Jeg er forkjølet i dag.

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Breakdown of Jeg er forkjølet i dag.

• være: to be
• i dag: today
• forkjølet: having a cold

Questions & Answers about Jeg er forkjølet i dag.

Why is it jeg er forkjølet and not jeg har forkjølet, when in English we say I have a cold?

Norwegian normally uses to be with adjectives for states like illness, hunger, etc., not to have with a noun.

• Jeg er forkjølet. = I have a cold. (literally I am cold-y / I am with-a-cold.)
• You cannot say *jeg har forkjølet – that is ungrammatical.
• This pattern is the same in other expressions:
  • Jeg er sulten. = I am hungry / I have hunger.
  • Jeg er trøtt. = I am tired.

What exactly does forkjølet mean? Is it the same as “sick”?

Forkjølet means having a (usually mild) cold – sniffles, sore throat, maybe a little fever. It does not mean any kind of illness.

• Jeg er forkjølet. = I have a cold.
• Jeg er syk. = I am sick / ill (more general, could be something serious).
• Jeg er litt forkjølet. softens it: I have a bit of a cold / I’m a bit under the weather.

Is forkjølet an adjective? Does it change with gender or number?