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🔀 Norwegian grammar: If-sentences with hvis (real and imagined conditions) — rule, table and examples
Level B1
The rule
A real condition (it can happen): “hvis” + present tense, and the main clause is in the present too: “Hvis det regner, blir vi hjemme”, “Hvis du har tid, kan du hjelpe meg”. An imagined condition now (“if I were…”): “hvis” + past tense (preteritum), and the main clause has “ville / kunne / skulle” + infinitive: “Hvis jeg hadde mer penger, ville jeg kjøpe et hus”, “Hvis jeg var deg, ville jeg ringe legen” (in speech often “ville jeg kjøpt”, “ville jeg ringt”). If the sentence starts with the hvis-clause, the verb comes first in the main clause, before the subject; you may add “så”: “Hvis du har tid, (så) kan du hjelpe meg”. Instead of “hvis” you can say “om”: “Om du vil, kan vi gå nå”. For a past that cannot be changed, use “kunne ha / ville ha” + participle (“Hvis jeg hadde visst det, ville jeg ha kommet”) — see the separate topic “kunne ha, ville ha”.
Table
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Hvis + presens: Hvis det regner, blir vi hjemme. | Real condition: If it rains, we stay at home. |
| Hvis + preteritum, ville + infinitiv: Hvis jeg hadde mer penger, ville jeg kjøpe et hus. | Imagined condition: If I had more money, I would buy a house. |
| Hvis jeg var deg, ville jeg ringt legen. | If I were you, I would call the doctor. |
| Hvis du har tid, (så) kan du hjelpe meg. | If you have time, you can help me. (verb before subject) |
| om = hvis: Om du vil, kan vi gå nå. | om = hvis: If you want, we can go now. |
| Hvis jeg hadde visst det, ville jeg ha kommet. | A past that can't be changed: kunne ha / ville ha (separate topic). |
Examples
- Hvis det regner, blir vi hjemme.
If it rains, we'll stay at home. - Hvis du har tid, kan du hjelpe meg med leksene?
If you have time, can you help me with my homework? - Hvis jeg hadde mer penger, ville jeg reist til Japan.
If I had more money, I would travel to Japan. - Hvis jeg var deg, ville jeg ringt legen med en gang.
If I were you, I would call the doctor right away. - Om du vil, kan vi gå på kino i kveld.
If you like, we can go to the cinema tonight. - Hvis vi bodde ved sjøen, kunne vi bade hver dag.
If we lived by the sea, we could swim every day.
Try it yourself
1. Hvis jeg ____ mer penger, ville jeg kjøpe et hus.
ha · hadde · har · hatt
Show the answer
Answer: hadde
2. Hvis det snør i morgen, ____ på ski.
gå vi · går vi · vi gå · vi går
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Answer: går vi
3. ____ du vil, kan vi spise ute i kveld. (= hvis)
At · Hva · Om · Som
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Answer: Om
4. Hvis du ____ tid i morgen, kan du hjelpe meg å flytte?
ha · har · hatt · å ha
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Answer: har
5. Hvis jeg ____ deg, ville jeg tatt en pause.
er · var · være · vært
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Answer: var
6. Hvis det ____ i morgen, blir turen avlyst.
regne · regner · regnet · å regne
Show the answer
Answer: regner
More grammar topics
FAQ
How does “If-sentences with hvis (real and imagined conditions)” work in Norwegian?
A real condition (it can happen): “hvis” + present tense, and the main clause is in the present too: “Hvis det regner, blir vi hjemme”, “Hvis du har tid, kan du hjelpe meg”. An imagined condition now (“if I were…”): “hvis” + past tense (preteritum), and the main clause has “ville / kunne / skulle” + infinitive: “Hvis jeg hadde mer penger, ville jeg kjøpe et hus”, “Hvis jeg var deg, ville jeg ringe legen” (in speech often “ville jeg kjøpt”, “ville jeg ringt”). If the sentence starts with the hvis-clause, the verb comes first in the main clause, before the subject; you may add “så”: “Hvis du har tid, (så) kan du hjelpe meg”. Instead of “hvis” you can say “om”: “Om du vil, kan vi gå nå”. For a past that cannot be changed, use “kunne ha / ville ha” + participle (“Hvis jeg hadde visst det, ville jeg ha kommet”) — see the separate topic “kunne ha, ville ha”.
How can I practise “If-sentences with hvis (real and imagined conditions)”?
Open the exercise in Komiks·Lab: 20 fill-in-the-gap tasks with instant feedback, and comics where the rule is used in real dialogues.