åpne (to open) | Norwegian Grammar

åpne ("to open") is one of the first verbs you need in Norwegian — you open doors, windows, bottles, shops, emails and conversations. It is a regular weak Class 1 verb (preterite and supine both in -et), easy to conjugate, but the page is worth your full attention for three reasons: the spelling starts with the letter å (not a, not o), the -s passive åpnes ("is opened") is extremely common on signs and notices, and the natural opposite is split between two verbs, lukke and stenge, which you must learn together with åpne.

Conjugation

Class: weak, Class 1 (-et / -et). Auxiliary: ha.

Tense / mood	Norwegian	English
Infinitiv	å åpne	to open
Presens	åpner	open(s), am/is/are opening
Preteritum	åpnet	opened
Perfektum	har åpnet	have/has opened
Pluskvamperfektum	hadde åpnet	had opened
Futurum	skal/vil åpne	will open
Imperativ	åpne!	open!
Presens partisipp	åpnende	opening (adjective)
Passiv (presens)	åpnes	is opened / opens

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Because the stem already ends in -n, åpne takes the -et ending rather than -te, giving åpnet for both the preterite and the supine. The imperative keeps the final -e (åpne!) — unlike many verbs, you don't drop it, because *åpn would be unpronounceable. And the first letter is always å: the ring matters, åpne is not apne or opne.

The spelling: å, not a or o

The very first thing to nail is the vowel. å is its own letter in the Norwegian alphabet — the second-to-last one — and it is pronounced like the aw in English "law," not like a or o. Every form of this verb begins with it: åpne, åpner, åpnet, åpnes, åpen. Writing apne or opne is not a typo a native would forgive; it is the wrong word on the page.

Kan du åpne vinduet? Det er litt varmt her inne.

Can you open the window? It's a bit warm in here.

Hun åpnet pakken forsiktig for ikke å ødelegge papiret.

She opened the parcel carefully so as not to ruin the paper.

Butikken har nettopp åpnet en ny avdeling.

The shop has just opened a new department.

åpnes — the -s passive

Add -s to åpne and you get the passive åpnes ("is opened / opens"). Norwegian uses this short -s passive constantly for rules, instructions and automatic processes — exactly the contexts you meet on doors, packaging and signs. It focuses on the event without naming who does it.

Døra åpnes automatisk når du går mot den.

The door opens automatically as you walk towards it.

Pakken åpnes lettest i den ene enden.

The package is most easily opened at one end.

Museet åpnes igjen etter oppussingen til høsten.

The museum will reopen after the renovation in the autumn.

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The bare -s passive (åpnes) is preferred for general rules, timeless facts and instructions ("the door opens automatically"). For a single, completed past event, Norwegian usually switches to the bli-passive instead: døra ble åpnet ("the door was opened"). So you'll see present-tense åpnes on a sign, but ble åpnet in a news report about yesterday.

åpne opp, and the adjective åpen

You will hear åpne opp ("open up"), where the opp adds a nuance of opening fully or making something accessible — physically or emotionally: åpne opp for nye idéer ("open up to new ideas"). In plain "open the door," though, the simple åpne is enough; opp is optional emphasis.

Don't confuse the verb with the adjective. åpen ("open," as a state) describes something that is already open, and it inflects like an adjective: en åpen dør, et åpent vindu, åpne dører. The verb opens it; the adjective says it is open.

Prøv å åpne opp litt mer — du kan stole på meg.

Try to open up a bit more — you can trust me.

Vinduet stod åpent hele natta, så det ble kaldt inne.

The window stood open all night, so it got cold inside.

The opposite: lukke vs stenge

Norwegian splits English "close/shut" into two verbs, and which one is the opposite of åpne depends on what you're closing:

lukke — shut a physical object you can swing or fold: a door, a window, a lid, your eyes. The direct opposite of åpne a door.
stenge — close in the sense of shutting down, blocking, or shutting off: a shop closes for the day, a road is blocked, the water is shut off.

So åpne døra ("open the door") pairs with lukke døra ("shut the door"), but åpne butikken ("open the shop") pairs with stenge butikken ("close the shop"). See the lukke page for the full contrast.

Åpne døra for katten, men husk å lukke den etterpå.

Open the door for the cat, but remember to close it afterwards.

De åpner klokka ti og stenger klokka seks.

They open at ten and close at six.

Common Mistakes

❌ Kan du apne vinduet?

Incorrect — the verb begins with å, not a; it's åpne

✅ Kan du åpne vinduet?

Can you open the window?

❌ Døra er åpne automatisk.

Incorrect — for 'opens automatically' use the -s passive åpnes, not the adjective/infinitive form

✅ Døra åpnes automatisk.

The door opens automatically.

❌ Butikken åpner klokka ti og lukker klokka seks.

Incorrect — a shop closing for the day is stenger, not lukker

✅ Butikken åpner klokka ti og stenger klokka seks.

The shop opens at ten and closes at six.

❌ Jeg har åpne kontoen min.

Incorrect — after har use the supine åpnet, not the infinitive

✅ Jeg har åpnet kontoen min.

I've opened my account.

Key Takeaways

åpne / åpner / åpnet / har åpnet / åpne! — regular weak Class 1; preterite and supine are both åpnet; the imperative keeps its -e.
The first letter is always å — never a, never o.
åpnes is the everyday -s passive for signs and rules ("the door opens automatically"); use ble åpnet for a single past event.
The opposite is lukke for physical things (a door) but stenge for shutting a shop, road, or supply.

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