Vi ønsker å bli hørt i møtet.

We want to be heard in the meeting.

Breakdown of Vi ønsker å bli hørt i møtet.

• vi: we
• å: to
• i: in
• møtet: the meeting
• ønske: to want
• bli hørt: to be heard

Questions & Answers about Vi ønsker å bli hørt i møtet.

What is the difference between ønsker and vil in this sentence?

Both can often be translated as want, but they differ in tone:

• ønsker (å) ≈ wish / would like (to)

  • More polite, softer, and often a bit more formal.
  • Vi ønsker å bli hørt i møtet. = We would like to be heard in the meeting.

• vil (bli) ≈ want (to), will

  • More direct, stronger will or determination.
  • Vi vil bli hørt i møtet. can sound more demanding: We want to be heard in the meeting.

Both are correct; choice depends on how strong or polite you want to sound.

Why do we need å before bli?

Å is the infinitive marker in Norwegian.

• ønsker is a normal (non‑modal) main verb.

• When a normal verb is followed by another verb in the infinitive, you must use å:

  • Vi ønsker å bli hørt. ✅
  • Vi ønsker bli hørt. ❌ (wrong in standard Norwegian)

You usually don’t use å after modal verbs like kan, vil, må, skal:

• Vi vil bli hørt. (no å because vil is a modal verb)

What kind of construction is å bli hørt?

Å bli hørt is a passive construction:

• bli = to become / to get
• hørt = past participle of høre (to hear)

So å bli hørt literally means to get/become heard – that is, to be heard (by others).
This is called the bli‑passive: bli + past participle.

Why is it hørt and not høres or something like hørtet?

The verb is å høre (to hear). Its key forms:

• Infinitive: (å) høre
• Present: hører
• Passive (present) form: høres (is heard / sounds)
• Past participle: hørt

In the bli‑passive, Norwegian uses bli + past participle:

• bli hørt (get/ be heard) ✅
• bli høres ❌
• There is no form hørtet; hørt is already the participle.

So å bli hørt is the correct passive infinitive.

Why is it i møtet and not på møtet?

Both i møtet and på møtet are used in practice, and both can be understood as in/at the meeting.

• i møtet – a bit more literal inside the meeting (during the meeting as an event).
• på møtet – very common in everyday speech for at the meeting.

In this sentence, i møtet is perfectly natural. You could also hear:

• Vi ønsker å bli hørt på møtet.

The difference here is small; it’s more about habit and style than strict grammar.

Why is it møtet and not just møte?

Norwegian marks definiteness with endings:

• et møte = a meeting (indefinite)
• møtet = the meeting (definite)

In i møtet, the definite form tells us we are talking about a specific meeting that both speaker and listener know about (for example, the meeting this afternoon).

If you said i et møte, it would mean in a meeting (some meeting, not specifically identified).

Can I drop å and say Vi ønsker bli hørt i møtet?

No, not in standard Norwegian.

• With a normal verb like ønsker, the following verb must have å:
  • Vi ønsker å bli hørt i møtet. ✅
• You only drop å after modal verbs such as vil, kan, skal, må:
  • Vi vil bli hørt i møtet. ✅

So Vi ønsker bli hørt is considered incorrect.

What is the basic word order in Vi ønsker å bli hørt i møtet?

The structure is:

• Vi – subject
• ønsker – finite verb (main verb, present tense)
• å bli hørt – infinitive phrase (object/complement of ønsker)
• i møtet – prepositional phrase (adverbial: tells us where/when this applies)

So the pattern is Subject – Verb – (Object/infinitive) – Adverbial:

• Vi | ønsker | å bli hørt | i møtet.

Can I move i møtet to another position in the sentence?

Yes, but not all positions sound equally natural:

1. Neutral and most common:

   • Vi ønsker å bli hørt i møtet. ✅

2. Emphasis on the meeting (topic/fronting):

   • I møtet ønsker vi å bli hørt. ✅
     This highlights in the meeting as the context.

3. Between ønsker and å bli hørt:

   • Vi ønsker i møtet å bli hørt.
     Grammatically possible, but sounds a bit stiff/unnatural in everyday speech.

So (1) and (2) are the best choices.

How do you pronounce ønsker, hørt, and møtet?

Approximate pronunciation (standard East Norwegian):

• ønsker: [ˈøŋʂər] or [ˈœnskər]

  • ø: like the vowel in French peur or German schön.
  • The rs often merges into a retroflex sound [ʂ].

• hørt: [hœʈ] or [høːʈ]

  • ø: same vowel as above.
  • The final rt can become a retroflex [ʈ].
  • The final t is clearly pronounced.

• møtet: [ˈmøːtə] or [ˈmøːtə]

  • Stress on the first syllable: MØ‑tet.
  • The last t can be weak or almost dropped in some accents, but in careful speech you’ll hear it.

The crucial new sound for many English speakers is ø; practice rounding your lips while saying something like the vowel in bird (but without the English r).

Does ønsker change form depending on the subject (I, you, we, etc.)?

No. In Norwegian, verbs do not change with the person/number of the subject.

• Jeg ønsker – I wish / want
• Du ønsker – you wish / want
• Han / hun ønsker – he / she wishes / wants
• Vi ønsker – we wish / want
• De ønsker – they wish / want

Only tense changes the form:

• Present: ønsker
• Past: ønsket
• Infinitive: (å) ønske

Could we say Vi vil bli hørt i møtet instead, and how would that change the nuance?

Yes, grammatically it’s fine:

• Vi ønsker å bli hørt i møtet.

  • Politer, more formal or diplomatic.
  • Similar to We would like to be heard in the meeting.

• Vi vil bli hørt i møtet.

  • Stronger, more assertive or demanding.
  • More like We want to be heard in the meeting (we insist on it).

Context and tone decide which sounds more appropriate.

Are there alternative ways to express the same idea in Norwegian?

Yes, for example:

• Vi vil at stemmen vår skal bli hørt i møtet.
  – We want our voice to be heard in the meeting.

• Vi ønsker å få komme til orde i møtet.
  – Literally: We wish to get to speak in the meeting.

• Vi vil bli lyttet til i møtet.
  – We want to be listened to in the meeting.

All keep the core idea: you want your opinions to count during the meeting.