. Nice to meet you.
- 103 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nora and Magnus are meeting at a cafe.
- NoraHei, jeg er Nora.Hi, I am Nora.
- MagnusHyggelig å møte deg, jeg er Magnus.Nice to meet you, I am Magnus.
- NoraEr du sulten nå?Are you hungry now?
- MagnusJa, jeg er veldig sulten.Yes, I am very hungry.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jeg, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
