Vi møtes ved neste anledning.

we

Breakdown of Vi møtes ved neste anledning.

• ved: at
• neste: next
• møtes: to meet

Questions & Answers about Vi møtes ved neste anledning.

What does the -s in møtes do?

It marks the verb as a so‑called s-verb, which here has a reciprocal/middle meaning: møtes = meet each other. So Vi møtes literally means “We meet each other.” It is not a passive.

• Compare:
  • Vi møter hverandre. = We meet each other. (regular verb + explicit “each other”)
  • Vi møtes. = We meet each other. (s-verb; no “hverandre” needed)
• Don’t say Vi møtes hverandre (that doubles the reciprocity and is incorrect).

Why is the present tense used for a future idea?

Norwegian often uses the present for near-future or planned events. Vi møtes ved neste anledning naturally means “We’ll meet when there’s a next opportunity.” You could also say:

• Vi skal møtes ved neste anledning (more explicitly planned)
• Vi kommer til å møtes ved neste anledning (prediction)

What does ved mean here, and is it the right preposition?

Here ved means “at/on,” in the idiomatic sense of “on the next occasion.” The collocation ved (en/neste) anledning is standard and somewhat formal.

• ved en anledning = on one occasion
• Alternatives:
  • til neste anledning = for the next occasion (preparatory, not the same as “on”)
  • på neste anledning is generally not idiomatic.

Is neste anledning natural, or is there a more everyday way to say this?