mene (to mean / opine) | Norwegian Grammar

Mene is "think" in the sense of holding a considered opinion — a reasoned position you could defend, argue for, or be quoted on. It is also the ordinary verb for "to mean" in the sense of "to intend / signify" (Hva mener du? = "What do you mean?" and "What's your opinion?"). It is the most public and committal of the four "think" verbs (mene / synes / tro / tenke): where synes reports private taste and tro hazards a guess, mene stakes out a stance. It is a regular weak Class 2 verb.

Conjugation

Class: weak, Class 2 (preterite -te, supine -t). Auxiliary: ha. Note the supine ment loses the stem's -e-: men- → ment.

Tense / mood	Norwegian	English
Infinitiv	å mene	to mean / be of the opinion
Presens	mener	mean(s) / think(s)
Preteritum	mente	meant / thought
Perfektum	har ment	have/has meant / thought
Pluskvamperfektum	hadde ment	had meant / thought
Futurum	skal/vil mene	will think / hold
Imperativ	men!	opine! (rare)
Presens partisipp	menende	meaning (adjective)

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Watch the supine: it is ment, not *menet or *mente. The preterite mente keeps an e before the -te, but the supine drops it: har ment. Compare the related noun en mening ("an opinion / a meaning") and the adjective ment ("intended").

Sense 1: mene = be of the opinion (a reasoned stance)

This is the "think" of debate, editorials and considered judgement. Mene at + a clause introduces a position you hold and could argue for. Unlike synes (taste) or tro (a guess), a mene statement implies you have reasons.

Jeg mener at staten bør betale for tannlegen.

I think (am of the opinion) that the state should pay for the dentist.

Mange mener at skolen starter altfor tidlig om morgenen.

Many people think (hold) that school starts far too early in the morning.

Hun har alltid ment at ærlighet er viktigst.

She has always held that honesty matters most.

The question Hva mener du? is everyday and ambiguous in a useful way: depending on context it asks "What's your opinion?" or "What do you mean (by that)?" — both senses live in mene.

Hva mener du om det nye forslaget?

What's your opinion on the new proposal?

«Det er komplisert.» «Hva mener du med det?»

\"It's complicated.\" \"What do you mean by that?\"

Sense 2: mene = mean / intend (signify)

Mene also covers "to mean" in the sense of intending a meaning or referring to something specific. This is "what I'm getting at."

Jeg mente ikke å såre deg — unnskyld.

I didn't mean to hurt you — sorry.

Når jeg sier «snart», mener jeg om fem minutter.

When I say \"soon\", I mean in five minutes.

A fixed, high-value expression is mene det = "to be serious / to mean it" (as opposed to joking):

Mener du det, eller bare tuller du?

Are you serious, or are you just joking?

Han sa han ville slutte, og han mente det.

He said he'd quit, and he meant it.

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For "what a word means," Norwegian prefers bety (Hva betyr «koselig»? = "What does koselig mean?"). Use mene for what a person means or thinks; use bety for what a word or sign signifies. Mixing these up is a common slip.

mene vs synes vs tro vs tenke

Four verbs, one English "think." Mene is the one you reach for when you are taking a position.

Verb	Means	Use it for
mene	hold the opinion / mean (considered view)	reasoned positions, what you intend to say
synes	find / feel (subjective impression)	personal taste, how something strikes you
tro	believe / guess (uncertain fact)	predictions, estimates, the unverifiable
tenke	think / ponder (the mental process)	the act of thinking, intending, imagining

Jeg mener at dødsstraff er galt.

I think (am of the opinion) the death penalty is wrong. — reasoned stance

Jeg synes maten her er for salt.

I think (find) the food here is too salty. — personal taste

Jeg tror butikken stenger klokka ni.

I think (guess) the shop closes at nine. — uncertain fact

The distinction that defines mene: it carries the weight of reasons. "I think the soup is too salty" is just your tongue's reaction → synes. "I think the soup is poisoned" is a guess about a fact → tro. "I think the restaurant should be shut down for hygiene" is a position you could argue → mene. The richer treatment is on the synes / tror / mener page.

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Filter for "think": am of the opinion / could argue it → mene; find/feel → synes; believe/guess → tro; ponder/intend → tenke.

Common Mistakes

❌ Jeg mener at suppa er for salt.

A bare taste reaction wants synes, not mene (unless you're staking out a defensible verdict).

✅ Jeg synes suppa er for salt.

I think (find) the soup is too salty.

❌ Hva betyr du om forslaget?

Wrong verb — for a person's opinion use mene; bety is for what a word means.

✅ Hva mener du om forslaget?

What's your opinion on the proposal?

❌ Jeg har menet det lenge.

Incorrect supine — it's ment, with no -e- and no -et: har ment.

✅ Jeg har ment det lenge.

I've thought (held) that for a long time.

❌ Jeg mente ikke å sårer deg.

After å use the infinitive: å såre, not the present *sårer.

✅ Jeg mente ikke å såre deg.

I didn't mean to hurt you.

Key Takeaways

mene / mener / mente / har ment — weak Class 2; supine ment drops the stem -e-.
Core sense = holding a reasoned opinion you could defend (mene at
- clause).
Second sense = to mean / intend; mene det = "to be serious / mean it."
Use bety (not mene) for what a word means.
In the mene / synes / tro / tenke family, mene is the considered-opinion member — synes for taste, tro for guesses, tenke for the thinking itself.

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