Present tense forms in Norwegian are quite regular. There are only a few exceptions.

You make the present tense by taking the infinitive form and adding the letter “r”.

snakke  (infinitive) + r  = snakker (present tense)

 

The most common exceptions are listed below:

Infinitive	Present tense
å være	er
å gjøre	gjør
å vite	vet
å synes	synes/syns
å trives	trives

 

When to use present tense?

The present tense is used to express that something is happening at the present moment, to express events that are continuous at the present time, and to express that something is a usual/habitual statement.

A present tense verb can also be used to describe events that will take place in the future.

 

While English has two different ways to describe an event in the present, you use only one form in Norwegian.

 

 

Present moment

Anne spiser lunsj nå  (Anne is eating lunch now.).

 

Continuous at the present time

Norwegian does not use the present progressive form. (  is eating)

To stress continuation with verbs of duration, certain verbs like “sitte”(sit), “ligge”(lie) and “stå”(stand) can be combined with other verbs.

Anne sitter og spiser.  (Anne is eating (sitting and eating)

 

Usual/habitual statements

Oslo er hovedstaden i Norge. (Oslo is the capital of Norway.)  Anne spiser lunsj hver dag. (Anne eats lunch every day.)

 

Future

When you use a present tense form to talk about the future, you have to add an adverb or adverbial phrase that indicates when in the future the event will take place.

 

Vi reiser til Bergen i morgen. (We will travel to Bergen tomorrow.)  De kommer klokken fire. (They will arrive at four o clock.)