Ways to say it
| Norwegian | IPA |
|---|---|
| forstå | [fɔ̞ˈʂʈo̞ː] (narrow) |
| skjønne | |
| kunne |
The primary way to express understanding a concept or a language is by using forstå. In casual conversation, you may also use skjønne to mean you grasp or realize something intuitively or even Jeg skjønner to say "I get it" or "I see". When discussing the ability to speak or comprehend a language, speakers often use kunne to express that they know how to use it.
Which one should you use?
While forstå is the standard term for understanding, skjønne is a more colloquial alternative often used to mean "to grasp" or "to realize" something. Additionally, when referring to language proficiency, kunne is frequently used to express the ability to speak or comprehend a language, such as saying Jeg kan norsk instead of Jeg forstår norsk.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Oslo area, the phrase Jeg henger med is used to mean "I follow along". Regional pronunciations and variations exist: in the Bergen area, eg skjønner may be pronounced as eg skjønna and in the Trondheim area, jeg forstår is sometimes pronounced as je forstår.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Bokmål, the past tense of forstå is forsto and the present perfect form is har forstått.
Did you know?
- The Norwegian word skjønne for 'to understand' is etymologically related to the concept of beauty or something being 'clear' and 'aesthetic'.
- If you want to tell someone 'I follow' during a fast-paced conversation, you can say Jeg henger med, which literally translates to 'I hang along'.
- The word kunne shares a deep ancestral root with the English word 'know', coming from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵneh₃-.
Examples in context
- Tom forstår meg ikke.Tom doesn't understand me.This sentence shows the negative form of forstå.Tatoeba #6742693 by Meggie, translation #2272482 by CK
- Du kan forstå svensk.You can understand Swedish.This sentence demonstrates using forstå to express the ability to understand a language.Tatoeba #12474551 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #880622 by shekitten
- Kan du forstå fransk?Can you understand French?This sentence is a way to ask if someone can understand a language using forstå.Tatoeba #12490701 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #2770703 by CK
- Unnskyld, kan du hjelpe meg? Jeg skjønner ikke veien til Akershus Festning.Excuse me, can you help me? I don't understand the way to Akershus Fortress.
- Eg skjønner ingentingI don't understand anything
- 77 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ingrid and Andreas are discussing a difficult instruction manual.
- IngridForstår du hva som står her?Do you understand what is written here?
- AndreasNei, jeg forstår ingenting.No, I understand nothing.
- IngridDet er veldig komplisert.It is very complicated.
- AndreasJeg trenger hjelp til å forstå det.I need help to understand it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “understand” translations and entries forstå, skjønne, kunne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries forstå, kunne, skjønne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
