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LEARNING NORWEGIAN

EXPLAINED: When to use ‘bli’ and ‘være’ in Norwegian

Often used interchangeably, mastering the nuances between the verbs 'bli' and 'være' is often challenging for prospective Norwegian speakers.

Published: 26 February 2024 11:52 CET
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Before moving on to more complex aspects of usage, Norwegian language students should learn to differentiate between using 'bli' and 'være' as main verbs or auxiliary verbs. Photo by Richard Kemp on Unsplash

Understanding the nuances of using verbs is fundamental in mastering any language, and Norwegian is no exception.

Two commonly used verbs, ‘bli’ and ‘være,’ often pose a challenge for Norwegian learners due to their overlapping meanings and contexts.

READ MORE: How long does it take to learn Norwegian living in Norway?

Indeed, ‘bli’ and ‘være’ are often used interchangeably, but ‘bli’ is seen as the more dynamic, while ‘være’ is predominantly viewed as a static form.

There are several other aspects of their usage that you should know, with usage as main or auxiliary verbs and combining a predicative to a subject being particularly important.

The key differences between ‘bli’ and ‘være’

Before moving on to more complex aspects of usage, Norwegian language students should learn to differentiate between using ‘bli’ and ‘være’ as main verbs or auxiliary verbs, Norwegian language professor Josip Janeš of the language school Skandikum told The Local.

Main verbs

“The first thing we should distinguish between is whether we are using ‘bli’ and ‘være’ as main verbs (hovedverb) or auxiliary verbs (hjelpeverb). ‘Være’ as main verb means to reside somewhere, e.g., Torunn er hjemme i dag. (Torunn is home today) or to exist: Det er over 270,000 innbyggere i Bergen. (There are over 270,000 inhabitants in Bergen).

“‘Bli’ as the main verb means to continue to be or stay somewhere, e.g., Hvor lenge skal han bli her i Norge? (How long is he staying in Norway?) or Kan du ikke bli her litt til? (Can’t you stay here a little longer?). In both sentences, we could have likewise used ‘være’ without a major difference in meaning,” Janeš said.

He pointed out that students should be more careful when combining a predicative to a subject.

“Take a look at the following sentences: Sigrid er lærer (Sigrid is a teacher). Anders vil også bli lærer (Anders also wants to become a teacher). Here, ‘være‘ expresses a state or condition while ‘bli’ marks a change or transition. Anders is not a teacher yet, but he might become or ‘change’ into one in the future. Another example is Kari er syk (Kari is syk) and Hun ble syk i ferien (She got sick during the holiday),” the language teacher explained.

READ MORE: Modal verbs: When to use ‘vil’ and ‘skal’ in Norwegian

Auxiliary verbs

“Let us take a look at the auxiliary verbs. ‘Være‘ can, interestingly enough, be used instead of ‘ha’ as an auxiliary in both perfektum and pluskvamperfektum with verbs denoting a transition, e.g. Hun er reist allerede (She has already left) or Da jeg kom hjem, var han sovnet. (When I came home, he had already fallen asleep).

“In the passive ‘være‘ is, as previously mentioned, used to describe a permanent state, e.g. Norge er omgitt av hav på tre kanter (Norway is surrounded by the sea on three sides) or Forfatteren er godt likt (The author is well-liked),” Janeš said.

On the other hand, ‘bli‘ as an auxiliary verb is commonly employed in the passive voice across all tenses.

“‘Bli’ as an auxiliary is predominantly used in the passive in all tenses: Barna blir fulgt til skolen hver dag (The children are accompanied to school every day), Hunden ble overkjørt (The dog was run over), Huset har/er blitt solgt (The house has been sold), and so forth,” Janeš said.

It should be noted that ‘bli‘ and ‘være‘ can often be used interchangeably, but whereas ‘bli’ is seen as the more dynamic form signifying a change or transition, ‘være‘ is predominantly viewed as a static form describing a state or condition – with the exception of the auxiliary usage in perfektum and pluksvamperfekum, Skandikum’s Norwegian language professor explained.

Did you find this Norwegian grammar explainer useful? What other aspects of Norwegian grammar would you like to see explained? Let us know if you’d like more similar content in the comments below.

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FAMILY

‘Don’t let anything put you off’: How foreigners in Norway raise bilingual kids

Foreigners living and raising children in Norway, might want them to become native speakers of at least two languages. We asked our readers to share their tips and experiences.

Published: 9 April 2024 17:13 CEST
Updated: 27 April 2024 15:01 CEST
'Don't let anything put you off': How foreigners in Norway raise bilingual kids

Foreign residents in Norway with children spend a lot of time thinking about how to best make their offspring bilingual.

We recently put out a survey asking parents in Norway about their experiences with raising bilingual children, and many parents believed that raising their children to be bilingual or multilingual would help them succeed in life.

“I would like my son to become fluent in Norwegian from a young age so he can learn and flourish here,” Martin, who lives in Vestland, said.

While he is English, his wife is Lithuanian, meaning Martin and his wife hope for their one-year-old child to eventually be able to speak English, Lithuanian, and Norwegian.

He believed that his child would easily learn English and Norwegian and that he would attend a Norwegian language preschool once he was old enough.

However, he admitted that it would be harder for his son to pick up Lithuanian, as it isn’t taught in schools, and he would only have his mother to learn from.

Respondents also encouraged other parents to try their best to raise their children to be bilingual, especially as younger children can be adept at picking up languages.

“A child’s elastic brain can absorb languages, so it is always worth raising them bilingually or multilingually,” Russell, who lives in Oslo, said.

“Speak to your child in your native language, don’t let anyone or anything put you off,” he added when asked for advice.

READ ALSO: How to raise bilingual children: 7 language tips and tricks

Roxanne, who lives in Bergen, recommended prioritising the parents’ mother tongue, as children would absorb Norwegian just by living in the country.

Her daughter, who was 20 months old when they first moved to Bergen several years ago, is now fluent in English and Norwegian after first practising with a bilingual nanny and then attending a Norwegian preschool.

However, Roxanne and her husband also practised German, French, Spanish, and Farsi with their child, with English being the primary language at home.

Roxanne was one of several parents who said that one parent spoke to their child in one language while the other spoke in a different language. She said she was determined to raise a multilingual child to ensure that her daughter would always feel “seen and understood” by her family.

Daren lives in Bærum and moved to Norway with his three children when they were aged 8, 6 and 4. Now his kids are 21, 19 and 17 and fluent in Norwegian and English. He said that it took his children most of their childhood to master the language after moving.

He also said that going to a local school and his children making friends with Norwegian children and using the language conversationally boosted their skills.

“Try to integrate into the local community, sports teams, friendships, etc. Send your kids to local schools and avoid the international schools until VGS (high school),” Daren said.

He added that things are easier if the parents learn Norwegian, but in some cases, this is easier said than done, and he and his wife have yet to master the language.

Stef, who lives in Haugesund, warned that parents learning Norwegian alongside their kids may struggle to keep up with their children.

“Learn Norwegian as fast as you can because children will learn faster,” Stef said.

International schools are a popular option for many families who aren’t sure they will settle down in Norway, or only plan to live in the country temporarily, or who move with older children.

While many parents advised sending their children to a Norwegian school, some also pointed out kids could pick up the local language while attending an international school.

Ulrike, who lives in Oslo, said it was important that clubs and activities are in the local language.

“If they go to an international school, make sure they have extracurricular activities in Norwegian,” she said.

Her child attends the German School of Oslo, where German and Norwegian are spoken languages.

Gail, who lives in Australia but has taught at Oslo International School, recommended using a tutor and finding ways to make the Norwegian language fun.

“Use a tutor and ask the school your child attends what they suggest for integration and learning. Sports activities and social occasions help. Singing songs in Norwegian is a fun way to learn,” she said.

Paige, who lives in Sandefjord, suggested Norwegian television and language cafes to boost children’s Norwegian skills.

“If they go to an international school and they or you want them to develop their Norwegian language skills, find some programs on (Norway’s public broadcaster) NRK and watch them together, go to language cafes, go to local events, and take it one step at a time,” she said.

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