How To Be Confident Learning Norwegian

How to talk about the past, present, and future in Norwegian - Learning Norwegian

Learning a new language is more than memorizing words — it’s learning how to share your life, your story, and your voice.

And it all starts with one simple thing: verbs.

Verbs help you tell people what you're doing today, what happened yesterday, and what you're excited about tomorrow. When you understand a few basic tenses, suddenly you can say so much more. And the best part? It's simpler than you think.

Let’s explore the three most important tenses in Norwegian — and give you words you can start using right away.

Present Tense – Nåtid

Let’s start with what’s happening right now.

In Norwegian, most present-tense verbs are easy: just take the infinitive and add -r. That’s it!

• Jeg kjører til hytta. – I’m driving to the cabin

• Jeg flyr til India. – I’m flying to India

• Jeg sykler til stasjonen. – I’m biking to the station

• Jeg går til utgangen. – I’m walking to the gate

You’re not just learning grammar here. You’re describing your life as it’s happening. That’s powerful. You are learning Norwegian.

Past Tense – Fortid

Want to talk about something you did? Here’s a tip that helps:

If the verb sounds soft, it usually ends in -et. If it sounds hard, it ends in -te.

• Jeg kjørte buss. – I drove the bus

• Jeg fløy til India. – I flew to India

• Jeg syklet til stasjonen. – I biked to the station

• Jeg gikk til utgangen. – I walked to the gate

It’s okay if you don’t get it perfect every time. Language isn’t about perfection — it’s about connection. And every time you try, you’re growing.

Future Tense – Fremtid

Talking about your plans? Norwegian keeps it simple: Just use skal + infinitive verb.

• Jeg skal kjøre buss. – I will drive the bus

• Jeg skal fly til India. – I will fly to India

• Jeg skal gå til utgangen. – I will walk to the gate

This is the tense of dreams and goals. Of saying “This is where I’m going. This is what’s next for me.” You’re not just speaking Norwegian — you’re shaping your future in it with confident learning.

Words You’ll Actually Use This Week - Learn to Speak Confident in Norwgeian

Because learning Norwegian is about people and connection, here are five words you’ll use again and again:

• venn – friend

• prate – to chat

• møte – to meet

• kafé – café

• hyggelig – nice

These are the words that bring people together. That make small talk feel warm. That let you say, “Hey, want to grab a coffee?” or “That was really nice.”

And that matters — because the real goal isn’t just to speak Norwegian…It’s to feel like yourself in Norwegian.

You're doing more than learning verbs, you are building your Norwegian confidence!

You’re opening up conversations. You’re finding your rhythm. You’re building confidence, one sentence at a time.

So be kind to yourself. Keep showing up. And remember: your Norwegian doesn’t have to be perfect to be real, true, and understood.

Let this be the week you speak up — even just a little. You’ve got this.

Learning Norwegian can be fun, motivating and joyful!