Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Norwegian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Jeg skynder meg til stasjonen.
Why is there meg after skynder?
Because å skynde seg is a reflexive (pronominal) verb in Norwegian. The reflexive pronoun must match the subject:
- Jeg skynder meg
- Du skynder deg
- Han/Hun/Den/Det skynder seg
- Vi skynder oss
- Dere skynder dere
- De skynder seg You cannot drop the reflexive: Jeg skynder til stasjonen is incorrect.
What’s the infinitive and how do I conjugate å skynde seg?
- Infinitive: å skynde seg
- Present: skynder (e.g., Jeg skynder meg)
- Preterite (past): skyndte (e.g., Jeg skyndte meg)
- Present perfect: har skyndet (e.g., Jeg har skyndet meg)
- Imperative: Skynd deg! / Skynd dere! Note that Norwegian verbs don’t change for person.
How do I say “Hurry!” to one person vs several people?
- To one person: Skynd deg! (also common: Fort deg!, Kjapp deg! informal)
- To several people: Skynd dere! (also: Fort dere!, Kjapp dere!)
Where does the reflexive pronoun go with negation, time words, or modals?
It follows the finite verb (or the infinitive after a modal):
- Jeg skynder meg ikke.
- Jeg skynder meg nå.
- Jeg må skynde meg. If you front something, the finite verb is still in second position (V2): Nå skynder jeg meg.
Why is it til stasjonen and not på stasjonen or i stasjonen?
- til marks motion toward a destination: til stasjonen (to the station).
- på is location at: på stasjonen (at the station).
- i is location inside: i stasjonen (inside the station building). You can also say mot stasjonen (toward the station, not necessarily reaching it).
Why the definite form stasjonen? Could I use en stasjon?
Use the definite when a specific, known station is meant: til stasjonen.
If it’s nonspecific, use the indefinite with an article: til en stasjon (“to a station”).
Bare indefinite without an article (til stasjon) is not idiomatic.
What’s the gender and full set of forms for stasjon?
It’s a masculine (common gender) noun:
- Indefinite singular: en stasjon
- Definite singular: stasjonen
- Indefinite plural: stasjoner
- Definite plural: stasjonene
How is this pronounced?
- skynder: sk before y is the “sh” sound; y is a front rounded vowel. Roughly like “SHIN-der” with a rounded “ü”-type vowel.
- meg: commonly pronounced like “mai”; dialectal variants exist.
- stasjonen: sj gives “sh”: “sta-SHOON-en”.
Is there a difference between Jeg skynder meg and Jeg har det travelt?
Yes:
- Jeg skynder meg = I am actively hurrying (I’m making haste).
- Jeg har det travelt = I’m busy/in a hurry (state of having little time), not necessarily moving fast.
You can combine: Jeg har det travelt, så jeg må skynde meg.
If I’m literally moving fast (running), is skynde seg still the best verb?
Use a motion verb for the physical action:
- Jeg løper til stasjonen. (I’m running)
- Jeg går/jogger/sykler til stasjonen.
Jeg skynder meg focuses on urgency rather than the specific movement.
Can I add adverbs like “fast/quickly” to skynde seg?
Some adverbs fit naturally, others don’t:
- Natural: Jeg skynder meg veldig/litt/alltid/nå/fort.
- Less natural: raskt with skynde seg. If you need “quickly,” prefer a motion verb: Jeg løper fort.
Negation: Jeg skynder meg ikke.
Is å haste a synonym?
Not really in everyday speech. å haste usually means “to be urgent” (e.g., Saken haster = “The matter is urgent”). To say a person hurries, use å skynde seg, or colloquial å forte/kjappe seg.
Can I say meg selv here: Jeg skynder meg selv?
No. meg is required because the verb is reflexive. meg selv is used for emphasis with other reflexive constructions (e.g., Jeg vasket meg selv), but not with set pronominal verbs like skynde seg.
Any common mistakes to avoid?
- Don’t omit the reflexive: not Jeg skynder, but Jeg skynder meg.
- Don’t add a “t” in the present: not skyndter, but skynder.
- Use an article with an indefinite noun after til: til en stasjon, not til stasjon.
How can I talk about past or future hurrying to the station?
- Past: Jeg skyndte meg til stasjonen.
- Present perfect: Jeg har skyndet meg til stasjonen.
- Future/plan: Jeg skal skynde meg til stasjonen.
- Necessity: Jeg må skynde meg til stasjonen.