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Jeg har nylig begynt med en ny hobby.

Jeg har nylig begynt med en ny hobby.
I have recently started a new hobby.

Breakdown of Jeg har nylig begynt med en ny hobby.

jeg
I
ha
to have
en
a
med
with
ny
new
begynne
to start
nylig
recently
hobbyen
the hobby
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Questions & Answers about Jeg har nylig begynt med en ny hobby.

What tense is har begynt, and why use it instead of begynte?

Har begynt is the present perfect. Use it when the past action is relevant now (you’re currently in this new hobby). Begynte is simple past and just reports a past event. With nylig, both are fine:

  • Jeg har nylig begynt med en ny hobby.
  • Jeg begynte nylig med en ny hobby. Present perfect sounds a bit more “current.”
Why is it begynt med and not just begynt, or begynt å?

With a noun, use begynne med + noun: begynne med en hobby, begynne med yoga.
With a verb, use begynne å + verb: Jeg har begynt å strikke.
Saying begynt en hobby is unidiomatic.

Could I say Jeg har nylig begynt en ny hobby?

Not natural. Begynne doesn’t take this kind of direct object. Say begynt med en ny hobby or use a verb for the activity: Jeg har begynt å [verb].
You can use direct objects with verbs like starte in other contexts: Jeg har startet en klubb.

Where should nylig go in the sentence? Are other positions possible?

Default position is after the finite verb:

  • Jeg har nylig begynt med en ny hobby. Also possible:
  • Jeg har begynt med en ny hobby nylig.
  • Jeg har begynt nylig med en ny hobby. (less common)
  • Fronted (with inversion): Nylig har jeg begynt med en ny hobby. Avoid: Jeg nylig har begynt ... (breaks the V2 rule).
What is the V2 rule and how does it apply here?

In main clauses, the finite verb must be in second position. Here, har is second: [Jeg] [har] [nylig] [begynt ...].
If you front something (e.g., Nylig), you must invert: Nylig har jeg begynt ..., not Nylig jeg har ....

Why en ny hobby and not et or ei?

Hobby is a common-gender (masculine) noun in Bokmål, so it’s en hobby. Forms:

  • Indefinite singular: en hobby
  • Definite singular: hobbyen
  • Indefinite plural: hobbyer
  • Definite plural: hobbyene So you say en ny hobby.
Why is the adjective ny not nye here?

Adjectives agree with definiteness/number:

  • Indefinite singular: en ny hobby
  • Definite singular or any plural: den nye hobbyen, nye hobbyer Thus ny (no -e) is correct in en ny hobby.
Is nylig the same as nettopp or i det siste?
  • nylig = recently (general, days/weeks ago).
  • nettopp = just/very recently (minutes/hours ago). Works well with perfect: Jeg har nettopp begynt ...
  • i det siste = lately/over a recent period: I det siste har jeg begynt å [verb] mer.
Could I say begynt på en ny hobby?

Use med for hobbies: begynne med en hobby.
På is idiomatic with things like schools/courses/projects: begynne på skolen, begynne på et kurs/prosjekt.

Can I use starte instead of begynne?

Often, yes:

  • Jeg har nylig startet med en ny hobby. (a bit more deliberate/”businesslike” feel)
  • Jeg har nylig begynt med en ny hobby. (neutral) Colloquial: Jeg har fått meg en ny hobby, or use a verb: Jeg har begynt å [verb].
How would I negate this sentence?

Place ikke after the finite verb:

  • Jeg har ikke begynt med en ny hobby. = I haven’t started a new hobby.
    To contrast timing, rephrase: Jeg begynte ikke nylig, jeg begynte i fjor. Using ikke directly with nylig is uncommon.
How do I turn it into a yes–no question?

Invert subject and finite verb:

  • Har du nylig begynt med en ny hobby?
    Also fine: Har du begynt med en ny hobby nylig?
Why is Jeg capitalized? Isn’t Norwegian “I” usually lowercase?
The pronoun jeg is lowercase in Norwegian (unlike English I). It’s capitalized here only because it starts the sentence. Elsewhere it stays jeg.
What are the principal parts of begynne?
  • Infinitive: å begynne
  • Present: begynner
  • Preterite: begynte
  • Past participle: begynt
    Examples: Jeg begynte (I started), jeg har begynt (I have started).
Pronunciation tips for key words?

Approximate IPA and notes:

  • jeg [jæi]/[jæ] (varies by dialect)
  • nylig [ˈnyːli] (long y; like German ü)
  • begynt [beˈjʏnt] (g before y = “y/j” sound; y = [ʏ])
  • hobby [ˈhɔbːʏ] (double b lengthens the consonant; y = [ʏ])
Is it more natural to name the activity with a verb?

Often, yes. Begynne å + verb is very idiomatic:

  • Jeg har nylig begynt å strikke.
  • Jeg har nylig begynt å spille sjakk.