Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Jeg leser avisen hele dagen.

leser is the present tense of the verb lese (“to read”). In Norwegian, the simple present form covers both English “I read” (habitually) and “I am reading” (right now), so leser can mean either depending on context.

Why is avisen used instead of avis?

avis means “a newspaper,” while avisen is the definite form, “the newspaper.” In Norwegian you add -en (for masculine nouns) to make a noun definite when both speaker and listener know which newspaper is meant.

How would I say “I read a newspaper all day” instead?

Use the indefinite article en before avis and keep hele dagen unchanged: • Jeg leser en avis hele dagen.

Why isn’t there a preposition before hele dagen?

In Norwegian, expressions of duration normally don’t need a preposition. You simply place the time phrase after the verb: • Jeg sover åtte timer.
• Jeg leser avisen hele dagen.
(You wouldn’t say i hele dagen for “all day” in this structure.)

Why is dagen in the definite form in hele dagen?

When you use hele (“whole/entire”), the noun must be in the definite form. So en dag (“a day”) becomes dagen (“the day”) after hele, giving hele dagen (“the whole day”).

Can I move hele dagen to the front of the sentence?

Yes. But Norwegian follows the verb-second (V2) rule, so the verb must stay in second position: • Hele dagen leser jeg avisen.
This emphasizes the time element.

What’s the difference between hele dagen and om dagen?

• hele dagen = “the whole day” (the entire duration)
• om dagen = “during the day” (at some times in the daytime, not necessarily continuously)

Does leser here imply a one-time action or a habit?

It can be either.
• Habitual: Jeg leser avisen hele dagen might mean “I read the newspaper all day (every day).”
• Continuous: With context (e.g. “I have been stuck at home”), it can mean “I’m reading the newspaper all day.”
To be clearer, you can add hver dag (“every day”) or use a perfect construction.

How do I say “I will be reading the newspaper all day” (future continuous)?

Use kommer til å + infinitive:
• Jeg kommer til å lese avisen hele dagen.