like (to like) | Norwegian Grammar

Like is one of the first verbs you will use every day in Norwegian — it expresses preference, taste, and what you enjoy doing. It is a perfectly regular weak Class 2 verb, so once you have it, you have a model for hundreds of other verbs. The tricky part for English speakers is not the conjugation but two usage points: like needs å before an infinitive, and — counterintuitively — it is not the verb you reach for to say "I would like."

Conjugation

Like is a weak Class 2 verb: the past tense and supine end in -te / -t (no vowel change in the stem). This is the largest weak class in Norwegian, so this pattern is worth memorising as a template.

Form	Norwegian	English
Infinitive	å like	to like
Present	liker	like / likes
Preterite (past)	likte	liked
Supine (perfect)	har likt	have liked
Imperative	lik!	like!
Present participle	likende	liking

Note the spelling carefully: the present is liker (one consonant), the preterite is likte (the k is kept, then -te), and the supine is likt. There is no doubling and no vowel change. The imperative lik! exists grammatically but is rare in real speech — you do not normally command someone to like something.

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Weak Class 2 verbs add -te in the past and -t in the supine, with no vowel change. If you can conjugate like → likte → likt, you can also do kjøpe → kjøpte → kjøpt and lese → leste → lest the same way.

Sense 1: like + a noun

The most basic use is like + object — you like a thing, a person, or an activity expressed as a noun. Word order is exactly like English: subject, verb, object.

Jeg liker deg.

I like you.

Hun likte filmen, men jeg syntes den var litt kjedelig.

She liked the film, but I thought it was a bit boring.

Har du likt det her i Norge så langt?

Have you liked it here in Norway so far?

Note that Norwegian like covers the whole English range from mild approval to genuine fondness for an activity, but for being fond of people you will more often hear glad i (see below).

Sense 2: like + å + infinitive

When what you like is an activity, Norwegian uses like å plus the infinitive. The infinitive marker å is obligatory — this is the single most common mistake English speakers make, because English drops "to" after "like" ("I like swimming" / "I like to swim", but never "I like to-swimming" as a noun chain).

Jeg liker å svømme i sjøen om sommeren.

I like to swim in the sea in summer.

Vi liker å gå på tur i helgene.

We like to go hiking on weekends.

Han likte å lese da han var liten, men nå spiller han bare.

He liked to read when he was little, but now he just plays games.

In English you can say either "I like swimming" or "I like to swim." Norwegian has only one structure here: like å + infinitive. There is no "-ing" gerund option.

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Think of å as glue between like and the second verb. Drop it and the sentence breaks: ❌ jeg liker svømme is simply ungrammatical, the way ❌ I want go is in English.

Sense 3: like seg (to enjoy being somewhere / settle in)

A reflexive use that has no neat English equivalent: like seg means to feel comfortable, enjoy being in a place, or settle in well. The reflexive pronoun agrees with the subject (meg, deg, seg, oss, dere, seg).

Liker du deg i den nye leiligheten?

Are you settling in well in the new flat?

Barna liker seg veldig godt på den nye skolen.

The kids really enjoy being at the new school.

Jeg likte meg ikke i den byen — alt var for stille.

I didn't feel at home in that town — everything was too quiet.

English has no single verb for this; you must paraphrase with "settle in," "feel at home," or "enjoy being." When a Norwegian asks Liker du deg her?, they are asking whether you feel comfortable and happy being here, not merely whether you "like the place."

like vs glad i vs elske

These three cover a spectrum that English squeezes into "like" and "love." Choosing the right one signals how strong your feeling is — and Norwegians are sparing with the strongest one.

Verb/phrase	Strength	Typical use
like	mild–moderate	things, activities, people you approve of
være glad i	warm affection	family, close friends, partners, pets, comfort foods
elske	strong / romantic	romantic love, or strong enthusiasm (often a bit emphatic)

Jeg liker naboen min — han er hyggelig.

I like my neighbour — he's pleasant.

Jeg er veldig glad i søsteren min.

I'm very fond of my sister.

Jeg elsker deg.

I love you.

The key insight: where an English speaker says "I love my mum," a Norwegian almost always says Jeg er glad i mamma, reserving elske for romantic partners (or for emphatic enthusiasm about things: jeg elsker sushi!). Saying jeg elsker deg to a family member is possible but reads as unusually intense. Glad i is the everyday warm option that English simply lacks a clean word for.

The "would like" trap

Here is the point that trips up nearly every English speaker. "Would like" looks as if it should be ville like — but it is not. To make a polite request or express a wish, Norwegian uses vil gjerne ("will gladly") or har lyst på/til ("have desire for/to").

Jeg vil gjerne ha en kaffe, takk.

I would like a coffee, please.

Vi har lyst på pizza i kveld.

We feel like (would like) pizza tonight.

Jeg har lyst til å reise til Lofoten neste sommer.

I would like to travel to Lofoten next summer.

So liker = a standing preference (a fact about you), while vil gjerne / har lyst = a wish or request in the moment. Jeg liker kaffe means "coffee is something I like in general"; jeg vil gjerne ha kaffe means "I'd like (to have) a coffee now." This split is covered in depth on the vil/ønske/ha lyst page.

Common Mistakes

❌ Jeg liker svømme om sommeren.

Incorrect — missing å before the infinitive.

✅ Jeg liker å svømme om sommeren.

I like to swim in summer.

❌ Jeg ville like en kaffe.

Incorrect — calque of 'I would like'; this is not how Norwegians ask.

✅ Jeg vil gjerne ha en kaffe.

I would like a coffee.

❌ Jeg liket filmen.

Incorrect preterite — Class 2 keeps the k and adds -te.

✅ Jeg likte filmen.

I liked the film.

❌ Jeg elsker bestemoren min.

Possible but oddly intense for a grandmother.

✅ Jeg er glad i bestemoren min.

I'm very fond of my grandmother.

❌ Liker du her?

Incorrect — settling-in sense needs the reflexive.

✅ Liker du deg her?

Do you feel at home here?

Key Takeaways

like / liker / likte / likt — a model weak Class 2 verb, no vowel change.
Use å before an infinitive: like å gjøre noe.
like seg = settle in / feel at home — a reflexive with no clean English equivalent.
For "would like," use vil gjerne or har lyst på/til, never ville like.
Scale of warmth: like → glad i → elske; Norwegians say glad i to family where English says "love."

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