Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Vi går bortover gata og snakker rolig. - We walk along the street and talk calmly.

It’s a directional adverb meaning “along/across/over in a horizontal direction, away from the starting point.” It suggests movement along the length of something without implying up or down. Think “along” in English, but built into one adverb.

Similar family: nedover (downwards/along downhill), oppover (upwards/along uphill), innover (inwards), utover (outwards).

Why is it gata and not gate?

Gata is the definite form (“the street”). After directional adverbs like bortover/opp/ned, Norwegian usually uses the definite form for paths, streets, roads, stairs, etc., especially when you have a specific stretch in mind.

Common pattern: opp trappa (up the stairs), ned veien (down the road), rundt hjørnet (around the corner).
Using the indefinite here (bortover gate) would sound odd in standard Norwegian.

Is gaten also correct instead of gata?

Yes, in Bokmål both are correct:

gata = feminine definite form (very common in everyday speech)
gaten = masculine definite form (somewhat more formal/older style) Indefinite is gate. You’ll see both “en gate” and “ei gate” in Bokmål; in Nynorsk it’s feminine: “ei gate – gata.”

Why isn’t there a preposition like “along” (e.g., “langs”) before gata?

Because bortover already functions as the “along” element. You can either use:

a directional adverb: bortover gata
or a preposition: langs gata Using both together (e.g., “bortover langs gata”) is not idiomatic.

Can I say Vi går langs gata instead? Is there a difference?

Yes, that’s fine. Nuance:

bortover gata emphasizes moving onward along the street (progress + direction).
langs gata emphasizes being alongside or following the line of the street; it doesn’t inherently convey “forward motion,” though context often implies it.

When would I use nedover or oppover instead of bortover?

nedover gata: when the street slopes down or you’re moving in a “downward” direction.
oppover gata: when the street slopes up or you’re going “up” the street.
bortover gata: neutral “along (horizontally).”

What tense is går, and is that how you say “are walking”?

Går is the simple present of å gå. Norwegian typically uses the simple present to express English present progressive:

Vi går = “We walk” / “We are walking.” There’s no separate -ing form in everyday Norwegian for ongoing actions.

Does å gå mean “to go” or “to walk”? What about dra and reise?

å gå: “to walk; to go (on foot)” and also “to function/run” in some contexts (Klokka går).
å dra: “to go/leave,” often by vehicle or generally moving from A to B.
å reise: “to travel,” usually longer trips or more formal. Here it clearly means “to walk.”

Where should the adverb rolig go? Can I put it before or after snakker?

Manner adverbs usually come after the verb (and after any object):

Natural: snakker rolig
Unnatural: rolig snakker (except in special emphasis structures) In your sentence, rolig modifies snakker. If you wanted to say they walk calmly, you’d put rolig with går: Vi går rolig bortover gata.

Is rolig the correct adverb form? Should it be roligt?

Use rolig. Adjectives ending in -ig/-lig form adverbs without adding -t:

rolig → adverb rolig (“calmly”) Compare: rask → raskt, but hyggelig → hyggelig (not “hyggeligt” in modern Norwegian).

Does rolig mean “quietly,” “calmly,” or “slowly”? What if I want to be precise?

rolig: “calmly/peacefully,” sometimes implying a soft voice but focusing on composure.
lavt: “quietly/at a low volume” (snakker lavt).
sakte or sentralt: sakte / langsomt: “slowly” (snakker sakte).
stille: “quiet(ly)” but more about silence/absence of noise; less idiomatic with “snakke.” Example contrasts:
Vi snakker rolig (calm manner)
Vi snakker lavt (low volume)
Vi snakker sakte (slow pace)

Do I need a comma before og here?

No. In Norwegian you generally don’t put a comma before og when it links two verb phrases with the same subject:

Vi går … og snakker … A comma could appear before og in other structures (e.g., two long independent clauses), but not needed here.

Should I repeat the subject: Vi går … og vi snakker …?

You can, but it’s not necessary. Without repetition is more natural and concise:

Preferred: Vi går … og snakker …
Acceptable but heavier: Vi går … og vi snakker …

Is the sentence ambiguous about whether we walk calmly or speak calmly?

By default, rolig attaches to the closest verb phrase (snakker), so it’s read as “speak calmly.” If you want “walk calmly,” move rolig:

Walk calmly: Vi går rolig bortover gata og snakker.
Speak calmly: Vi går bortover gata og snakker rolig. To express both, say: Vi går rolig bortover gata og snakker rolig.

How do you pronounce the tricky bits?

Approximate, neutral pronunciation:

Vi: “vee”
går: like “gohr” (long aw-like vowel; rolled or uvular r depends on dialect)
bortover: “BOR-toh-vehr” (t often links smoothly into the next syllable)
gata: “GAH-tah”
snakker: “SNAK-ker” (clear k)
rolig: “ROO-lig” (g as in “got”)
og: usually “oh” (not like English “og”)

Could I say bortover i gata or bortover på gata?

No. With directional adverbs like bortover, you don’t add a preposition:

Correct: bortover gata If you want a preposition-based alternative, use langs:
langs gata (“along the street”)

Is bortover one word or two?

One word: bortover. It’s formed from bort (“away”) + over, but written together.

How would this look in the past tense?

Vi gikk bortover gata og snakket rolig. Present → Past:
går → gikk
snakker → snakket (or colloquial snakka in speech)

Any dialect or variety notes (Bokmål vs Nynorsk)?

Bokmål: both gata and gaten are allowed; snakker and rolig are standard.
Nynorsk: you’d typically see gata, snakkar, roleg. The sentence in Nynorsk could be: Vi går bortover gata og snakkar roleg.