I mai reiser vi til Oslo.

Breakdown of I mai reiser vi til Oslo.

vi
we
til
to
i
in
Oslo
Oslo
reise
to travel
mai
May
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Norwegian grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Norwegian now

Questions & Answers about I mai reiser vi til Oslo.

Does the word I mean the English pronoun I here?
No. Here I is the Norwegian preposition i meaning “in.” It’s capitalized only because it starts the sentence. Mid‑sentence it would be lowercase: i.
Why is the verb reiser before the subject vi?
Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in second position. Because the time phrase I mai is placed first, the verb reiser comes second and the subject vi third: I mai | reiser | vi | til Oslo.
Can I say Vi reiser til Oslo i mai instead?
Yes. That is the neutral word order. Fronting the time phrase (I mai reiser vi …) adds emphasis to the time; both versions are correct.
Why is present tense (reiser) used for a future trip?

Norwegian often uses the present tense for planned or scheduled future events, much like English “We’re traveling in May.” You can also use:

  • skal for plans/intentions: Vi skal reise til Oslo i mai (or simply Vi skal til Oslo i mai)
  • kommer til å for predictions: Vi kommer til å reise til Oslo i mai
Why is it til Oslo and not i Oslo?
  • til marks motion toward a destination: reiser til Oslo (travel to Oslo).
  • i marks location: er i Oslo (are in Oslo). Example: I mai reiser vi til Oslo og er i Oslo i fem dager.
Why i mai and not på mai?

Months take i: i mai, i juni, etc. Some common patterns:

  • Months: i mai
  • Days: often på mandag (also just mandag is used)
  • Seasons (general habit): om sommeren; a specific/current season: i sommer
Should mai be capitalized?
No. Months and weekdays are lowercase in Norwegian: mai, mandag. Proper names like Oslo are capitalized. The preposition i is lowercase unless it begins the sentence.
How does reise conjugate?
  • Infinitive: å reise
  • Present: reiser (same for all persons)
  • Past: reiste
  • Past participle: har reist Example: Vi har reist til Oslo før.
What’s the difference between reise, dra, and ?
  • reise = travel (emphasizes the journey)
  • dra = go/leave (very common, a bit more informal): I mai drar vi til Oslo
  • = go on foot; normally not used for long trips to another city
How do I make this sentence negative?

Place ikke after the subject when the verb is in second position:

  • Fronted time: I mai reiser vi ikke til Oslo.
  • Neutral order: Vi reiser ikke til Oslo i mai.
How do I ask a question with these words?
  • Yes/no: Reiser vi til Oslo i mai?
  • With a question word: Når reiser vi til Oslo?I mai.
Can I drop reise after skal?
Yes, with motion to a place you can say: I mai skal vi til Oslo. This is very natural and avoids repeating the idea of traveling.
Do I need a comma after I mai?
No. You typically do not use a comma after a short fronted adverbial. I mai reiser vi til Oslo (no comma).
How would I add an exact date or time?

Place specific dates/times near the end:

  • Vi reiser til Oslo 17. mai.
  • Vi reiser til Oslo på mandag klokka 10. If you give a specific date, you usually don’t also say i mai. Example: prefer Vi reiser 17. mai over I mai reiser vi 17. mai.
How do you pronounce the words roughly?
  • i: “ee”
  • mai: like English “my”
  • reiser: “RYE-sehr” (the ei is like the vowel in “eye”)
  • vi: “vee”
  • til: like English “till”
  • Oslo: “OOSH-loh” (the s often sounds like “sh” in many accents)