Jeg leser e-post.

I read e-mail.

Breakdown of Jeg leser e-post.

• jeg: I
• lese: to read
• e-posten: the email

Questions & Answers about Jeg leser e-post.

What does leser mean in this sentence? Does Norwegian have a continuous tense like English “I am reading”?

Leser is the present tense of lese (“to read”). Norwegian does not distinguish between simple present and present continuous. So Jeg leser e-post can mean either:

• “I read email” (as a habit)
• “I’m reading email” (right now)

Why is there no article before e-post?

Here e-post is used as a mass noun (like “email” in English), so it’s uncountable and takes no article. If you want to talk about a specific or countable email, you add an article or plural ending.

How do I say “an email,” “the email,” and “emails” in Norwegian?

You adjust e-post for number and definiteness:
• Indefinite singular: en e-post = “an email”
• Definite singular: e-posten = “the email”
• Indefinite plural: e-poster = “emails”
• Definite plural: e-postene = “the emails”

What is the word order in Jeg leser e-post? Why does the verb come second?

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be the second element. Here:
1) Jeg (subject)
2) leser (verb)
3) e-post (object)

If you start with something else (time, place, etc.), the verb still stays in position 2.

What gender is e-post, and how do I decline it?

In Bokmål e-post is a common‐gender (en-word). Its forms are:
• Indefinite singular: en e-post
• Definite singular: e-posten
• Indefinite plural: e-poster
• Definite plural: e-postene

How do you pronounce e-post?

It’s pronounced roughly EH-poost with the stress on the first syllable. In IPA: /ˈeːpuːst/.

Are there other ways to say “email” in Norwegian?

Yes. In informal speech Norwegians often borrow English mail (pl.: mailer). You’ll also see e-mail and even email in written texts.