Vi må se fremover nå.

We must look forward now.

Breakdown of Vi må se fremover nå.

• vi: we
• nå: now
• måtte: must
• se fremover: to look forward

Questions & Answers about Vi må se fremover nå.

What does må mean here? Is it “must” or “have to”?

må expresses necessity/obligation—often between English “must” and “have to.” It’s fairly strong. Softer or different options:

• bør = should
• skal = supposed to/going to
• trenger (å) / behøver (å) = need (to) Examples: Vi bør se fremover. (softer) • Vi skal se fremover. (plan/expectation)

Why is there no å before se?

Modal verbs take a bare infinitive. With må, you say må se, not må å se. Same with kan se, vil se, skal se, bør se.

Can I write framover instead of fremover?

Yes. In Bokmål both are correct and mean the same. frem- is a more traditional standard; fram- aligns more with many dialects/Nynorsk. Pick one style and be consistent in a text.

What’s the difference between fremover and forover?

• fremover/framover: often about time (“going forward/from now on”) and can also mean “ahead” in space. Example: Vi må se fremover (think about the future).
• forover: mainly physical direction forward. Example: Han lente seg forover (He leaned forward).

Can I say Nå må vi se fremover instead? Does the meaning change?

Yes. It’s equally natural. Starting with Nå emphasizes the time frame and triggers inversion (finite verb second): Nå må vi … End position nå (Vi må … nå) puts a bit more weight on the action and can sound slightly more urgent.

What about Vi må nå se fremover—is that okay?

Grammatically fine, but it sounds formal/literary. In everyday speech, put nå first or last.

Is se fremover literal or idiomatic?

Both. Literally “look ahead” (e.g., when driving), and idiomatically “focus on the future/move on.” Context decides.

How do I pronounce the sentence?

One common Oslo-area approximation:

• Vi ≈ vee
• må ≈ moh (long o)
• se ≈ seh (long e)
• fremover ≈ FREM-oh-ver (or framover ≈ FRAHM-oh-ver)
• nå ≈ noh (long o) Primary stress on FREM-/FRAM-. Vowels vary by dialect.

How do I negate it correctly?

Be careful:

• Vi må ikke se fremover nå = We must not look ahead now (prohibition).
• To say “don’t have to,” use trenger ikke (å) or behøver ikke (å): Vi trenger ikke å se fremover nå.

Where does ikke go with a modal like må?

Right after the finite verb: Vi må ikke se fremover nå. If the sentence starts with Nå, you still put ikke after må: Nå må vi ikke se fremover.

How do I turn it into a question?

Invert subject and verb: Må vi se fremover nå? Using skal changes the nuance to “are we supposed to/shall we”: Skal vi se fremover nå?

Is this the same as “look forward to” something?

No. “Look forward to (doing something)” is se fram til (å) or glede seg til (å):

• Jeg ser fram til å høre fra deg.
• Jeg gleder meg til å høre fra deg. se fremover means “look ahead” (think about the future), not “be excited about.”

Is nå necessary?

No. Vi må se fremover works. nå adds a time frame or urgency: “now/from this point on.”

How can I make it softer or more collaborative?

• La oss se fremover (nå). = Let’s look ahead.
• Vi bør se fremover (nå). = We should look ahead.
• Add softeners like kanskje, nok, bare: Vi må nok se fremover nå.

Can I use other verbs than se?

Yes, depending on nuance:

• tenke fremover = think ahead
• planlegge fremover = plan ahead
• fokusere på framtiden = focus on the future

What’s the past form?

må → måtte. Past: Vi måtte se fremover. = We had to look ahead.

Difference between fremover and i framtiden/fremtiden?

• fremover: “from now on/in the period ahead.”
• i framtiden/fremtiden: “in the (general) future,” often more distant or abstract. Example: Vi må se fremover nå, but Vi må tenke på hva som kan skje i framtiden.