Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Norwegian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Vi hører på opptaket.
Why is it hører på and not just hører?
Because høre på usually means to listen to, while høre by itself usually means to hear.
- Vi hører på opptaket = We are listening to the recording
- Vi hører opptaket can sound more like we hear the recording or we hear the sound from the recording
So på is important here because it changes the meaning from passive hearing to active listening.
What form is hører?
Hører is the present tense of å høre.
- å høre = to hear
- hører = hear / am hearing / are hearing / is hearing
In Norwegian, the present tense often covers both the simple present and the present continuous in English:
- Vi hører på opptaket = We listen to the recording or We are listening to the recording
The exact English translation depends on context.
What does på mean here?
Here, på is part of the expression høre på, which means listen to.
Even though på often means on, you should not translate it literally here. In this sentence, it is best understood as part of the verb phrase.
This is very common in Norwegian: a verb plus a small word like på, til, opp, or ut can create a meaning that is a bit different from the basic verb.