henge ("to hang") is the textbook example of a Norwegian verb with two paradigms — one strong, one weak — sorted by transitivity. When something is hanging (intransitive), the verb is strong: preterite hang. When someone hangs something up (transitive), the verb is weak: preterite hengte. English uses "hang" both ways (and even English has a relic of this: the picture hung vs they hanged the prisoner), so this is a place where Norwegian is more systematic than English and learners need to choose deliberately.
The two paradigms
The rule, in one sentence: if the thing is just hanging there (the subject), use the strong form (hang); if someone puts it up — there's an object — use the weak form (hengte).
| Tense / mood | Intransitive (strong) "be hanging" | Transitive (weak) "hang something up" |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitiv | å henge | å henge |
| Presens | henger | henger |
| Preteritum | hang | hengte |
| Perfektum | har hengt | har hengt |
| Pluskvamperfektum | hadde hengt | hadde hengt |
| Imperativ | heng! | heng! |
As with brenne, the infinitive, present, supine and imperative are identical for both paradigms. The split surfaces in exactly one form: the preterite. Intransitive hang (strong); transitive hengte (weak, dental -te). The shared supine hengt means the perfect har hengt looks the same either way — only the simple past forces a choice.
This mirrors the positional verbs
If you have met the ligge / legge and sitte / sette pairs, henge fits the same Norwegian logic: a state verb (intransitive, where something rests, sits, lies or hangs) contrasts with a placing verb (transitive, where you put it there). The difference is that ligge/legge and sitte/sette are two different verbs, while henge packs both jobs into one verb that simply changes its preterite. So henge (hang) is the third member of the "be in a position vs put into a position" family, just with a built-in conjugation switch instead of a separate verb.
Intransitive henge — "be hanging" (strong: hang)
The hanging thing is the subject; nobody is acting on it. Preterite hang (strong, like finne/fant, vinne/vant).
Bildet hang skjevt på veggen i flere år før noen rettet det opp.
The picture hung crookedly on the wall for years before anyone straightened it.
Jakka di henger fortsatt på knaggen i gangen.
Your jacket is still hanging on the hook in the hallway.
Tåka hang tungt over fjorden hele morgenen.
The fog hung heavily over the fjord all morning.
Transitive henge — "hang something up" (weak: hengte)
There is an agent and an object: you hang up the laundry, the picture, your coat. Preterite hengte (weak, dental suffix, no vowel change).
Jeg hengte opp bildet der du sa.
I hung the picture up where you said.
Hun hengte klærne til tørk ute på balkongen.
She hung the clothes out to dry on the balcony.
Har du hengt opp julelysene allerede? Det er jo bare november.
Have you put up the Christmas lights already? It's only November.
Because the supine hengt is shared, har hengt is ambiguous on its own — bildet har hengt der lenge ("the picture has hung there a long time," intransitive) vs jeg har hengt opp bildet ("I've hung the picture up," transitive). Only the simple past reveals which paradigm you mean.
henge + particle and idioms
- henge opp — to hang up (transitive): pictures, laundry, a coat. Preterite hengte opp.
- henge sammen — (1) literally, to hang together / be connected; (2) figuratively, to make sense, to add up. Det henger ikke sammen = "it doesn't add up / it's inconsistent."
- henge med — to keep up, follow along, stay on top of things. Henger du med? = "Are you following?" / "Keeping up?" Colloquially also "to hang out."
- henge etter — to lag behind, fall behind.
- henge fast (i) — to get stuck / caught (on something).
- henge over — to hang over / loom over (a deadline, a threat).
Jeg klarer ikke helt å henge med i forelesningene — det går for fort.
I can't quite keep up in the lectures — it goes too fast.
Forklaringen hennes henger rett og slett ikke sammen.
Her explanation simply doesn't add up.
Vi henger litt etter med leksene etter ferien.
We're a bit behind with the homework after the holiday.
Common Mistakes
❌ Bildet hengte på veggen i mange år.
Incorrect — nothing acts on the picture; intransitive 'be hanging' uses the strong hang
✅ Bildet hang på veggen i mange år.
The picture hung on the wall for many years.
❌ Jeg hang opp jakka i skapet.
Incorrect — there's an object (the jacket); transitive 'hang up' uses the weak hengte
✅ Jeg hengte opp jakka i skapet.
I hung the jacket up in the closet.
❌ Klærne har hang ute hele dagen.
Incorrect — the supine is hengt, not hang; use har hengt for both paradigms
✅ Klærne har hengt ute hele dagen.
The clothes have hung outside all day.
❌ Henger du meg? (meaning 'are you keeping up?')
Incorrect — 'keep up / follow' is henge med; without the particle this means something else
✅ Henger du med?
Are you keeping up?
Key Takeaways
- henge has two paradigms that differ only in the preterite: intransitive (strong) hang, transitive (weak) hengte.
- The test: the hanging thing is the subject, no object → hang (bildet hang på veggen). There's a direct object you put up → hengte (jeg hengte opp bildet).
- The supine hengt and the perfect har hengt are shared — so the perfect hides the split; only the simple past shows it.
- It belongs to the ligge/legge, sitte/sette "state vs placement" family, but packs both roles into one verb.
- Imperative heng!; key idioms: henge med ("keep up"), henge sammen ("add up / be connected"), henge etter ("lag behind").
Now practice Norwegian
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Start learning Norwegian→Related Topics
- The Strong Verb Ablaut ClassesB1 — The ablaut (vowel-change) classes of Norwegian strong verbs grouped by pattern — i–a–u, i–e–e, y/ju–ø–ø, a–o–å, e–a–e — each mapped onto its English cognate class so you can often guess the forms.
- Strong Verbs: Ablaut and the Vowel-Change ClassesA2 — Strong verbs build the past by changing the stem vowel instead of adding an ending (drikke → drakk → drukket) — the main ablaut series, grouped, with full tables and English cognate hooks.
- Verb Reference: How to Use These TablesA2 — How to read the Norwegian verb-reference pages — the five principal parts, weak vs strong classes, and the supine (the har-form).
- Positional and Posture Verbs: ligge, sitte, stå, hengeB1 — Where English says an object 'is' somewhere, Norwegian picks a posture verb that encodes the object's orientation — ligge (lying flat), stå (standing upright), sitte (stuck/seated), henge (hanging) — and their transitive partners legge, sette, stille, henge.
- brenne (to burn)B1 — The two paradigms of brenne: intransitive 'be on fire' (strong: brant) vs transitive 'burn something' (weak: brente). Both share the supine brent. Plus brenne ned and brenne seg.