Jeg går til legekontoret.

I am going to the doctor's office.

Breakdown of Jeg går til legekontoret.

• jeg: I
• gå: to go
• til: to
• legekontoret: the doctor's office

Questions & Answers about Jeg går til legekontoret.

Does går mean go or walk?

Primarily walk. Å gå = to walk. So Jeg går til legekontoret implies you’re going on foot. If you’re using transport, prefer verbs like drar (go/leave), reiser (travel), or tar (take, e.g., the bus). For a plan/intention, use skal.

Why is it til here and not på, i, or hos?

• til marks movement toward a destination (to). That’s what you need with går.
• på or i mark location (at/in) when you’re already there: Jeg er på legekontoret (I’m at the doctor’s office). With offices/institutions, på is the usual choice.
• hos is used for being at a person/professional: Jeg er hos legen (I’m at the doctor’s).

Why is it legekontoret (definite) instead of an indefinite form?

Because you mean the doctor’s office, a specific/known place. Norwegian often uses a suffixed definite article for familiar destinations: til legekontoret, til butikken (to the store), til skolen (to the school), til jobben (to work). If you mean any office, use the indefinite with an article: til et legekontor (to a doctor’s office).

What gender is legekontor, and how do I inflect it?

• Gender: neuter.
• Indefinite singular: et legekontor
• Definite singular: legekontoret
• Indefinite plural: legekontorer
• Definite plural: legekontorene The compound takes the gender of its last part (kontor is neuter).

Can I say Jeg går til legen instead?

Yes. Jeg går til legen = I’m walking to the doctor (the person). Jeg går til legekontoret focuses on the place (the office). When you’re there:

• At the person’s practice: Jeg er hos legen
• At the office as a place: Jeg er på legekontoret

How do I say to vs at the doctor’s office?

• To: til legekontoret
• At: på legekontoret (place) or hos legen (with the doctor).
  Use på with offices/institutions for location; avoid i here.

When do I use på vs i with places like offices?

Rule of thumb:

• Many workplaces/institutions take på for location: på kontoret, på skolen, på sykehuset.
• i is common with enclosed spaces/buildings in a literal sense: i huset, i rommet, and with some place nouns like i byen (in the city). For this noun, say på legekontoret (at the doctor’s office).

Does the Norwegian present tense also cover the English am going meaning?

Yes. Norwegian present is used for both simple and progressive. Jeg går til legekontoret can mean I walk or I’m walking (right now). Add nå to stress “right now”: Jeg går til legekontoret nå, or say Jeg er på vei til legekontoret (I’m on my way).

How do I express a plan or future intention?

Use skal:

• General plan: Jeg skal til legekontoret (i morgen).
• Specifically walking: Jeg skal gå til legekontoret.

How do I negate the sentence?

Place ikke after the finite verb:

• Jeg går ikke til legekontoret. If you front something (V2 rule), the verb still comes second:
• I dag går jeg ikke til legekontoret.

How do I make a yes/no question?

Invert subject and verb:

• Går du til legekontoret? For plans: Skal du til legekontoret?

Is jeg capitalized like English I?

No. jeg is lowercase except at the beginning of a sentence.

What’s the difference between lege and doktor?

Lege is the standard word for a medical doctor. Doktor is a title and can also mean someone with a doctorate; it’s less common for everyday reference to your physician. Use lege. Hence legekontor (doctor’s office), not doktorkontor.

How is legekontor built as a compound, and why the ending -et?

It’s lege (doctor) + kontor (office). The compound inherits gender from its last element (kontor, neuter), so the definite singular adds -et: legekontoret.

How do I say I’m going into the office (entering)?

Use a directional particle:

• Jeg går inn på legekontoret. Since the locative is på kontoret, the directional pair is inn på.

Pronunciation tips?

• Jeg ≈ “yai” (standard East Norwegian: [jæɪ])
• går ≈ “gohr” (long o) [ɡoːr]
• til ≈ “till” [tɪl]
• legekontoret ≈ “LEH-geh-kon-TOO-reh” [ˈleːɡə kʊnˈtuːɾe] Stress falls on le- and -to- here.

Any useful alternatives I might hear?

• Jeg skal til fastlegen. (to my GP)
• Jeg drar til legen. (going to the doctor, not necessarily walking)
• Jeg drar til legesenteret. (to the medical center/clinic)
• Jeg drar til legevakten. (to the emergency clinic)