Language/Norwegian-bokmal/Grammar/Modal-verbs

Norwegian Bokmål → Grammar → Modal verbs

Modal verbs provide meaning to a sentence beyond simply stating an action or occurrence. Instead, they give the listener or reader extra context about the speaker's attitude, opinion, or certainty. Mastering modal verbs is an essential part of speaking Norwegian Bokmål fluently and naturally.

Introduction

In Norwegian Bokmål, there are two main types of modal verbs: primary and auxiliary. Primary modal verbs include kan, vil, må, skal, bør, and måtte, while auxiliary modal verbs include kunne, skulle, ville, and måtte.

Primary modal verbs have a direct effect on the meaning of the sentence and often indicate obligation, permission, or possibility. Auxiliary modal verbs, on the other hand, are added to the infinitive form of another verb to indicate tense, mood, or aspect.

Primary modal verbs

Kan

Kan is used to denote ability or possibility. It is often translated as "can" or "may." It is frequently used in questions as well as statements. Keep in mind, kan is not used to express permission or obligation. Here are some examples:

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Kan du hjelpe meg?	[kan du helpe mæj]	Can you help me?
Du kan snakke norsk veldig bra.	[du kan snakke norsj vældi bra]	You can speak Norwegian very well.
Det kan være en god idé.	[dett kan væræ en god idé]	That may be a good idea.

Vil

Vil denotes intention and is often translated as "will." It expresses the will of the speaker rather than a factual statement. It can also express assumptions or predictions. It is often used in combination with other modal verbs, especially når (when). Here are some examples:

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Jeg vil lære å spille gitar.	[jæi vil læræ å spillæ gitar]	I will learn how to play guitar.
Vil du være med meg på kino?	[vil du væræ mæj på kino]	Will you come with me to the cinema?
Når vil du reise?	[når vil du reisæ]	When will you leave?

Må

Må is an obligation in Norwegian Bokmål, just like "must" in English. It represents a necessity or requirement that can come from a person, a law, or even an event. Here are some examples:

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Jeg må vaske klærne mine.	[jæi må vaskæ klærnæ mæine]	I must wash my clothes.
Du må være stille!	[du må væræ stilæ]	You must be quiet!
Du må kjøpe en billett for å reise med toget.	[du må kjøpæ en billætt førr å reisæ med toget]	You must buy a ticket to travel by train.

Skal

Skal is often translated as "shall" or "will" in English, and refers to a future event that the speaker expects will happen. It's used to indicate future events, plans or intentions. For example:

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Hva skal du gjøre i dag?	[hva skal du gjøræ i dag]	What will you do today?
Vi skal på ferie til Spania i sommer.	[vi skal på ferie til spænija i sommær]	We will go on vacation to Spain this summer.
Skal jeg kjøpe melk når jeg er i butikken?	[skal jæi kjøpæ melk når jæi ær i butikkæn]	Shall I buy milk when I'm at the store?

Bør

Bør can be translated to "should" or "ought to" in English. It is used to provide advice or recommendations. Here are some examples:

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Du bør ikke røyke!	[du bør ikke røykæ]	You should not smoke!
Vi bør reise tidlig for å unngå trafikk.	[vi bør reisæ tidlig førr å unngå traffik]	We should leave early to avoid the traffic.
Du bør undersøke prisen før du kjøper noe.	[du bør undersøkæ prisen før du kjøpæ no]	You should check the price before buying anything.

Måtte

Måtte is the past tense form of må. It translates directly to "had to" in English. Here are some examples:

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Jeg måtte løpe for å rekke bussen.	[jæi måttæ løpæ førr å rekke bussæn]	I had to run to catch the bus.
Hun måtte studere mye for å få gode karakterer.	[hun måttæ studeræ mye førr å få gode karakterer]	She had to study a lot to get good grades.
Han måtte beklage for det han hadde sagt.	[han måttæ beklagæ førr det han hadde sagt]	He had to apologize for what he had said.

Auxiliary modal verbs

Auxiliary modal verbs do not have a precise meaning by themselves. They need to be combined with other verbs to form compound tenses, moods or aspects.

Skulle

Skulle is used to refer to the past subjunctive mood in Norwegian Bokmål. It is often translated as "should" or "ought to" in English. Skulle is particularly useful to indicate actions or events that did not happen in the past depending on a condition. Here are some examples:

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Jeg skulle ønske det ikke hadde regnet.	[jæi skulle ønskæ det ikke hadde regnæt]	I should have liked it if it had not rained.
Vi skulle reist til fjells hvis ikke bilen hadde blitt ødelagt.	[vi skulle reist til fjells hvis ikke bilæn hadde blitt ødelagt]	We should have gone to the mountains if the car hadn't broken down.
Hva skulle du ha sagt i en slik situasjon?	[hva skulle du ha sagt i en slik situasjon]	What would you have said in such a situation?

Måtte

Måtte can also be used as an auxiliary verb as in the examples below:

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Jeg måtte ha gått ut med søpla før det ble mørkt.	[jæi måttæ ha gåt ut mæ søplæ førr det ble mørkt]	I had to have taken out the trash before it got dark.
Du måtte ha ventet på meg, for jeg kom mye senere enn avtalt.	[du måttæ ha ventet på mæj, får jæi kom måe senere enn avtalt]	You should have waited for me, as I arrived much later than agreed.
Hun måtte ha glemt passet hjemme.	[hun måttæ ha glæmt passæt hæmme]	She must have forgotten her passport at home.

Ville

Ville is often translated to "would" in English, and it is used for hypothetical situations or to talk about future in the past. Here are some examples:

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
Jeg ville ha gått til stranden hvis det var sol.	[jæi ville ha gåt til strannæn hvis det var sol]	I would have gone to the beach if it had been sunny.
Ville du vært min venn hvis jeg var annerledes?	[ville du vært min vænn hvis jeg var anner Related Lessons Formal writing and communication Infinitive and present participle forms 0 to A1 Course Future Tense Relative clauses Past tense verbs Indirect speech Questions Present tense verbs