Vennligst vis Deres pass; vi kontakter Dem i morgen.

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 Vennligst vis Deres pass; vi kontakter Dem i morgen 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

Questions & Answers about Vennligst vis Deres pass; vi kontakter Dem i morgen.

Why are Deres and Dem capitalized here? Are they still used?

They are the old formal/polite second‑person pronouns in Norwegian Bokmål:

  • De (subject), Dem (object), Deres (possessive).
  • They’re capitalized to distinguish them from de/dem/deres = they/them/their.
  • Today, this style is rare and feels old‑fashioned. Most contexts use:
    • singular informal: du/deg/din/ditt/dine
    • plural: dere/deres

Modern equivalent: Vennligst vis passet ditt; vi kontakter deg i morgen. Note: Lowercase changes the meaning: vi kontakter dem = “we will contact them.”

How would I say the same thing in natural, modern Norwegian?

A few idiomatic options:

  • Instructional tone (e.g., sign): Vennligst vis passet ditt. Vi kontakter deg i morgen.
  • More conversational request: Kan du vise passet ditt? Vi tar kontakt i morgen.
  • With an explicit future auxiliary: Vi skal kontakte deg i morgen.

If speaking to several people: Vennligst vis passene deres. Vi kontakter dere i morgen.

What’s the difference between Deres pass and passet Deres?

It’s possessive placement:

  • Preposed possessive (before the noun): no definite suffix on the noun → Deres pass, ditt pass.
  • Postposed possessive (after the noun): the noun takes the definite suffix → passet Deres, passet ditt.

Both are correct. Preposed often feels a bit more formal/contrastive; postposed is very common in everyday speech. The same pattern holds in the plural: dine pass vs passene dine.

Why is it vis and not vise?

Vis is the imperative of the verb å vise (to show). Norwegian imperatives usually use the bare stem: vis! (show!), kom! (come!), vent! (wait!). So Vennligst vis … = “Please show …”.
Similarly, the imperative of å kontakte is kontakt: Kontakt oss i morgen.

Why does vi kontakter Dem i morgen mean “we will contact you tomorrow” when kontakter is present tense?

Norwegian often uses the present tense for future events when there’s a time expression: i morgen, snart, om en time, etc.
You can also use future constructions:

  • Plan/intention: Vi skal kontakte deg i morgen.
  • Prediction (less common here): Vi kommer til å kontakte deg i morgen.
    The simple present with a time adverbial is very normal and neutral.
Is Vennligst a polite way to say “please,” or can it sound stiff?

Vennligst is common in signs, forms, and instructions. In direct conversation it can sound curt. Softer options:

  • Vær så snill og vis passet. (followed by an imperative)
  • Vær så snill å vise passet. (followed by an infinitive)
  • Kan du/dere vise passet (ditt/deres)? (very common and polite)

Note the pattern: og + imperative vs å + infinitive after Vær så snill.

Is the semicolon appropriate here?

Yes. Norwegian uses semicolons like English does: to link two closely related independent clauses. A period is equally fine:

  • Vennligst vis …; vi kontakter …
  • Vennligst vis …. Vi kontakter …

A comma alone between two main clauses is not standard. After a semicolon, you do not capitalize vi.

Why i morgen and not one word? Do I capitalize it?
It’s always two words: i morgen (“tomorrow”), and it’s lowercase unless it starts the sentence. Colloquially you might see i morra in informal writing (reflecting speech). In Nynorsk it’s i morgon.
What are the forms and gender of pass?

Pass is neuter:

  • singular indefinite: et/ett pass
  • singular definite: passet
  • plural indefinite: pass
  • plural definite: passene

Possessives:

  • singular your: ditt pass / passet ditt
  • plural your: deres pass / passene deres

In practice, instructions often say vis legitimasjon or vis ID as well as vis pass.

How do I pronounce the key words?

Approximate guide (nationwide-friendly):

  • Vennligst: VENN-list (the g is often silent; clear final -st)
  • vis: vees (long i)
  • Deres: DEH-res (long e in the first syllable)
  • pass / passet: pahs / PAH-set (short a)
  • vi: vee
  • kontakter: kon-TAHK-ter (stress on -tak-)
  • Dem: dem (as English “them” without th)
  • i morgen: ee MOR-ren (the g can be soft or silent depending on dialect)
Is the sentence addressing one person or several?

Here it’s one person, addressed with the formal singular Deres/Dem.
For several people, use plural dere/deres:

  • Vennligst vis passene deres; vi kontakter dere i morgen.
Should I add fram/frem after vis?

You can. Å vise (fram/frem) means “to show/present.” Both spellings are accepted in Bokmål:

  • Vennligst vis fram/frem passet. This is common on signs and at checkpoints. The sentence is also fine without it.
What happens if I start with I morgen? Any word order rules?

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule (the finite verb is in second position). If you front I morgen, the verb still comes second:

  • I morgen kontakter vi deg. (correct) Not: I morgen vi kontakter deg.