Log inSign up

Vi setter sykkelen i garasjen.

Vi setter sykkelen i garasjen.
We put the bicycle in the garage.
FromLesson 27inHardcore Norwegian
……

Breakdown of Vi setter sykkelen i garasjen.

vi
we
i
in
sykkelen
the bicycle
sette
to put
garasjen
the garage
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Norwegian grammar?”
Norwegian grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Norwegian

Master Norwegian — from Vi setter sykkelen i garasjen to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Norwegian freeBrowse the full course

More from this lesson

utsiktenUtsikten fra rommet mitt er vakker om morgenen.fjelltoppenvakresteUtsikten fra fjelltoppen er den vakreste jeg noen gang har sett.nåVi når stasjonen før toget går.dagslyset

Questions & Answers about Vi setter sykkelen i garasjen.

What exactly does the verb setter mean here, and is it natural with a bicycle?
Å sette means “to put/place,” typically so the thing ends up standing. With a bike (often on its kickstand), Vi setter sykkelen i garasjen is natural. If you lay the bike on its side, you’d use legge instead. Note that sette is transitive and needs a direct object (here: sykkelen).
When should I use sette, legge, stille, plassere, or parkere?
  • sette: neutral “put/place,” often so it stands. Very common: sette koppen på bordet, sette sykkelen i garasjen.
  • legge: “lay” horizontally: legge boken på bordet. With a bike, only if you intentionally lay it down.
  • stille: “set/position (upright),” or “adjust”: stille flasken, stille klokka. Less common with bikes.
  • plassere: neutral/formal “place”: plassere sykkelen i garasjen.
  • parkere: for vehicles: parkere sykkelen i garasjen is very natural.
  • Useful phrasal: sette fra seg (“put down/leave”): Vi setter fra oss sykkelen i garasjen.
Why do both nouns take the definite ending -en (sykkelen, garasjen)?
Norwegian often uses the definite form for specific, known items/places. Here, it’s a particular bike and a particular garage. Using indefinites (en sykkel, en garasje) would sound like you’re talking about some non-specific bike/garage (more like a textbook example than normal speech).
What are the genders and common forms of sykkel and garasje?
  • sykkel (masculine): en sykkel, sykkelen; plural sykler, syklene.
  • garasje (masculine): en garasje, garasjen; plural garasjer, garasjene.
Why is it i garasjen and not inn i garasjen or til garasjen?
  • i focuses on the final location (in/inside): with “put”-type verbs, i is idiomatic: Sett sykkelen i garasjen.
  • inn i emphasizes movement into: Sett sykkelen inn i garasjen (also correct, adds clarity/contrast).
  • til means “to (up to)”: Vi drar sykkelen til garasjen implies going to the garage, not necessarily inside.
Could I say på garasjen?
Only if you literally mean “on top of the garage.” For being inside the building, use i. Note: some locations in Norwegian take på idiomatically (e.g., på kjøkkenet), but a garage is normally i garasjen.
Can I start the sentence with the place, like I garasjen setter vi sykkelen?

Yes. Norwegian main clauses are verb-second (V2). If you front the place phrase (I garasjen), the finite verb (setter) still comes second:

  • I garasjen setter vi sykkelen.
    You can also front the object for emphasis: Sykkelen setter vi i garasjen.
Where does the negation ikke go?

After the finite verb in a main clause:

  • Vi setter ikke sykkelen i garasjen.
    For contrast, you can place ikke with the phrase you’re negating:
  • Vi setter sykkelen ikke i garasjen, men i boden.
How do you pronounce sykkelen and garasjen?
  • sykkelen: roughly “SYK-ke-len.” IPA: [ˈsʏkːələn]. The y is a front rounded vowel (like French u in “tu”).
  • garasjen: roughly “ga-RAH-shen.” IPA: [ɡɑˈrɑːʃən]. sj is like English “sh.”
What’s the difference between å sette, å sitte, and å sette seg?
  • å sette: to put/place (transitive): Vi setter sykkelen i garasjen.
  • å sitte: to sit/be seated (intransitive): Vi sitter i garasjen.
  • å sette seg: to sit down (reflexive): Vi setter oss i garasjen. (We sit down in the garage.)
    Don’t say sykkelen sitter; objects don’t “sit.”
How do you conjugate å sette (and how does it differ from å sitte)?
  • sette: present setter, preterite satte, perfect har satt.
  • sitte: present sitter, preterite satt, perfect har sittet.
    Note the overlap satt:
  • Vi har satt sykkelen i garasjen. (We have put…)
  • Vi satt i garasjen. (We sat/were sitting…)
Are there alternative, possibly more natural ways to say this?

Yes, depending on nuance:

  • Vi parkerer sykkelen i garasjen. (Very common for vehicles.)
  • Vi setter fra oss sykkelen i garasjen. (We put it down/leave it there.)
  • Vi triller sykkelen inn i garasjen. (We roll the bike into the garage.)
    Use legge only if you actually put the bike down horizontally.
Can I drop vi? What happens if I say Setter sykkelen i garasjen?
You normally cannot drop the subject in Norwegian. Setter sykkelen i garasjen would be read as an imperative without a subject: Sett sykkelen i garasjen! (Give a command.) Keep vi for a normal declarative sentence.