Han liker å snakke med barn.

He likes to talk with children.

Breakdown of Han liker å snakke med barn.

• han: he
• snakke: to talk
• å: to
• med: with
• barn: the child

Questions & Answers about Han liker å snakke med barn.

Why is there a word “å” before “snakke”?

In Norwegian, å is used to mark the infinitive form of a verb. You’ll usually see it before verbs when you want to say something like “to speak” rather than just “speak.” So å snakke means to speak.

What does “Han liker å snakke” literally translate to in English?

The closest literal translation is He likes to speak. However, in everyday English, we say He likes to talk. The word snakke covers both “speak” and “talk” in Norwegian.

Why do we say “med barn” and not just “barn”?

In Norwegian, med means with, so med barn is with children. It indicates that the action of speaking is directed towards or involving children. Just saying barn without med wouldn’t show with whom he’s speaking.

Is “barn” singular or plural here?

The word barn can mean child in the singular (et barn) or children in the plural (flere barn). In this sentence, context suggests it’s understood as children (plural). Norwegian uses the same form for both singular and plural in the indefinite form of this noun.

How do I pronounce “Han liker å snakke med barn”?

1. Han – Similar to “hahn” in English.
2. liker – “LEE-ker.” The “r” is lightly rolled or tapped.
3. å snakke – “oh SNAH-keh.” The “k” is pronounced, but lightly before the “e.”
4. med – Sounds like “meh.”
5. barn – “barn,” but the “r” is lightly rolled, and the vowel is more open than in English “barn.”