Ways to say it
| Norwegian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| du | /dʉː/ | familiar |
| I | /iː/ | polite, rare |
Du is the most common and straightforward way to address a single person in standard or informal social situations. When addressing more than one person, use dere.
Which one should you use?
Norwegian distinguishes between a singular 'you' (du) and a plural 'you' (dere). Use du for one person and dere for multiple people. For a single person, du is the standard informal form, while I is a rare and archaic way to address someone. For the highest level of formality when addressing a single person, one might use De, which is similar to the English 'you' when addressing someone with respect. The possessive form of this formal singular address is Deres. Additionally, the form din can be used before epithets for emphasis.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Du is the standard form for informal or normal social interactions. The form I is archaic and highly formal, no longer used in standard modern speech. For the most formal address possible, use De (singular) or its possessive Deres.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Bergen dialect, the plural form dokker is often used instead of the standard dere.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun changes based on number: du is singular and dere is plural. Use din as a form used before epithets for emphasis.
How do you pronounce it?
/dʉː/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use du when addressing a group of people. Be sure to use dere instead when speaking to more than one person.
Did you know?
- While du is the standard today, Norway underwent a 'du-reform' in the 1960s and 70s that rapidly shifted the culture away from formal pronouns.
- The archaic form of 'you', spelled I, looks exactly like the English word for oneself, but it actually means the person you are talking to.
- While English uses 'thou' as a poetic or old-fashioned version of 'you', the Norwegian du is actually the direct descendant of that same word, the Old Norse þú.
Examples in context
- Du kan se nå.You can look now.This sentence shows the use of the singular form du.Tatoeba #3551438 by danieljtah, translation #3330995 by CK
- Du sa jo det.You did say that.This sentence demonstrates the use of the singular form du.Tatoeba #3551453 by danieljtah, translation #3330955 by CK
- Du er so høg!You are so tall!Tatoeba #12516266 by Just_Some_Guy, translation #2967044 by shekitten
- Jeg liker Deres bilI like your car
- Du er en fantastisk vennYou are an amazing friend
- Jeg liker ditt nye hjemI like your new home
- 2989 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofie and Jakob are meeting at a coffee shop.
- SofieEr du klar nå?Are you ready now?
- JakobJa, jeg er klar.Yes, I am ready.
- SofieSkal du ha kaffe?Do you want coffee?
- JakobNei, takk, Sofie.No, thanks, Sofie.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “you” translations and entries du, I, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries I, du, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
