Questions & Answers about Jeg besøker niesen min i helgen.
What tense is besøker, and why does it refer to the future here?
Besøker is the present tense of the verb å besøke (to visit).
In Norwegian, the present tense is very often used for near future plans, especially when it’s clear from context:
- Jeg besøker niesen min i helgen.
= I’m visiting my niece this weekend / I will visit my niece this weekend.
So grammatically it’s “present,” but in meaning it’s present used for a future arrangement, just like English I’m visiting my niece this weekend (present continuous for future).
Why is it besøker niesen min and not besøker til niesen min?
In Norwegian, å besøke is a transitive verb: it takes a direct object and does not need a preposition.
- Jeg besøker niesen min. = I visit my niece.
(niesen min is the direct object)
If you add til, it becomes ungrammatical:
✗ Jeg besøker til niesen min.
You only use til with related, but different phrases like:
- Jeg drar på besøk til niesen min.
= I’m going for a visit to my niece.
Why is it niesen min (noun + possessive) instead of like English my niece (possessive + noun)? Can I say min niese?