Questions & Answers about Vi kjører gjennom tunnelen.
Why is it kjører and not an infinitive like å kjøre?
Kjører is the present tense of the verb å kjøre (to drive / to ride / to go by vehicle).
So:
- å kjøre = to drive
- kjører = drive / drives / am driving / are driving / is driving
In Norwegian, after the subject vi (we), you normally use the finite verb:
- Vi kjører = We drive / We are driving
Unlike English, Norwegian does not need a separate form like are driving here. The simple present often covers both we drive and we are driving, depending on context.
Does Vi kjører mean we drive or we are driving?
It can mean both, depending on context.
In Norwegian, the present tense is often used where English would choose either:
- We drive
- We are driving
So Vi kjører gjennom tunnelen can mean:
- We drive through the tunnel
or - We are driving through the tunnel
If you want to make the ongoing action extra clear, Norwegian can sometimes use expressions like holder på å, but in everyday speech the plain present tense is very common.
What exactly does kjøre mean here?