Jeg antar at du har rett.

Antar is the present tense of the verb å anta, which means to assume, to suppose, or sometimes to presume.

So jeg antar literally means I assume.

It is a slightly more formal or deliberate choice than jeg tror (I think). It suggests that the speaker is making a reasonable assumption rather than just giving a personal opinion.

At means that and introduces a subordinate clause.

So the structure is:

• Jeg antar = I assume
• at du har rett = that you are right

In English, that is often optional: I assume (that) you’re right. In Norwegian, at is very commonly used in this kind of sentence.

In Norwegian, the usual expression for to be right/correct is å ha rett, literally to have right.

So:

• du har rett = you are right
• jeg har rett = I am right
• han har rett = he is right

This is just the normal idiom in Norwegian. English uses be right, but Norwegian uses have right in this expression.

The whole sentence is in the present tense:

• jeg antar = I assume
• du har rett = you are right

Even though English also uses the present here, it is still useful to notice that both verbs are present-tense forms.

Because at du har rett is a subordinate clause, and subordinate clauses in Norwegian do not follow the usual main-clause verb-second pattern.

Compare:

• Main clause: Du har rett.
• Subordinate clause: ... at du har rett.

So after at, the subject du comes before the verb har.

This is a very important pattern in Norwegian grammar.

Sometimes, yes, especially in informal speech or writing:

• Jeg antar du har rett.

This is understandable and natural in many contexts. But Jeg antar at du har rett is fully correct and often sounds a bit more complete or careful.

For learners, it is usually safest to include at.

Yes, but it can sound a little more formal or thoughtful than some other options.

Common alternatives are:

• Jeg tror du har rett. = I think you’re right.
• Jeg regner med at du har rett. = I assume / expect you’re right.

So Jeg antar at du har rett is correct and natural, but Jeg tror du har rett may be more common in casual everyday conversation.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

yai an-TAR at du har ret

A few notes:

• jeg is often pronounced something like yai in Standard East Norwegian.
• antar has the stress on the second syllable: an-TAR.
• rett has a short vowel and a clear final t.

Exact pronunciation varies by dialect, so don’t worry if you hear different versions.

Here, rett means right in the sense of correct.

Norwegian rett can have several meanings depending on context, for example:

• correct/right: Du har rett.
• straight: Gå rett fram.
• dish/course in food contexts: en rett

In this sentence, the meaning is clearly correct.

Yes, often it can.

Depending on context, Jeg antar at du har rett may sound like:

• I assume you’re right
• I suppose you’re right
• I guess you’re right (though this is usually less formal in English)

The exact English translation depends on tone. Norwegian antar often feels a bit more neutral or formal than English guess.

Yes, definitely.

Depending on tone of voice, Jeg antar at du har rett can sound like:

• calm agreement
• cautious acceptance
• slightly reluctant admission

For example, if someone has been arguing with you and finally gives in, this sentence could mean something like I suppose you’re right.

So the grammar is straightforward, but the tone can change the feeling a lot.

You would normally say:

Jeg antar at du ikke har rett.
= I assume that you are not right.

Notice the position of ikke in the subordinate clause:

• at du ikke har rett

That is another important Norwegian word-order pattern: in subordinate clauses, ikke usually comes before the verb phrase element that follows the subject.