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💭 Norwegian grammar: Modal particles: jo, vel, nok, visst, da — rule, table and examples
Level B2
The rule
Modal particles are short unstressed words that show the speaker’s attitude. Jo — we both know this: “Du kjenner jo Kari”. Vel — I assume so, please confirm: “Du kommer vel i morgen?”. Nok — probably, that’s what I think: “Det går nok bra”. Visst — apparently: I’ve heard it or it turns out so: “Hun har visst flyttet”. Da at the end of a question or a command softens it or shows impatience: “Kom, da!”, “Hva heter du, da?”. In a main clause the particle comes after the verb (with inversion, after a pronoun subject) and before ikke: “Han kommer jo ikke”, “I dag kommer han nok”.
Table
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| Du kjenner jo Kari. (jo) | You know Kari, after all. — we both know it |
| Du kommer vel i morgen? (vel) | You’re coming tomorrow, aren’t you? — I assume so, please confirm |
| Det går nok bra. (nok) | It’ll probably be fine. — that’s what I think |
| Hun har visst flyttet. (visst) | Apparently she has moved. — I’ve heard it / it turns out so |
| Kom, da! / Hva heter du, da? (da) | Come on, then! / So what’s your name? |
| Han kommer jo ikke. | He isn’t coming, you know. (the particle comes before ikke) |
| I dag kommer han nok. | He’ll probably come today. (after the subject) |
Examples
- Vi kan ikke dra nå, det regner jo.
We can’t leave now – it’s raining, as you can see. - Du er vel ikke sint på meg?
You’re not angry with me, are you? - Bussen kommer nok om et par minutter.
The bus will probably be here in a couple of minutes. - Naboene har visst kjøpt hytte på fjellet.
Apparently the neighbours have bought a cabin in the mountains. - Skynd deg, da! Filmen begynner om fem minutter.
Hurry up, then! The film starts in five minutes. - Jeg har visst tatt feil buss.
It seems I’ve taken the wrong bus.
Try it yourself
1. Vi kan ikke gå på ski i dag. Det er ____ ingen snø! (det ser vi begge)
jo · nok · vel · visst
Show the answer
Answer: jo
2. Bare spør Morten. Han er ____ læreren vår. (det vet vi begge)
jo · nok · vel · visst
Show the answer
Answer: jo
3. Jeg kan ikke kjøre deg til flyplassen. Jeg har ____ ikke førerkort! (det vet du godt)
jo · nok · vel · visst
Show the answer
Answer: jo
4. Du har ____ husket passet? (ikke sant?)
jo · nok · vel · visst
Show the answer
Answer: vel
5. Dere blir ____ med på hytta i helgen? (ikke sant?)
jo · nok · vel · visst
Show the answer
Answer: vel
6. Ikke vær lei deg. Det går ____ bra til slutt. (det tror jeg)
da · jo · nok · visst
Show the answer
Answer: nok
More grammar topics
FAQ
How does “Modal particles: jo, vel, nok, visst, da” work in Norwegian?
Modal particles are short unstressed words that show the speaker’s attitude. Jo — we both know this: “Du kjenner jo Kari”. Vel — I assume so, please confirm: “Du kommer vel i morgen?”. Nok — probably, that’s what I think: “Det går nok bra”. Visst — apparently: I’ve heard it or it turns out so: “Hun har visst flyttet”. Da at the end of a question or a command softens it or shows impatience: “Kom, da!”, “Hva heter du, da?”. In a main clause the particle comes after the verb (with inversion, after a pronoun subject) and before ikke: “Han kommer jo ikke”, “I dag kommer han nok”.
How can I practise “Modal particles: jo, vel, nok, visst, da”?
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.