foretrekke (to prefer) | Norwegian Grammar

foretrekke ("to prefer") is the verb of considered choice — slightly formal, very useful in writing and measured speech, and structurally rewarding once you see what it is made of. It is a strong verb built on trekke ("to pull, draw") with the inseparable prefix fore-, so its irregular forms (foretrakk, har foretrukket) are simply trekke's (trakk, trukket) carried over. The construction to master is foretrekke X framfor Y = "to prefer X to / over Y."

Conjugation

Class: strong, conjugates like trekke. Inseparable prefix fore-. Auxiliary: ha.

Tense / mood	Norwegian	English
Infinitiv	å foretrekke	to prefer
Presens	foretrekker	prefer(s)
Preteritum	foretrakk	preferred
Perfektum	har foretrukket	have/has preferred
Pluskvamperfektum	hadde foretrukket	had preferred
Futurum	skal/vil foretrekke	will prefer
Imperativ	foretrekk!	prefer! (rare)
Presens partisipp	foretrekkende	preferring (adjective, rare)

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The vowel shifts the strong way: e → a → u. Present foretrekker (e), preterite foretrakk (a, double k), supine foretrukket (u, double k + -et). The two k's matter — foretrakk ends in a hard double k, and the supine is foretrukket, not foretrokket or foretrekt. The past participle used adjectivally is foretrukket: den foretrukne løsningen "the preferred solution" (note the contracted foretrukne before a noun).

Built on trekke — the strong pattern carries over

The forms look daunting until you spot the base verb. fore- + trekke = foretrekke, and the prefix is inseparable, so the ablaut is just trekke's:

	trekke	foretrekke
Presens	trekker	foretrekker
Preteritum	trakk	foretrakk
Perfektum	har trukket	har foretrukket

So there is nothing new to memorise in the irregular forms — if trekke / trakk / trukket is solid, foretrekke / foretrakk / foretrukket follows automatically. (The image is rather nice: to prefer is literally to "draw forth" one option ahead of the others.)

Jeg foretrekker te om morgenen og kaffe om ettermiddagen.

I prefer tea in the morning and coffee in the afternoon.

Hun foretrakk å gå framfor å ta bussen.

She preferred to walk rather than take the bus.

Vi har alltid foretrukket små hoteller framfor store kjeder.

We've always preferred small hotels to big chains.

foretrekke X framfor Y — preferring one thing over another

The defining construction is foretrekke X framfor Y = "to prefer X to / over Y." The preposition is framfor ("rather than, in preference to, over") — not a calque of English "than" or "to." Both X and Y can be nouns or infinitive clauses (with å).

De fleste foretrekker frihet framfor trygghet når de er unge.

Most people prefer freedom over security when they're young.

Jeg foretrekker å lese boka framfor å se filmen.

I prefer reading the book to watching the film.

Two things to lock in. First, the preposition is framfor (also spelled fremfor in more conservative Bokmål — both are correct). Second, when both alternatives are actions, keep the å on each infinitive and let framfor join them: å lese … framfor å se ….

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Don't reach for enn ("than") here. English "prefer X than Y" (itself non-standard) and "prefer X to Y" both map to Norwegian foretrekke X framfor Y. The connector is always framfor (or fremfor) — never enn, never til.

Register: foretrekke vs heller vil / liker best

foretrekke is on the formal side. In everyday speech Norwegians more often express preference with heller ("rather") on a modal, or with like best ("like best"):

foretrekke X (framfor Y) — neutral-to-formal; common in writing, reviews, careful speech.
vil heller (ha) X (enn Y) — colloquial "would rather have X (than Y)." Note: with heller … enn, the connector is enn.
like X best — "like X best," very casual.

I rapporten foretrekkes en gradvis innføring av de nye reglene.

In the report, a gradual introduction of the new rules is preferred.

Jeg vil heller bli hjemme enn å gå på den festen.

I'd rather stay home than go to that party.

Av alle desserter liker jeg sjokoladekake best.

Of all desserts I like chocolate cake best.

The key contrast for learners: with the formal foretrekke you use framfor; with the casual heller you use enn. Mixing them up (foretrekker … enn) is the classic error, so let the verb pick its preposition.

Common Mistakes

❌ Jeg foretrekte fisk i går.

Incorrect — foretrekke is strong (like trekke); the preterite is foretrakk, not a weak foretrekte

✅ Jeg foretrakk fisk i går.

I preferred fish yesterday.

❌ Vi har foretrakk det hotellet før.

Incorrect — after har use the supine foretrukket, not the preterite foretrakk

✅ Vi har foretrukket det hotellet før.

We've preferred that hotel before.

❌ Jeg foretrekker kaffe enn te.

Incorrect — foretrekke takes framfor, not enn, for the compared option

✅ Jeg foretrekker kaffe framfor te.

I prefer coffee to tea.

❌ Han foretrokket å vente.

Incorrect — the supine is foretrukket (u), and it needs an auxiliary: har foretrukket

✅ Han hadde foretrukket å vente.

He would have preferred to wait.

Key Takeaways

foretrekke / foretrekker / foretrakk / har foretrukket / foretrekk! — strong, ablaut e–a–u, conjugates like trekke.
The prefix fore- is inseparable: the irregular forms are just trekke's (trakk, trukket).
Spelling: preterite foretrakk (double k), supine foretrukket (u + -et); adjective form foretrukne before a noun.
The construction is foretrekke X framfor Y (also fremfor) = "prefer X to/over Y." Use framfor, never enn or til.
foretrekke is formal; casual Norwegian prefers vil heller … enn or like … best — and those take enn.

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