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#21 Snakkes? Spises? Synes? The secrets of s-ending verbs [grammatikk]
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Struggling with those mysterious S-endings on Norwegian verbs?
The secret is that there isn't just one explanation – there are three distinct reasons why Norwegian verbs might end with S.
First, there's the reciprocal S, which you'll encounter in everyday phrases like "vi snakkes" (we'll talk to each other) and "vi ses" (we'll see each other). This clever construction eliminates the need for saying "each other" separately.
Then there's the S-passive, which transforms active sentences into passive ones. Rather than saying "I eat the cake," you can shift focus by saying "the cake is being eaten" (kaka spises). This construction works beautifully for present tense statements but comes with limitations – you generally can't use it for past events.
Finally, we have true S-verbs – those that naturally end with S in their dictionary form. Verbs like "å synes" (to think/find something a certain way) and "å finnes" (to exist) maintain their S-ending through all tenses. Some of these evolved from the other categories, becoming so commonly used that they developed into full verbs with complete conjugation patterns.
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....
This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict.
....
Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com
....
Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!
....
Other places to find me:
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By Silje Linn MossSend us a text
Struggling with those mysterious S-endings on Norwegian verbs?
The secret is that there isn't just one explanation – there are three distinct reasons why Norwegian verbs might end with S.
First, there's the reciprocal S, which you'll encounter in everyday phrases like "vi snakkes" (we'll talk to each other) and "vi ses" (we'll see each other). This clever construction eliminates the need for saying "each other" separately.
Then there's the S-passive, which transforms active sentences into passive ones. Rather than saying "I eat the cake," you can shift focus by saying "the cake is being eaten" (kaka spises). This construction works beautifully for present tense statements but comes with limitations – you generally can't use it for past events.
Finally, we have true S-verbs – those that naturally end with S in their dictionary form. Verbs like "å synes" (to think/find something a certain way) and "å finnes" (to exist) maintain their S-ending through all tenses. Some of these evolved from the other categories, becoming so commonly used that they developed into full verbs with complete conjugation patterns.
Support the show
Do you like the podcast? :)
Feel free to buy me a coffee :)
buymeacoffee.com/thenorwegianpuzzle
....
This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict.
....
Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com
....
Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!
....
Other places to find me:
www.norsk-med-silje.com
www.facebook.com/norskmedsilje
www.instagram.com/norskmedsilje
www.linkedin.com/in/silje-linn-moss