Questions & Answers about Jeg må reparere bilen.
What type of verb is må, and how is it translated into English?
Må is a modal auxiliary verb expressing necessity. It corresponds to English must or have to, indicating that something is required.
Why is there no å before reparere in this sentence?
After modal verbs like må, Norwegian uses the bare infinitive. You say må reparere, not må å reparere, so the infinitive marker å is dropped.
Why is bil written as bilen?
Norwegian marks definiteness by adding a suffix to the noun. Bil means “car,” and bilen (“bil + -en”) means “the car.” The -en ending is the definite article for a masculine noun.
How would you ask “Do I have to repair the car?” in Norwegian?
Invert the modal and the subject:
Må jeg reparere bilen?
How do you form the past tense “I had to repair the car”?
Use the past form of må, which is måtte:
Jeg måtte reparere bilen.
How do you express “I don’t have to repair the car”?