Jeg har kaffe.

I

Breakdown of Jeg har kaffe.

• ha: to have

Questions & Answers about Jeg har kaffe.

Why is har used here, and not some other form of the verb?

In Norwegian, har is the present tense form of the verb å ha (to have). Regardless of the subject (whether it’s jeg, du, han, etc.), the present tense form remains har. This is different from English, where the verb "have" changes to "has" in the third person singular.

Why don’t we use an article before kaffe?

Norwegian, like English, can use indefinite or definite articles. However, kaffe in this sentence is being used in a general sense (similar to saying "I have coffee" in English). If you wanted to say "I have a coffee," referring to one cup of coffee, you could say Jeg har en kaffe, but it’s very common just to say Jeg har kaffe when talking about coffee in general.

Is kaffe singular or uncountable in Norwegian?

The word kaffe can be used in a way that’s similar to an uncountable noun—much like "coffee" in English—when you’re talking about coffee as a substance or a drink in general. However, you can make it countable if you’re referring to individual cups of coffee (e.g., en kaffe = a coffee, meaning "a cup of coffee").

Can Jeg har kaffe ever mean "I’m drinking coffee" instead of "I have coffee"?

Usually, Jeg har kaffe is interpreted literally as "I have coffee." If you want to say you are currently drinking coffee, you could say Jeg drikker kaffe (I’m drinking coffee). Norwegian doesn’t have a separate continuous tense like English does ("I am drinking"), so context or a different verb is used to express ongoing actions.

Is the r in har pronounced differently from English r?

Yes, Norwegian r is typically trilled or rolled, depending on the dialect. It differs from the English r, which is more "bunched up" at the back of the mouth. This can take some practice, but it’s an important distinction in many Norwegian dialects.