Vi snakker om valget i morgen.

Breakdown of Vi snakker om valget i morgen.

vi
we
snakke
to talk
om
about
i morgen
tomorrow
valget
the election
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Questions & Answers about Vi snakker om valget i morgen.

Why is snakker (present tense) used if the action happens i morgen (tomorrow)?

Norwegian often uses the simple present tense for future events if there is a time expression like i morgen, neste uke, etc.
Vi snakker om valget i morgen is naturally understood as We’ll talk about the election tomorrow.
If you want to make the future meaning very clear or a bit stronger, you can also say Vi skal snakke om valget i morgen.


What is the difference between snakker and snakker om?

å snakke means to speak / to talk.
å snakke om noe means to talk about something / to discuss something.
So in this sentence, snakker om is a fixed verb–preposition combination meaning are talking about / will talk about.


Why is it valget and not just valg?

valg is a neuter noun meaning election or choice in general (indefinite form).
valget is the definite singular form: the election.
Norwegian usually marks definiteness with an ending instead of a separate word, so valgvalget = the election.


Can the sentence mean both “we are talking now about tomorrow’s election” and “we will talk about the election tomorrow”?

Yes, in isolation it is ambiguous:

  • We are (now) talking about the election that is tomorrow
  • We will talk about the election tomorrow

In real life, context and intonation usually make it clear.
If you specifically want tomorrow’s election, you might say Vi snakker om morgendagens valg to avoid ambiguity.
If you specifically want future time for the talk, Vi skal snakke om valget i morgen is very clear.


Could I say Vi snakker i morgen om valget instead?

Yes, Vi snakker i morgen om valget is grammatically correct.
The meaning is still We’ll talk about the election tomorrow, but the emphasis is slightly different:

  • Vi snakker om valget i morgen: neutral; standard order
  • Vi snakker i morgen om valget: puts a bit more focus on tomorrow

Both are acceptable word orders.


Can I drop om and just say Vi snakker valget i morgen?

No. In Norwegian you must use the preposition om to mean talk about something.
Vi snakker valget sounds wrong; it’s missing the link between snakker and the topic.
Correct patterns include:

  • snakke om noe – talk about something
  • tenke på noe – think about something

The preposition is part of the pattern.


Why is it i morgen and not something like på morgen?

i morgen (two words) is a fixed expression meaning tomorrow.
på morgenen / om morgenen mean in the morning (the time of day), not the next day.
So:

  • i morgen = tomorrow (the next day)
  • om morgenen / på morgenen = in the morning (generally / on mornings)

You cannot replace i morgen with på morgen in this meaning.


How do you pronounce snakker, valget, and i morgen?

Pronunciation varies by dialect, but in a common Eastern Norwegian pronunciation:

  • snakker: roughly SNAK-ker

    • a like in father
    • kk is a short, doubled k sound
    • er often sounds like e(r), sometimes with very light r
  • valget: roughly VAL-ye

    • a like father
    • lg often merges; l followed by a soft g/j sound
    • final -et is usually -e in speech
  • i morgen: often i MOR-rn or i MOR-en, depending on dialect

    • i like English ee
    • o like more
    • final -gen can be weakened or almost -rn in fast speech

Why do we need the subject vi? Can it be dropped, like in Spanish?

Norwegian cannot normally drop subject pronouns the way Spanish or Italian can.
You must say Vi snakker …, not just Snakker om valget i morgen (that sounds like a fragment or headline).
Subject pronouns (jeg, du, han, hun, vi, dere, de) are almost always required.


Is there a special progressive form like are talking in Norwegian?

No, Norwegian does not have a separate progressive tense like English.
The simple present snakker can mean both:

  • We talk / we speak (habitual)
  • We are talking (right now)

Context and time expressions show whether it is present, near future, or habitual.


Could I say Vi skal snakke om valget i morgen instead, and what is the difference?

Yes, Vi skal snakke om valget i morgen is perfectly correct.
Nuance:

  • Vi snakker om valget i morgen – present tense used for a scheduled/expected future; neutral and common.
  • Vi skal snakke om valget i morgen – slightly stronger feeling of a plan or intention.

Both are natural; the skal version can sound a bit more deliberate.


What are the other forms of valg (plural etc.)?

valg is a neuter noun. Its basic forms are:

  • et valg – an election / a choice
  • valget – the election / the choice
  • valg – elections / choices (indefinite plural; same as singular form)
  • valgene – the elections / the choices (definite plural)

So valget in the sentence is the election (one specific election).