jeg vet
The English phrase "I know" is translated into Norwegian as jeg vet.
jeg vet is used to assert that the speaker possesses an answer, a specific piece of information or an idea.
Meaning: assertion that speaker has answer or idea (phrase)
Which one should you use?
Use jeg vet for facts or information, but use jeg kjenner when expressing familiarity with a person, a place or a piece of music or art. For example, if you are familiar with a person, you would use jeg kjenner rather than jeg vet.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to say "I know it" or "I know that" as a standalone response, it is common in Norwegian to add the object det to the phrase, resulting in jeg vet det.
Did you know?
- In an argument, Norwegians may say jeg vet with a specific rising intonation to signal sarcasm, effectively meaning 'yeah, right' or 'I highly doubt it'.
- If you are talking about knowing a song by heart, you wouldn't say jeg vet sangen, but would instead use jeg kan sangen.
- The word vet is a cognate of the English 'wit' and the German 'wissen', all stemming from an ancient root meaning 'to see' or 'perceive'.
Examples in context
- Jeg vet du prøvde.I know you were trying.The first sentence shows how to use jeg vet to acknowledge someone's effort.Tatoeba #10944081 by Mayk, translation #10841972 by CK
- Jeg vet hva du vil.I know what you want to do.The second sentence demonstrates using jeg vet to express knowledge of someone's desires.Tatoeba #5164656 by sotolf, translation #2012662 by CK
- Jeg vet navnet ditt.I know your name.The third sentence shows jeg vet being used to indicate knowledge of a specific fact like a name.Tatoeba #2879660 by eirik174, translation #16887 by fucongcong
- 67 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nora and Magnus are trying to find a lost set of keys.
- NoraVet du hvor nøklene er?Do you know where the keys are?
- MagnusJa, jeg vet!Yes, I know!
- NoraHvor er de?Where are they?
- MagnusDe ligger på bordet.They are lying on the table.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
