Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Vi planlegger å reise til kysten og slappe av på stranden. - We plan to travel to the coast and relax on the beach.

The å is the infinitive marker in Norwegian (like English to in “to travel”). When you have two (or more) coordinated infinitives, you only need to use å once before the first verb. So
– å reise and (understood) å slappe av
becomes simply å reise … og slappe av.

What kind of verb is slappe av, and how does it work?

Slappe av is a separable (verb + preposition) verb. You never move av in the infinitive or present tense; it stays after slappe. For example:
– Infinitive: å slappe av (“to relax”)
– Present: Jeg slapper av (“I relax”)
– Past: Han slapp av (“He relaxed”)

Why are kysten and stranden in the definite form (with -en at the end)?

In Norwegian, the definite article is suffixed to the noun:
– kyst + -en = kysten (“the coast”)
– strand + -en = stranden (“the beach”)
They’re in the definite form because the speaker refers to a specific coast and a specific beach—just like English “the coast” and “the beach.”

Why does the sentence use til kysten but på stranden?

Til expresses movement to a destination:
– reise til kysten = “travel to the coast.”
På expresses location on or at a place:
– slappe av på stranden = “relax on the beach.”
If you said slappe av til stranden, it would literally mean “relax to the beach,” which doesn’t make sense.

Can I use dra instead of reise here?

Yes. Dra (“to go/leave”) and reise (“to travel”) are often interchangeable in casual speech. You could say:
– Vi planlegger å dra til kysten
and it would sound perfectly natural.

What’s the difference between using å and at before a verb in Norwegian?

Use å before an infinitive (like “to do something”):
– planlegge å reise (“plan to travel”)
Use at to introduce a subordinate clause with a finite verb (like “that” in English):
– Jeg tror at vi drar i morgen (“I think that we’re leaving tomorrow”)