Vi setter pris på hverandres hjelp.

We appreciate each other's help.

Breakdown of Vi setter pris på hverandres hjelp.

• vi: we
• hjelpen: the help
• sette pris på: to appreciate
• hverandres: each other's

Questions & Answers about Vi setter pris på hverandres hjelp.

What does the idiom å sette pris på literally mean, and is it the normal way to say “to appreciate”?

Literally it means “to set a price on,” but idiomatically it means “to appreciate/value.” It’s very common and neutral. Good near-synonyms: å verdsette (to value) and å være takknemlig for (to be grateful for, slightly stronger/warmer).

Why is the preposition på required after setter pris?

Because å sette pris på is a fixed expression. You can’t drop på or replace it with another preposition. Think of the whole as one idiom.

Why is it hverandres and not hverandre here?

Hverandre means “each other.” To express possession (each other’s), you use its genitive form hverandres. So hverandres hjelp = “each other’s help.”

Can I write hverandre’s with an apostrophe?

No. Norwegian genitive adds -s without an apostrophe: hverandres, not hverandre’s.

Is hverandre sin/sitt/sine possible instead of hverandres?

You’ll hear forms like hverandre sin in some dialects and casual speech, but in standard written Bokmål, hverandres is the recommended form.

What’s the difference between Vi setter pris på hverandres hjelp and Vi setter pris på hverandre?

• … hverandres hjelp = we appreciate the help that we give one another (possessive + noun).
• … hverandre = we appreciate one another (no noun).

Why isn’t it hjelpen (definite) after a possessive?

With a preposed possessive like hverandres, the noun stays indefinite: hverandres hjelp (not hjelpen). If you want a postposed possessive, you’d say e.g. hjelpen deres, but you can’t postpose hverandre that way.

Could I say hjelpen til hverandre instead?

You could say hjelpen til hverandre, but it’s less natural and can sound like “the help to each other.” Hverandres hjelp is the standard, concise way to say “each other’s help.”

Is hjelp countable? Why not hjelper?

Hjelp (“help”) is generally uncountable. Hjelper is either the verb “helps” or the noun “helper(s)” (people), not the plural of “help.”

What’s the basic word order and where would ikke go?

Norwegian main clauses are V2 (verb in second position): Vi (subject) setter (verb) pris (object) på (prep) hverandres hjelp (PP). Negation goes after the verb: Vi setter ikke pris på …

How do I use other tenses with sette pris på?

• Present: Vi setter pris på …
• Past: Vi satte pris på …
• Present perfect: Vi har satt pris på … Note the irregular forms: satte (past), satt (participle).

Can the object be a person or an action?

Yes. You can say:

• Jeg setter pris på deg. (I appreciate you.)
• Vi setter pris på å få hjelp. (We appreciate getting help.)

How can I intensify it?

Use stor: Vi setter stor pris på … Don’t say veldig pris; that sounds odd. You can add adverbs before the verb: Vi virkelig setter pris på … (more emphatic speech) or more naturally Vi setter virkelig stor pris på …

Are there good one-word alternatives?

Yes: Vi verdsetter hverandres hjelp. Also common is Vi er takknemlige for hverandres hjelp (slightly warmer, gratitude-focused).

Any quick pronunciation tips?

• hv in hverandres: the h is silent; start with a v/ʋ sound.
• hj in hjelp: the h is silent; j sounds like English “y”: [j].
• Typical East Norwegian: roughly “vee SET-ter prees po vair-AHN-dresh yelp.” (Final -s in hverandres often merges with the preceding r into a retroflex “sh”-like sound.)

Is there a Nynorsk version?

Yes: Vi set pris på kvarandre si hjelp (colloquial) or more formally Vi set pris på hjelpa til kvarandre. In Bokmål, stick with Vi setter pris på hverandres hjelp.