sette (to set / put upright) | Norwegian Grammar

sette ("to set / put something upright") is the transitive, causative partner of sitte ("to sit"). Just as legge makes things ligge, sette makes things sitte (or stå): you sette an object somewhere — typically standing it on its base, or seating it — and as a result it is now in place. It also gives you sette seg ("to sit down"), the verb of the motion of sitting, which Norwegian carefully separates from sitte (the state of being seated). Add a rich set of idioms (sette i gang, sette pris på, sette opp, sette inn) and sette becomes one of the busiest verbs at B1.

Conjugation

Class: weak, irregular (Class-1-type, but with -tt- in the supine). Auxiliary: ha.

Tense / mood	Norwegian	English
Infinitiv	å sette	to set / put
Presens	setter	set(s), am/is/are setting
Preteritum	satte	set / put
Perfektum	har satt	have/has set
Pluskvamperfektum	hadde satt	had set
Futurum	skal/vil sette	will set
Imperativ	sett!	set! / put it down!
Presens partisipp	settende	setting (adjective)

💡

The dangerous overlap is between this verb and sitte. sette's preterite is satte (double t + final e), and its supine is satt (double t, no e). The bare form satt is the real trap: it is also sitte's preterite ("sat"). So satt = "(has) set/put" when it's sette's supine (after har), but = "sat" when it's sitte's preterite. Note that sitte's own supine is sittet, so "has sat" is har sittet, never har satt. Disambiguate by transitivity: Han har satt koppen der (object, with har → "has put", sette) vs Han satt der lenge (no object, no har → "sat", sitte).

The causative logic: sette makes things sit (or stand)

sette is causative, exactly like legge. It names the act of placing, not the resulting position. You sette an object — and once placed, it sitter or står:

sette (transitive, takes an object): Jeg setter koppen på bordet — "I put the cup on the table." Someone acts; an object is placed.
sitte (intransitive, no object): Jeg sitter på stolen — "I'm sitting on the chair." Nobody is moved; you simply are seated.

The split parallels English set/sit almost perfectly — "Set it down" (transitive) vs "Sit down" (intransitive) — which is a real advantage: the English pair never collapses the way lay/lie does, so this distinction feels natural. The test is the same as for legge: if a thing is being placed, use sette. If something is simply seated or standing, use sitte or stå. Note that sette covers both seating things and standing them upright on a base — å sette en kopp stands the cup on its bottom.

Jeg setter koppen på bordet — pass på, den er varm.

I'm putting the cup on the table — careful, it's hot.

Han satte sekken på gulvet og pustet ut.

He set his backpack on the floor and breathed out.

Kan du sette melka tilbake i kjøleskapet?

Can you put the milk back in the fridge?

sette seg — sit down (the motion)

To seat yourself, use the reflexive sette seg: literally "set oneself down." This is the verb for the act of sitting down. The resulting state — being seated — is sitte. So you setter deg (you sit down), and then you sitter (you are sitting). Keeping these apart is essential: Sett deg! invites someone to take a seat; Sitt! (to a dog) tells it to hold the seated position.

Sett deg ned, så henter jeg litt kaffe.

Sit down, and I'll go get some coffee.

Hun satte seg ytterst på benken, så langt unna som mulig.

She sat down at the very end of the bench, as far away as possible.

Har du satt deg allerede? Vi venter jo på de andre.

Have you sat down already? We're still waiting for the others.

Idioms with sette

sette i gang — to start / get going (something). Vi setter i gang i morgen.
sette pris på — to appreciate, value. Jeg setter stor pris på hjelpen.
sette opp — to set up, put up (a tent, a list, a price); also to arrange/schedule.
sette inn — to insert; also to deposit money (sette inn penger på konto).
sette over — to put the kettle/pot on; to transfer (a call).
sette seg inn i — to familiarise oneself with, get to grips with.

Jeg setter virkelig pris på at du tok deg tid.

I really appreciate that you took the time.

Vi må sette i gang nå hvis vi skal bli ferdige i kveld.

We have to get going now if we're going to finish tonight.

Husk å sette inn nok penger før husleia trekkes.

Remember to deposit enough money before the rent is taken out.

Common Mistakes

❌ Jeg setter på stolen ved vinduet.

Incorrect — for being seated use sitte; sette is transitive (place something)

✅ Jeg sitter på stolen ved vinduet.

I'm sitting on the chair by the window.

❌ Han satte på benken og ventet.

Incorrect — no object here, so this needs sitte: han satt på benken

✅ Han satt på benken og ventet.

He was sitting on the bench, waiting.

❌ Jeg har satte koppen på bordet.

Incorrect — satte is the preterite; after har use the supine satt

✅ Jeg har satt koppen på bordet.

I've put the cup on the table.

❌ Sett deg pris på hjelpen.

Incorrect — the idiom is sette pris på (no reflexive seg): jeg setter pris på

✅ Jeg setter pris på hjelpen.

I appreciate the help.

Key Takeaways

sette / setter / satte / har satt / sett! — weak but irregular; preterite satte, supine satt.
sette is transitive and causative: you set/place an object. Its intransitive partner is sitte (someone sits).
The form clash is real: satt is sette's supine ("has set") and also sitte's preterite ("sat") — while satte is sette's preterite ("put"). Let transitivity (and whether har is present) decide the meaning; sitte's supine is sittet, so "has sat" is har sittet, never har satt.
sette seg = sit down (the motion); sette i gang = get going; sette pris på = appreciate; sette inn = insert / deposit.

Now practice Norwegian

Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.

Start learning Norwegian→