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Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Vi trenger færre stoler. - We need fewer chairs.

Hardcore Norwegian
/Setting up a robot vacuum
/Vi trenger færre stoler.

Vi trenger færre stoler.

Vi trenger færre stoler.

We need fewer chairs.

Breakdown of Vi trenger færre stoler.

Questions & Answers about Vi trenger færre stoler.

Why is it vi and not oss?

Because vi is the subject form of we.

In Vi trenger færre stoler, vi is the one doing the action of trenger (need), so Norwegian uses the subject pronoun vi.

Compare:

Vi trenger flere stoler. = We need more chairs.
De ser oss. = They see us.

Here, oss is an object form, like us in English.

What form is trenger?

Trenger is the present tense of the verb å trenge (to need).

A useful thing about Norwegian is that verbs do not change according to the subject the way they do in English. So the same present-tense form is used with all persons:

jeg trenger = I need
du trenger = you need
vi trenger = we need
de trenger = they need

So trenger works for vi just as it would for jeg or du.

Why is færre used here?

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Færre means fewer, and it is used with countable nouns—things you can count one by one.

Since stoler (chairs) is countable, Norwegian uses færre:

færre stoler = fewer chairs
færre bøker = fewer books
færre mennesker = fewer people

This is like the English difference between fewer and less.

What is the difference between færre and mindre?

This is a very common question.

færre = fewer, used with countable nouns
mindre = less, used with uncountable nouns or amount/degree

So:

Vi trenger færre stoler. = We need fewer chairs.
Vi trenger mindre vann. = We need less water.

Because chairs can be counted, færre is the correct choice here.

Why is it stoler and not stolene?

Stoler is the indefinite plural form of stol (chair).

The sentence is talking about chairs in general, not a specific known set of chairs. So Norwegian uses the indefinite plural:

en stol = a chair
stolen = the chair
stoler = chairs
stolene = the chairs

So:

Vi trenger færre stoler. = We need fewer chairs.
Vi trenger færre av stolene. = We need fewer of the chairs.

If you said stolene, it would sound like you mean specific chairs already known in the conversation.

Is there an article missing before stoler?

No. After words like færre, Norwegian normally does not use an extra article.

So færre stoler is correct, just like:

flere biler = more cars
mange hus = many houses
noen venner = some friends

English also says fewer chairs, not fewer the chairs or fewer some chairs in a sentence like this.

What is the basic word order in this sentence?

The word order here is straightforward:

Vi + trenger + færre stoler
subject + verb + object/noun phrase

So:

Vi = subject
trenger = verb
færre stoler = what is needed, functioning as the object

This is the normal word order in a simple main clause.

Would the word order change if I started the sentence with another element?

Yes. Norwegian follows the V2 rule in main clauses, which means the finite verb usually comes in the second position.

So if you move something else to the front, the verb still stays second:

Vi trenger færre stoler.
Nå trenger vi færre stoler. = Now we need fewer chairs.
I dette rommet trenger vi færre stoler. = In this room, we need fewer chairs.

Notice that when Nå or I dette rommet comes first, trenger still comes second, and vi moves after the verb.

What is the dictionary form of stoler?

The dictionary form is en stol.

Stoler is the plural form. This noun follows a very common pattern for en-words:

en stol = a chair
stolen = the chair
stoler = chairs
stolene = the chairs

Learning the full pattern is helpful, because Norwegian nouns change for number and definiteness.

Could I also say Vi behøver færre stoler?

Yes, that is possible. Å behøve can also mean to need.

However, å trenge is very common and natural in everyday Norwegian, so Vi trenger færre stoler is an excellent standard sentence.

Very roughly:

å trenge = common, everyday to need
å behøve = also correct, sometimes a bit more formal or stylistically different depending on context

How is færre pronounced?

A rough guide is that færre sounds something like FEHR-reh, but the exact vowel is Norwegian and not exactly like a normal English vowel.

A couple of points:

æ is an important Norwegian vowel sound
the rr may sound different depending on dialect
the ending -e is usually lightly pronounced

If you are learning pronunciation, it is best to listen to native audio, because æ and Norwegian r sounds can be tricky for English speakers.

Can trenge mean something other than need?

Yes. Å trenge often means to need, but in other contexts it can also mean to penetrate, to get through, or to push through, depending on the sentence.

For example:

Jeg trenger hjelp. = I need help.
Lys trenger gjennom vinduet. = Light comes through the window / penetrates through the window.

In Vi trenger færre stoler, the meaning is clearly need.

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