Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Ikke lyv til meg.

Breakdown of Ikke lyv til meg.

What form is lyv?

Lyv is the imperative form of å lyve, meaning the form used for commands.

A few forms of the verb are:

So Ikke lyv til meg is literally Don’t lie to me.

Why is ikke placed before the verb?

In Norwegian, negative commands normally use:

So:

This is different from ordinary statements, where ikke usually comes after the finite verb:

So the word order in Ikke lyv til meg is the normal one for a negative command.

Why is it til meg?

Because å lyve usually takes til when you say who someone is lying to:

So:

This is similar to English, which also uses to in lie to someone.