er
The English word 'is' is translated to Norwegian as er.
er is the present tense form of the verb 'to be', used to describe a state or identity.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bokmål, er is the common way to say 'is'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present tense, er is used for all persons, meaning it covers 'am', 'is' and 'are'. If you need the past tense ('was' or 'were'), use var. For the perfect tense ('has been'), use the combination of har and vært.
Did you know?
- While er means 'is', the word is in Norwegian actually means 'ice'. This can lead to humorous confusion for English speakers who think someone is trying to use the English verb.
- In many Norwegian dialects, the pronunciation of er can be much softer or more swallowed than the clear English 'is', often sounding like a very short, unstressed vowel.
- Norwegian uses er to express both current states and general truths. However, to express a 'becoming' state, Norwegian often uses blir, whereas English might still use 'is' in phrases like 'it is time'.
Examples in context
- Ho er så høg!She is so tall!This sentence shows how to use er to describe a physical trait.Tatoeba #12516252 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #1748904 by belgavox
- Tom er i fare.Tom is in danger.This sentence demonstrates using er to describe a state of being in danger.Tatoeba #2941392 by eirik174, translation #2273223 by CK
- Hun er ute nå.She is out now.This sentence illustrates using er to describe a person's current location.Tatoeba #3105773 by pergpau, translation #313698 by CK
- Han er en studentHe is a student
- Han blir legeHe is becoming a doctor
- Han er kulHe is cool
- 2927 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kristoffer and Sofie are talking about a new colleague.
- KristofferHvem er den nye læreren?Who is the new teacher?
- SofieHan er veldig hyggelig.He is very nice.
- KristofferEr han fra Oslo?Is he from Oslo?
- SofieJa, han er fra Oslo.Yes, he is from Oslo.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
