Vi kontrollerer varene.

we

Breakdown of Vi kontrollerer varene.

• kontrollere: to check
• varene: the goods

Questions & Answers about Vi kontrollerer varene.

What does vi mean, and is it always necessary to say it?

Vi means we.

Yes, in a normal Norwegian sentence, you usually need to include the subject, just like in English. So Vi kontrollerer varene is literally We check/inspect the goods.

Norwegian normally does not drop the subject the way some other languages can.

Why is the verb kontrollerer and not kontrollere?

Kontrollere is the infinitive form, meaning to check / to inspect / to control.

Kontrollerer is the present tense form:

• å kontrollere = to check
• kontrollerer = check / checks / am checking / are checking / is checking, depending on context

So:

• Vi kontrollere varene = incorrect
• Vi kontrollerer varene = correct

A very common pattern in Bokmål is that many verbs end in -er in the present tense.

Does kontrollerer mean control in the English sense?

Not always. This is an important vocabulary point.

In Norwegian, kontrollere often means:

• check
• inspect
• verify
• examine

So in Vi kontrollerer varene, the most natural meaning is often We are checking/inspecting the goods, not necessarily We control the goods.

This is a case where the word looks similar to English but is not always used in exactly the same way.