Han snakker som om han visste svaret.

He speaks as if he knew the answer.

Breakdown of Han snakker som om han visste svaret.

• han: he
• svaret: the answer
• snakke: to speak
• vite: to know

Questions & Answers about Han snakker som om han visste svaret.

Why is the past tense visste used when this is about the present?

After som om ("as if"), Norwegian typically uses the preterite to mark an unreal or hypothetical situation. Han snakker som om han visste svaret means he talks as though he knew, but he probably doesn’t. English does the same in form: "as if he knew."

Does the sentence imply that he actually doesn’t know the answer?

Usually yes. Using visste gives a counterfactual flavor: he talks that way, but he likely doesn’t know. Context can soften this, but that’s the default reading.

Can I say Han snakker som om han vet svaret?

Yes, but it changes the implication. With vet (present), you tend to suggest that he actually does know. Many speakers still prefer visste; use vet when you want to avoid the counterfactual nuance.

What’s the difference between visste and viste?

• visste = "knew" (preterite of vite, "to know"). Past participle: visst.
• viste = "showed" (preterite of vise, "to show"). Past participle: vist. They’re different verbs with different meanings. Note the spelling: double s in visste, single s in viste.