Questions & Answers about Jeg var sulten da jeg kom.
What tense is var, and when do I use it?
Var is the simple past (preterite) of å være (“to be”), equivalent to English “was.” Use it for completed past actions or states. By contrast, er is present tense (“am/is”), and har vært is present perfect (“have been”) when you want to link a past state to the present.
Why is kom used here instead of har kommet or ankom?
Kom is the simple past of å komme (“to come/arrive”), used for narrating a specific past event.
- Har kommet (present perfect) would stress the result (“I have arrived”).
- Ankom is the preterite of the more formal ankomme (“to arrive”) and is uncommon in everyday speech.
Why is it sulten and not sultent or sultne?
After å være, adjectives in predicate position take the indefinite form:
Why isn’t there an article before sulten (like en sulten)?