Word
Hva sier sjefen?
Meaning
What does the boss say?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
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Questions & Answers about Hva sier sjefen?
Why does the verb come before the subject?
Norwegian uses verb-second (V2) word order in main-clause wh-questions. The finite verb sits in second position:
- Hva (question word) + sier (verb) + sjefen (subject). Compare:
- Statement: Sjefen sier det.
- Question: Hva sier sjefen?
What are the individual words and their forms?
- Hva = what (question word)
- sier = present tense of å si (to say)
- sjefen = the boss (definite singular of sjef)
Why is it sier and not si?
Because sier is the present tense of the verb å si (to say). Key forms:
- Infinitive: å si
- Present: sier
- Preterite (past): sa
- Present perfect: har sagt
- Past participle: sagt
- Imperative: Si!
How do I ask this in the past or future?