Vi fisker ved elvebredden, ikke sant?

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Breakdown of Vi fisker ved elvebredden, ikke sant?

• ved: at
• ikke sant: right? (isn't that so?)
• elvebredden: the riverbank

Questions & Answers about Vi fisker ved elvebredden, ikke sant?

What tense is fisker, and does it mean we fish or we are fishing?

Fisker is the present tense of å fiske (to fish).

In Norwegian, the present tense often covers both:

• we fish
• we are fishing

So Vi fisker can mean either:

• a general/habitual action: We fish
• something happening right now: We are fishing

You usually figure out which meaning is intended from the context.

Why is it Vi fisker and not Vi fiske?

Because fiske is the infinitive form, meaning to fish.

The forms are:

• å fiske = to fish
• fisker = fish / am fishing / are fishing / is fishing in the present tense

So:

• Vi fiske would be incorrect
• Vi fisker is correct for We fish / We are fishing

What does ved mean here?

Ved usually means by, near, or at.

In this sentence, ved elvebredden means:

• by the riverbank
• at the riverbank
• near the riverbank

So ved is used to show location.