Questions & Answers about Vi liker å skrive og lese.
What is the role of “å” in “å skrive og lese”?
“Å” is the infinitive marker in Norwegian, similar to to in English. It indicates that skrive (“write”) and lese (“read”) are in their infinitive forms.
Why don’t we repeat “å” before “lese” (making it “å skrive og å lese”)?
In Norwegian, when two (or more) infinitive verbs are connected by og (“and”), you usually only need å before the first verb. You can add å before each infinitive if you want to emphasize each action, but it isn’t required.
Why are the verbs “skrive” and “lese” not ending in -r when the sentence starts with “Vi liker ...”?
After liker, the verbs stay in the infinitive form if you use the construction liker + å + verb. They don’t take the -r ending because that ending is for present-tense forms, not infinitives.
Why is there only one “og” even though there are two infinitive verbs?
You only need one og to link two items in a list. If you had three verbs (e.g., “skrive, lese og tegne”), you’d still only use og once at the end.
Is it correct to switch the order and say “Vi liker å lese og skrive”?
Yes, you can switch the order of the infinitives. The meaning and grammatical structure remain correct. The sentence will still sound natural in Norwegian.