Questions & Answers about Vi snakker om nåtiden i dag.
Why is it nåtiden and not just nåtid?
Nåtid is the bare noun “present (time)”.
Nåtiden is the definite form, literally “the present (time)”.
- nåtid = present time (in general, as a concept)
- nåtiden = the present (that we are living in now)
In this sentence, you are talking about the specific period we are in, so Norwegian normally uses the definite form: nåtiden.
Is snakker om like “talk about” in English? Why do we need om?
Yes. Snakke om is a fixed combination and corresponds closely to English “to talk about”:
- snakke = to talk / speak
- om = about (here: topic preposition)
You almost always need om when you mention the topic:
- Vi snakker om politikk. – We are talking about politics.
- Hva snakker dere om? – What are you talking about?
Without om, snakke usually means just to speak/talk (in general) or to speak (a language):
- Hun snakker norsk. – She speaks Norwegian.
Could the sentence also be instead of ? What’s the difference?