Jeg sitter på sofaen.

I sit on the sofa.

Breakdown of Jeg sitter på sofaen.

• jeg: I
• på: on
• sitte: to sit
• sofaen: the sofa

Questions & Answers about Jeg sitter på sofaen.

Why is sitter used here to mean I am sitting rather than having a separate progressive tense?

Norwegian does not have a distinct progressive form (like English “am sitting”). The simple present tense covers both habitual actions and ongoing actions. So jeg sitter can mean “I sit,” “I am sitting,” or even “I’m seated,” depending on context.

How do you form the past and perfect of the verb sitte?

sitte is irregular. Its principal forms are:

• Infinitive: sitte (to sit)
• Present: sitter (sit / am sitting)
• Past: satt (sat)
• Perfect: har sittet (have sat / have been sitting)

All persons use the same form (e.g. jeg sitter, du sitter, han sitter).

Why is the noun sofaen spelled with -en, and how would you say a couch instead?

In Bokmål Norwegian, the definite singular of most masculine or common-gender nouns takes the suffix -en. Here you have:

• Indefinite: en sofa (a couch)
• Definite: sofaen (the couch)

In the plural you get sofaer (couches) and sofaene (the couches).

Why is the preposition used in ? Could you use instead?