Beyond the single-word prepositions (på, i, til, av …), Norwegian builds dozens of compound or complex prepositions — fixed strings of two, three, or four words that together do the job of one preposition. På grunn av ("because of"), i forhold til ("in relation to"), til tross for ("despite"): each is a frozen unit that takes a noun object, and each carries its own register flavour, from neutral everyday glue to stiff bureaucratic officialese. This page covers the high-frequency set, their fixed shapes, and — importantly — when to avoid them, because at least one (i forhold til) is famously overused and a target of the klarspråk ("plain language") movement.
What a compound preposition is
A compound preposition is a multi-word string that functions as a single preposition and is followed by a noun (or pronoun) object. Their internal structure is fixed: you cannot swap the little words or change the final av/til/for. På grunn av regnet ("because of the rain") cannot become "på grunn for regnet" or "på grunn til regnet" — the ending is locked. The safest way to learn them is as whole chunks, the same way you learn a single preposition: memorise på grunn av as one unit, including its tail.
Toget er forsinket på grunn av snøen.
The train is delayed because of the snow.
Vi måtte avlyse turen på grunn av været.
We had to cancel the trip because of the weather.
The causal and contrast set: på grunn av, til tross for, i stedet for
på grunn av = "because of / owing to." The everyday way to attach a cause to a clause. Note the orthography: grunn with a double n, and på with å.
Hun fikk ikke jobben på grunn av manglende erfaring.
She didn't get the job because of a lack of experience.
A nuance for English speakers: English splits "because of" (causal) from "due to" (more formal, often after a noun: the delay is due to …). Norwegian uses på grunn av for both, so you do not need a separate phrase — but in heavier, written prose you may also meet grunnet (a one-word participle, "owing to") and som følge av ("as a result of"), both (formal).
Flyet ble innstilt grunnet tekniske problemer.
The flight was cancelled owing to technical problems. (formal, written — grunnet)
til tross for = "despite / in spite of." A concessive compound — it concedes an obstacle. (Also seen as the shorter tross alone in tighter prose.)
Til tross for regnet hadde vi en fin dag.
Despite the rain, we had a lovely day.
Han fullførte løpet til tross for skaden.
He finished the race in spite of the injury.
i stedet for = "instead of." Watch the spelling: i stedet for, with sted ("place") in its definite form stedet. It is sometimes (acceptably) written as one word istedenfor, but the spaced i stedet for is the safe standard. It can take a noun or an infinitive:
Ta trappa i stedet for heisen.
Take the stairs instead of the lift.
Vi gikk en tur i stedet for å se på TV.
We went for a walk instead of watching TV. (+ infinitive)
The "means/agency" set: ved hjelp av, på vegne av, ut fra
ved hjelp av = "by means of / with the help of." It names the instrument or method. The literal parts are ved ("by") + hjelp ("help") + av ("of").
Vi fant fram ved hjelp av en app.
We found our way using an app.
Forskerne målte temperaturen ved hjelp av satellitter.
The researchers measured the temperature by means of satellites.
på vegne av = "on behalf of." Used when you speak or act for someone else. Orthography: vegne (with g), and the tail is av.
Jeg vil på vegne av hele teamet takke deg.
On behalf of the whole team, I'd like to thank you.
Hun signerte kontrakten på vegne av selskapet.
She signed the contract on behalf of the company.
ut fra / med utgangspunkt i = "based on / starting from / on the basis of." Ut fra is the compact one (literally "out from"); med utgangspunkt i ("with the starting point in") is its fuller, more (formal/academic) twin.
Ut fra disse tallene kan vi trekke en konklusjon.
Based on these figures, we can draw a conclusion.
Med utgangspunkt i kundenes ønsker laget vi en ny plan.
On the basis of the customers' wishes, we made a new plan. (formal)
The time and addition set: i løpet av, i tillegg til
i løpet av = "during / in the course of / within." Orthography: løpet with ø (the definite of løp, "course/run"), tail av. It frames a span of time over which something happens.
Jeg ringer deg i løpet av dagen.
I'll call you during the day / at some point today.
Vi solgte alt i løpet av en uke.
We sold everything within a week.
i tillegg til = "in addition to / on top of." Adds one item to another; tail til.
I tillegg til norsk snakker hun fransk og russisk.
In addition to Norwegian, she speaks French and Russian.
Det kostet hundre kroner i tillegg til billetten.
It cost a hundred kroner on top of the ticket.
The "regarding / compared to" set — and the klarspråk caution
This group is where register and good style really matter, because these phrases are overused in Norwegian bureaucratic and corporate writing.
når det gjelder = "as for / when it comes to / regarding." A clause-like connector (literally "when it concerns"). It is fine and common, especially to front a topic:
Når det gjelder pris, er vi blant de billigste.
As for price, we're among the cheapest.
Når det gjelder helse, må man være forsiktig.
When it comes to health, you have to be careful.
med hensyn til = "with regard to / with respect to / considering." This one is distinctly (formal/academic) — at home in reports, contracts, and academic prose, stuffy in casual speech.
Med hensyn til sikkerhet er anlegget grundig testet.
With regard to safety, the facility has been thoroughly tested. (formal)
i forhold til = "in relation to / compared to / regarding." This is the notorious one. Its correct core meaning is comparative — "in relation to, compared with":
Prisen er høy i forhold til kvaliteten.
The price is high in relation to the quality. (correct comparative use)
Kronen har styrket seg i forhold til euroen.
The krone has strengthened against the euro.
The problem is that i forhold til has metastasised into a vague all-purpose filler, slapped onto almost any noun where a precise preposition would serve better. Norwegians say things like "utfordringer i forhold til budsjettet" where they mean "utfordringer *med budsjettet" ("challenges *with the budget"), or "informasjon i forhold til reglene" where "informasjon *om reglene" ("information *about the rules") is what is meant. The klarspråk (plain-language) movement, championed by the government's Språkrådet (Language Council), singles out i forhold til as a prime offender and urges writers to replace it with the precise preposition the sentence actually needs.
Vi har noen spørsmål om de nye reglene.
We have some questions about the new rules. (clear — better than 'i forhold til de nye reglene')
Det er utfordringer med leveringen.
There are challenges with the delivery. (precise — not 'i forhold til leveringen')
Register at a glance
| Compound | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| på grunn av | because of | neutral, everyday |
| i stedet for | instead of | neutral, everyday |
| i løpet av | during / within | neutral, everyday |
| i tillegg til | in addition to | neutral, everyday |
| når det gjelder | as for / regarding | neutral, common |
| til tross for | despite | neutral–formal |
| på vegne av | on behalf of | formal, written |
| ved hjelp av | by means of | neutral–formal |
| med hensyn til | with regard to | formal / academic |
| med utgangspunkt i | based on | formal / academic |
| i forhold til | compared to (use sparingly!) | neutral, but overused |
Common Mistakes
❌ Toget er forsinket på grunn for snøen.
Wrong tail — the fixed string ends in av: på grunn av, never på grunn for/til.
✅ Toget er forsinket på grunn av snøen.
The train is delayed because of the snow.
❌ Jeg har spørsmål i forhold til reglene.
Klarspråk error — 'about the rules' is om, not the vogue-word i forhold til; reserve i forhold til for comparisons.
✅ Jeg har spørsmål om reglene.
I have questions about the rules.
❌ I staden for heisen, ta trappa.
Spelling/dialect slip — Bokmål is i stedet for (with stedet); i staden for is Nynorsk.
✅ I stedet for heisen, ta trappa.
Instead of the lift, take the stairs.
❌ På vegne for hele teamet vil jeg takke deg.
Wrong tail — it is på vegne av, not på vegne for.
✅ På vegne av hele teamet vil jeg takke deg.
On behalf of the whole team, I'd like to thank you.
❌ Jeg ringer deg i lopet av dagen.
Orthography error — it is løpet, with ø, not lopet.
✅ Jeg ringer deg i løpet av dagen.
I'll call you during the day.
Key Takeaways
- Compound prepositions are fixed multi-word strings that act as a single preposition and take a noun object. Learn each with its final little word baked in (på grunn av, i forhold til, på vegne av).
- Core everyday set: på grunn av (because of), i stedet for (instead of), i løpet av (during), i tillegg til (in addition to), når det gjelder (as for).
- Means/agency: ved hjelp av (by means of), på vegne av (on behalf of), ut fra / med utgangspunkt i (based on).
- Register climbs from neutral (på grunn av) to formal/academic (med hensyn til, med utgangspunkt i).
- klarspråk caution: i forhold til belongs to genuine comparisons only. Replace the filler use with the precise preposition (om, med, for) — it is the single most criticised tic in Norwegian officialese.
Now practice Norwegian
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Start learning Norwegian→Related Topics
- Prepositions: OverviewA1 — A map of the Norwegian preposition system and a warning that prepositions are the most idiomatic part of the language, rarely matching English one-to-one — with på and i as the chief troublemakers.
- av: Of, By, Off, FromB1 — av covers the passive agent (malt av naboen), material (laget av tre), the partitive 'of' (en av dem, mange av oss), cause (trøtt av å jobbe), and 'off' (gå av bussen, ta av seg skoene) — but it is far narrower than English 'of', which is usually a compound or genitive in Norwegian.
- Logical Connectors: derfor, likevel, dessuten, imidlertidB1 — The conjunctional adverbs that link clauses — derfor, dermed, likevel, dessuten, imidlertid, altså, da, ellers — why they are adverbs (not conjunctions) and therefore trigger V2 inversion when fronted, unlike English 'therefore/however' and unlike Norwegian men.
- til: To, Until, Of, ForA2 — til covers direction (til Oslo), the everyday spoken possessive (boka til Kari), time limits (til klokka tre), recipients (en gave til mor), and a set of fixed phrases — with the noun-form rules English speakers miss.
- Formal and Bureaucratic NorwegianB2 — The noun-heavy, passive-heavy kansellistil of officialdom, the Danish/Latinate connectors that mark it, and the official klarspråk movement pushing agencies toward plain language.