Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Læreren sier: «Ikke skynd dere, vi løser dette sammen.» - The teacher says: “Don’t hurry, we will solve this together.”

In Norwegian, the imperative (command) is formed by taking the infinitive of the verb and dropping the -e. Here:
• Infinitive: å skynde seg (to hurry oneself)
• Imperative: skynd (hurry!)
The form skynder is the present tense (“hurry/hurries”) and is not used for direct commands.

What role does dere play in skynd dere, and why is it necessary?

Dere is the reflexive pronoun for “yourselves” in the plural. The verb skynde seg requires a reflexive pronoun to show who is doing the action to themselves. Because the teacher addresses the whole class (you plural), we use dere. If you talked to one person: Ikke skynd deg.

Why can’t I replace dere with deg in Ikke skynd dere?

Deg is the singular reflexive pronoun (“yourself”). Using deg would mean you’re talking to one person. For a group, you must use dere. Otherwise the sentence would address only a single student.

Why is ikke placed before skynd? Could it come after?

Norwegian places ikke (not/don’t) immediately before the verb in negative imperatives:
• Correct: Ikke skynd dere (Don’t hurry)
• Incorrect: Skynd ikke dere
Putting ikke after the verb sounds archaic or emphatic and is not standard for negative commands.

In vi løser dette sammen, why is the present tense løser used to mean “we’ll solve” rather than a future tense?

Norwegian often uses the present tense to express near-future or planned actions. So vi løser can mean “we solve this” or “we will solve this,” depending on context. You could also say vi skal løse dette sammen (we shall/will solve this together) for an explicit future.

What is the difference between dette and det in vi løser dette sammen? Could I say vi løser det sammen instead?

• Dette means “this” (something close or just mentioned).
• Det means “it” (more general).
Both are correct:

Vi løser dette sammen = “We’ll solve this together” (emphasizing the specific problem at hand).
Vi løser det sammen = “We’ll solve it together” (using a neutral pronoun).

What does sammen mean, and can its position in the sentence change?

Sammen means “together.” In Norwegian, adverbs like sammen typically follow the main verb or object:
• Vi løser dette sammen.
You could also say:
• Vi løser sammen dette. (less common, more poetic)
• Sammen løser vi dette. (emphasizes the togetherness)

Why is there a colon after sier in Læreren sier:?

In written Norwegian, a colon often introduces direct speech. It signals that what follows are the exact words spoken. In English you might use a comma or colon, but Norwegian style more commonly uses a colon before quotation marks.

Why are the quotation marks « » used instead of English-style " "?

Norwegian typographic convention prefers angle quotation marks (« »), called guillemets. In digital text you may also see straight quotes, but « » is the standard in Norwegian printed material.

Could the teacher have said La oss løse dette sammen instead of Vi løser dette sammen? Would the meaning change?

Yes, La oss løse dette sammen literally means “Let us solve this together.” It’s a first-person plural imperative and sounds more like a direct invitation or suggestion.
• Vi løser dette sammen is simply a present-tense statement: “We’ll solve this together,” more neutral and descriptive.
Both are correct; the choice depends on whether you want to encourage action (La oss…) or state intent (Vi løser…).