Questions & Answers about Han sover mye i helgen.
Why is sover in the simple present here? In English we might say He sleeps a lot on weekends or He is going to sleep a lot this weekend. Can sover mean both?
Yes. Norwegian present tense is broader than English present:
- It can describe a general habit:
- Han sover mye i helgen. = He sleeps a lot on weekends.
- It can also describe a planned or expected near future (especially if context makes that clear):
- Han sover mye i helgen. (said on Thursday, about the coming weekend) ≈ He is going to sleep a lot this weekend.
So sover (present) can cover:
- He sleeps (habit)
- He is going to sleep (near future plan/expectation)
Context decides which reading is meant.
Does i helgen mean this weekend, last weekend, or on weekends (in general)?