Jeg drikker bare vann.

I only drink water.

Breakdown of Jeg drikker bare vann.

• jeg: I
• drikke: to drink
• vannet: the water
• bare: only

Questions & Answers about Jeg drikker bare vann.

What does bare mean in this sentence?

In Norwegian, bare is an adverb meaning only or just. In Jeg drikker bare vann, it restricts the action to drinking water alone: “I only drink water.”

Why is bare placed before vann and not right after drikker?

Norwegian places adverbs that limit or modify an object immediately before that object. Here bare modifies vann, so it goes before it. If you say Jeg bare drikker vann, it sounds awkward and may imply “I just happen to drink water,” shifting the focus to the verb rather than to the fact that water is the only thing you drink.

Can I use kun instead of bare?

Yes. Kun also means only, but it’s more formal and often found in written language. In everyday speech, bare is more common and colloquial. Both are grammatically correct:
• Colloquial: Jeg drikker bare vann.
• Formal/written: Jeg drikker kun vann.

Why isn’t there an article before vann? Shouldn’t it be et vann or noe vann?

Vann is an uncountable noun when you speak of water in general, so Norwegian omits the indefinite article. If you need to specify an amount, you add a measure word:
• et glass vann (“a glass of water”)
• noe vann (“some water”)
But Jeg drikker bare vann simply means “I only drink water,” without specifying quantity.

Does drikker mean present simple (“I drink”) or present continuous (“I am drinking”)?

Norwegian doesn’t distinguish between simple and progressive present tenses like English does. Jeg drikker can mean both “I drink” (habitual) and “I am drinking” (right now). Context tells you which.

How do I pronounce Jeg drikker bare vann correctly?

• Jeg: sounds like yay [jæɪ].
• Drikker: [ˈdrɪkːər], with a short i and a trilled or tapped r.
• Bare: [ˈbɑːrə], first a long, second shorter.
• Vann: [vɑn], short a and a single “n” sound.
Put the main stress on drikker to sound natural.

What happens if I move bare to the front? Can I say Bare drikker jeg vann?

Starting with bare triggers the Norwegian V2 (verb-second) word order, so the verb comes next and the subject follows. Bare drikker jeg vann literally means “Only do I drink water,” implying that nobody else drinks water. That inversion changes the meaning from “I only drink water” to “I’m the only one who drinks water.”