Breakdown of Vi tok bilder av soloppgangen for to dager siden.
vi
we
av
of
ta
to take
bildet
the picture
soloppgangen
the sunrise
for to dager siden
two days ago
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Questions & Answers about Vi tok bilder av soloppgangen for to dager siden.
Why is tok used here instead of har tatt?
In Norwegian, when you mention a specific time in the past (like for to dager siden), you normally use the simple past (preterite). Tok is the preterite of ta (“to take”). The present perfect (har tatt) is less common with exact time markers. If you said Vi har tatt bilder for to dager siden, it would sound awkward.
Why do we say av soloppgangen instead of just soloppgangen?
The verb phrase ta bilder (“take pictures”) requires the preposition av to introduce the object of the photo. The pattern is always ta bilder av noe (“take pictures of something”), so you need av before soloppgangen.
Why is soloppgangen in the definite form (“the sunrise”) instead of indefinite?
We use the definite form because we’re talking about one particular sunrise—the one two days ago. In Norwegian, you mark definiteness by a suffix: soloppgang (sunrise) becomes soloppgangen (the sunrise).
What is the role of for in for to dager siden?
For … siden is the standard way to say “… ago” in Norwegian. For introduces how far back in time, and siden (literally “since”) caps the expression. Word-for-word it’s “for two days since,” meaning “two days ago.”
Why is it to dager and not to dagers?
When using a cardinal number plus a plural noun for duration, Norwegian keeps the noun in its normal plural form. You say to dager (two days), not to dagers. The genitive dagers would be incorrect here.
Could for to dager siden be placed at the beginning of the sentence?
Yes. Norwegian allows you to front time expressions for emphasis:
“For to dager siden tok vi bilder av soloppgangen.”
The verb still stays in second position, but you highlight for to dager siden.
Can I say Vi tok et bilde av soloppgangen instead?
Absolutely. Et bilde is singular (“one picture”), while bilder is plural (“pictures”). Adjust the noun number to match what you actually did.
Is it necessary to include vi at the start, or can it be dropped?
Standard Norwegian sentences include the subject pronoun (vi). In casual notes or captions you might drop it if context is clear, but in normal speech or writing you keep vi.