kose seg is one of the most Norwegian verbs there is — it means "to enjoy oneself, to have a warm and cosy time," and it sits at the heart of a whole cultural ideal (kos, koselig) that English can only approximate. Grammatically it is a simple weak Class 2 verb, but two things trip learners up: it is reflexive (you must keep the seg), and its preterite koste is spelled exactly like koste "to cost." This page sorts both out and connects the verb to the cosy-culture vocabulary that surrounds it.
Conjugation
Class: weak, Class 2 (-te / -t). Auxiliary: ha.
| Tense / mood | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitiv | å kose (seg) | to enjoy oneself / cuddle |
| Presens | koser (seg) | enjoy(s) oneself |
| Preteritum | koste (seg) | enjoyed oneself |
| Perfektum | har kost (seg) | have/has enjoyed oneself |
| Pluskvamperfektum | hadde kost (seg) | had enjoyed oneself |
| Futurum | skal/vil kose (seg) | will enjoy oneself |
| Imperativ | kos (deg)! | enjoy yourself! / have a nice time! |
| Presens partisipp | kosende | cuddling / snuggling (adjective) |
kose seg — the reflexive at the centre
In its commonest meaning, kose is reflexive: kose seg = "to have a cosy, pleasant, contented time." The seg changes with the subject (meg, deg, seg, oss, dere, seg) and must not be dropped — without it the sentence is incomplete or shifts to the "cuddle" sense.
Vi koste oss skikkelig på hytta i helga.
We had a really lovely time at the cabin over the weekend.
Kos deg på ferie — du har fortjent det!
Enjoy your holiday — you've earned it!
Barna koser seg foran peisen med kakao.
The kids are having a cosy time by the fireplace with cocoa.
Note how broad this is: kose seg covers relaxing, savouring food, lounging with friends, reading under a blanket — any low-key, warm enjoyment. It is not excitement; it is contentment. English has no single verb for it, which is why translations wobble between "enjoy oneself," "have a nice time," and "have a cosy time" depending on context.
kose without seg — to cuddle, and "kose med"
Used non-reflexively, kose leans toward physical affection: "to cuddle, snuggle, pet." It often pairs with med ("with").
Hun lå på sofaen og koste med katten.
She lay on the sofa cuddling the cat.
Vi har kost med ungene hele kvelden.
We've been snuggling with the kids all evening.
So the rule of thumb: kose seg = you are having a nice time; kose med (noen/noe) = you are cuddling someone/something. Both are gentle, affectionate verbs — there is nothing risqué about them.
The homograph trap: koste = enjoyed vs costs
Here is the spelling collision to flag clearly. The preterite of kose is koste — and that is spelled identically to koste, the present tense of the unrelated verb å koste "to cost." Two completely different verbs, one shared written form:
- koste (preterite of kose) — "enjoyed oneself." Vi koste oss. = "We had a nice time."
- koste (infinitive of å koste, "to cost") — same written form; in use it inflects differently: present koster, preterite kostet. Det koster mye. = "It costs a lot."
Context and the reflexive seg keep them apart: if there is a seg/oss/meg nearby and you're talking about a good time, it's the kose verb; if there is a price or amount, it's the koste "cost" verb.
Vi koste oss, selv om turen kostet mye.
We had a great time, even though the trip cost a lot.
Det koster ikke noe å kose seg hjemme.
It costs nothing to have a cosy time at home.
In speech the two are also distinguished by tone, but in writing you simply rely on context — which, thanks to the obligatory seg, is almost always clear.
koselig and kos — the culture around the verb
The verb sits in a small family worth knowing as a unit:
- koselig (adjective) — "cosy, pleasant, nice." A café, an evening, a person can be koselig.
- kos (noun) — "cosiness, affection, a nice time." fredagskos = a cosy Friday in.
- kose seg (verb) — "to have a cosy time," as above.
For en koselig kveld — takk for at vi fikk komme!
What a lovely evening — thanks for having us!
Vi gleder oss til litt fredagskos med film og snacks.
We're looking forward to a cosy Friday in with a film and snacks.
This cluster expresses a core Norwegian value: deliberately creating warmth and ease, often indoors, often in the dark half of the year. (It is the close cousin of Danish hygge.) Mastering kose seg therefore buys you cultural fluency, not just a verb form.
Common Mistakes
❌ Vi koset oss på hytta.
Incorrect — Class 2 preterite is koste, not koset (that ending belongs to Class 1)
✅ Vi koste oss på hytta.
We had a lovely time at the cabin.
❌ Jeg koser på ferie.
Incorrect — the 'enjoy oneself' sense needs the reflexive: jeg koser meg
✅ Jeg koser meg på ferie.
I'm enjoying myself on holiday.
❌ Har du koset deg i kveld?
Incorrect — the supine is kost (not koset); say har du kost deg
✅ Har du kost deg i kveld?
Have you had a nice evening?
❌ Vi koste oss, men billetten koset mye.
Incorrect — 'cost' is a separate verb; its preterite is kostet, not koset/koste
✅ Vi koste oss, men billetten kostet mye.
We had a great time, but the ticket cost a lot.
Key Takeaways
- kose / koser / koste / har kost / kos! — weak Class 2; supine is the short kost, not koset.
- The everyday meaning is reflexive: kose seg = "have a cosy, nice time." Keep the seg (and match it: meg, deg, oss, dere).
- Non-reflexive kose (med) = "to cuddle, snuggle with."
- Homograph alert: the preterite koste looks identical to koste "costs" — the reflexive seg and context tell them apart. (The "cost" verb's own preterite is kostet.)
- Learn it with koselig (cosy) and kos (cosiness) — the cultural heart of Norwegian kos.
Now practice Norwegian
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Norwegian→Related Topics
- Weak Verbs: The Four ClassesA2 — A map of the four regular Norwegian past-tense classes (-et/-a, -te, -de, -dde) — how to predict a verb's class from its stem and how the supine differs from the preterite.
- 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).
- Verbs with Fixed PrepositionsB1 — Verbs that govern a fixed, unpredictable preposition you must memorise as a unit: vente på (wait for), tenke på (think about), lete etter (look for), be om (ask for), glede seg til (look forward to), bestemme seg for (decide on) — where the Norwegian preposition almost never matches English.
- Reflexive Verbs and segA2 — How Norwegian reflexive verbs work — the meg/deg/seg paradigm, true reflexives like vaske seg, and the many inherently reflexive verbs (glede seg, føle seg) English has no equivalent for.