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Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Vi så ambulansen. - We saw the ambulance.

Hardcore Norwegian
/Trying indoor bouldering with friends
/Vi så ambulansen.

Vi så ambulansen.

Vi så ambulansen.

We saw the ambulance.

Breakdown of Vi så ambulansen.

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Questions & Answers about Vi så ambulansen.

What does så mean here, and is it the same as so in English?

In this sentence, så is the past tense of å se (to see), so Vi så ambulansen means We saw the ambulance.

It is not the same as English so. Norwegian så can mean different things in different contexts, for example:

Vi så ambulansen. = We saw the ambulance.
Det var så fint. = It was so nice.
Så gikk vi hjem. = Then we went home.

So you have to understand så from the context.

Why is it ambulansen and not en ambulanse?

Because ambulansen means the ambulance, while en ambulanse means an ambulance.

In Norwegian, definiteness is often shown by adding an ending to the noun:

en ambulanse = an ambulance
ambulansen = the ambulance

This is very common in Norwegian. Instead of usually putting a separate word like the before the noun, Norwegian often adds the definite ending directly to the noun.

Why does the sentence start with Vi?

Vi means we, and it is the subject of the sentence — the people doing the action.

The basic word order here is very similar to English:

Vi = We
så = saw
ambulansen = the ambulance

So the structure is:

subject + verb + object

That makes this a very straightforward Norwegian sentence.

Is så pronounced like English saw?

It is somewhat similar, but not exactly the same.

A rough guide:

så has a long å sound, somewhat like the vowel in British English saw or more, depending on accent.
The s is a normal s sound.

So English speakers can often use something close to saw as a helpful approximation, but the Norwegian vowel may not match perfectly.

What is the infinitive form of så?

The infinitive is å se, which means to see.

A few useful forms are:

å se = to see
ser = see / sees
så = saw
har sett = have/has seen

So:

Vi ser ambulansen. = We see the ambulance.
Vi så ambulansen. = We saw the ambulance.
Vi har sett ambulansen. = We have seen the ambulance.

Why is there no word for the before ambulansen?

Because Norwegian usually expresses the by attaching it to the noun.

Compare:

en bil = a car
bilen = the car
en ambulanse = an ambulance
ambulansen = the ambulance

So ambulansen already includes the meaning of the ambulance. You do not need a separate word like English the here.

Can Vi så ambulansen also mean We were looking at the ambulance?

Normally, the most natural meaning is We saw the ambulance.

If you want to say we were looking at the ambulance, Norwegian would more naturally use a different expression, such as:

Vi så på ambulansen. = We looked at the ambulance.

That small word på changes the meaning quite a bit:

Vi så ambulansen. = We saw the ambulance.
Vi så på ambulansen. = We looked at the ambulance.

Is this sentence in the past tense?

Yes. Så is the past tense form, so the sentence is in the past.

That is why the meaning is We saw the ambulance, not We see the ambulance.

Compare:

Vi ser ambulansen. = We see the ambulance.
Vi så ambulansen. = We saw the ambulance.

Could I also say Ambulansen så vi?

Yes, you can, but it changes the emphasis.

Vi så ambulansen. = neutral word order, We saw the ambulance.
Ambulansen så vi. = The ambulance, we saw / It was the ambulance that we saw

Norwegian often allows a different element to come first for emphasis, but then the verb still stays in second position. This is part of the V2 rule in Norwegian.

So:

Vi så ambulansen.
I går så vi ambulansen. = Yesterday we saw the ambulance.
Ambulansen så vi.

All of these are grammatical, but the first one is the most basic and neutral.

Is ambulanse a masculine noun?

Yes, ambulanse is usually treated as a common-gender noun, and in Bokmål that means it takes en in the indefinite singular:

en ambulanse
ambulansen

In Norwegian grammar, Bokmål often groups masculine and feminine together as common gender in many learning contexts, although some nouns can also be specifically feminine in some varieties. For everyday use, learning en ambulanse / ambulansen is completely correct.

Do I need a period at the end?

Yes, if it is a normal statement, you end it with a period:

Vi så ambulansen.

If you were turning it into a question, the punctuation and often the word order would change:

Så vi ambulansen? = Did we see the ambulance?

So the period shows that this is a statement, not a question.

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