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Han spør høflig om prisen.

Han spør høflig om prisen.
He asks politely about the price.
FromLesson 9inHardcore Norwegian
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Breakdown of Han spør høflig om prisen.

han
he
om
about
prisen
the price
spørre
to ask
høflig
polite

Questions & Answers about Han spør høflig om prisen.

What is the infinitive form of spør, and how do you conjugate it in the present and past tense?

The infinitive is å spørre (to ask). In the present tense, you drop the -re ending and get spør for all persons:

  • Jeg spør
  • Du spør
  • Han/hun spør
    In the past tense, you use spurte:
  • Jeg spurte
  • Du spurte
  • Han/hun spurte
Why is høflig unchanged when it modifies the verb—why not høfligt or høfligere?

In Norwegian many adjectives can double as adverbs without any change. Unlike English, which often adds -ly, Norwegian uses the same form:

  • Han er høflig. (He is polite.)
  • Han spør høflig. (He asks politely.)
    You only use comparatives (e.g. høfligere) if you want to say “more politely.”
Why do we use the preposition om after spør, and what would happen if we used for?

å spørre om noe means “to ask about something.” The preposition om corresponds to English about. If you used for (as in spør for noe), it wouldn’t make sense—Norwegian uses be om (“to ask for something”) when you want to request something:

  • Han ber om hjelp. (He asks for help.)
    But with spørre you always use om to introduce the topic you’re asking about.
What word order rule places høflig between the verb and om-prisen?

In a simple Norwegian main clause the usual order is: Subject – Verb – Adverb (manner) – Object. Here:
1) Han (subject)
2) spør (verb)
3) høflig (adverb of manner)
4) om prisen (object with preposition)

Why is prisen in the definite form instead of pris?
Prisen is the definite form of pris (“the price”). We use the definite form when the listener already knows which price is meant (for instance, the price of that particular item). If you wanted to speak very generally you might say om pris, but in most real-life contexts you specify prisen.
How do you pronounce høflig?
Phonetically it’s close to [ˈhøːflɪç]. In English-style respelling you might say HUH-flig (with a rounded ø like the u in French lune, and a soft g at the end).
Could you move høflig to another position, for example at the end?

Yes, you can for emphasis, but the neutral position for a manner adverb is after the verb and before the object. If you place it at the end you get:

  • Han spør om prisen høflig.
    This is grammatically correct but less common and may sound a bit marked or poetic. The standard phrasing is Han spør høflig om prisen.

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