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🕰️ Norwegian grammar: Past tense or present perfect? — rule, table and examples
Level B1
The rule
Preteritum describes a finished action at a specific past time: i går, i fjor, klokka ni. Presens perfektum (har + past participle) connects the past to now: a result matters now, an experience has no exact time, or a situation still continues. Do not combine har gjort with a finished time such as “i går”.
Table
| Norwegian | English |
|---|---|
| I går reparerte vi døra. | Yesterday we repaired the door. |
| Vi har reparert døra. | We have repaired the door. |
| Hun bodde der i 2022. | She lived there in 2022. |
| Hun har bodd her i tre år. | She has lived here for three years. |
| Har du noen gang sett nordlys? | Have you ever seen the northern lights? |
| Når så du nordlys sist? | When did you last see the northern lights? |
Examples
- Båten kom klokka åtte.
The boat arrived at eight. - Båten har kommet, så vi kan gå om bord.
The boat has arrived, so we can board. - Jeg har jobbet her siden april.
I have worked here since April.
Try it yourself
1. I går ____ vi brygga. (male)
har malt · har malte · maler · malte
Show the answer
Answer: malte
2. Vi ____ brygga, så malingen er fortsatt våt. (male)
har malt · har malte · malt · malte i går
Show the answer
Answer: har malt
3. Hun ____ hit klokka ni. (komme)
har kom · har kommet · kom · kommer
Show the answer
Answer: kom
4. Hun ____, så møtet kan begynne. (komme)
har kom · har kommet · kom i går · kommer i går
Show the answer
Answer: har kommet
5. I fjor ____ jeg i Tromsø. (bo)
bodde · bor · har bodd · har bodde
Show the answer
Answer: bodde
6. Jeg ____ i Tromsø siden januar. (bo)
bodde i fjor · bor siden · har bo · har bodd
Show the answer
Answer: har bodd
More grammar topics
FAQ
How does “Past tense or present perfect?” work in Norwegian?
Preteritum describes a finished action at a specific past time: i går, i fjor, klokka ni. Presens perfektum (har + past participle) connects the past to now: a result matters now, an experience has no exact time, or a situation still continues. Do not combine har gjort with a finished time such as “i går”.
How can I practise “Past tense or present perfect?”?
Open the free exercise in Komiks·Lab: 24 fill-in-the-gap tasks with instant feedback, and comics where the rule is used in real dialogues.