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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 gå?
- reise = travel (emphasizes the journey)
- dra = go/leave (very common, a bit more informal): I mai drar vi til Oslo
- gå = 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)