Questions & Answers about Jeg skulle reise i dag.
How is skulle being used here compared to skal?
In Norwegian, skulle is the past tense form of skal, but it doesn’t always refer to something that happened in the past. It can indicate that an action was planned or intended. In Jeg skulle reise i dag, it implies a plan or obligation that might not have been carried out or that was relevant for the day in question.
Why do we say reiser usually, but here it’s reise?
The verb in its infinitive form is å reise (to travel). When used with a modal-like verb such as skulle, you drop the infinitive marker å and just use the bare infinitive (reise). If you were speaking in the present tense, you would say Jeg reiser i dag (I am traveling today).
What’s the difference in meaning between Jeg skulle reise i dag and Jeg reiste i dag?
Jeg reiste i dag directly states that you traveled today. Jeg skulle reise i dag suggests you were supposed to, or you had a plan or obligation to travel today, but it doesn’t confirm whether you actually did or not.
Can I change the word order to I dag skulle jeg reise?
Yes, you can. Norwegian word order typically puts the verb second, but placing i dag (today) at the beginning is perfectly acceptable. Both Jeg skulle reise i dag and I dag skulle jeg reise convey the same idea, just with slightly different emphasis.