Vi følger utviklingen.

we

Breakdown of Vi følger utviklingen.

• følge: to follow
• utviklingen: the development

Questions & Answers about Vi følger utviklingen.

What does følger mean here, and what is its base form?

Følger is the present tense of the verb å følge, which usually means to follow.

In this sentence, følger can mean:

• follow
• monitor
• keep track of

So depending on context, Vi følger utviklingen can mean something like:

• We follow the development
• We are monitoring the situation
• We are keeping track of how things develop

Why doesn’t Norwegian use a word like are here, as in We are following?

Norwegian often uses the simple present where English might use either:

• We follow or
• We are following

So Vi følger utviklingen can cover both ideas, depending on context.

Norwegian does have ways to emphasize an ongoing action, but in normal everyday language, the present tense is very often enough.

Why is it utviklingen and not just utvikling?