Vær ærlig: liker du planen?

to be

Breakdown of Vær ærlig: liker du planen?

• du: you
• like: to like
• planen: the plan

Questions & Answers about Vær ærlig: liker du planen?

What exactly is Vær here, and why not være?

Vær is the imperative (command) form of the verb å være (to be): “Be.” You use it to tell or ask someone to be a certain way: Vær ærlig = “Be honest.”

• Infinitive: (å) være
• Present: er
• Past: var
• Perfect: har vært Also note: vær (same spelling) is a noun meaning “weather.” Context tells them apart. “The weather” is været.

Why is there a colon after Vær ærlig?

Norwegian uses a colon to introduce an explanation, result, or quoted speech. Here it links the request to the concrete question it’s introducing. You could also write:

• Vær ærlig – liker du planen? (dash)
• Vær ærlig. Liker du planen? (two sentences) A comma is less standard here.

Why is it Liker du and not Du liker in the question?

Yes/no questions invert the subject and the finite verb. So:

• Statement: Du liker planen.
• Question: Liker du planen? This is the normal way to form neutral yes/no questions in Norwegian.

What does the ending in planen mean?