Breakdown of Bestefar forteller om krig i sin barndom og hvor mye han setter pris på fred nå.
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Questions & Answers about Bestefar forteller om krig i sin barndom og hvor mye han setter pris på fred nå.
Why is it Bestefar and not min bestefar or bestefaren?
In Norwegian, family titles are often used like names, especially when it’s clear whose relative you’re talking about.
- Bestefar here functions almost like a proper name (like Grandpa in English).
- Min bestefar = my grandfather (more neutral, factual).
- Bestefaren = the grandfather (definite form, sounds more distant or like you’re talking about “the grandfather” as a role).
In a personal, storytelling context, Bestefar is natural and warm, just like saying Grandpa in English rather than my grandfather.
Why is the verb forteller in the present tense when he is talking about the past?
Norwegian, like English, often uses the present tense for narration when describing something that is happening “now” (the act of telling), even if the content is about the past.
- Bestefar forteller om krig i sin barndom
= Grandpa is telling / tells about war in his childhood.
The telling is happening now (present), even though the war and childhood are in the past.
If you wanted to put the act of telling in the past, you’d say:
- Bestefar fortalte om krig i sin barndom
= Grandpa told about war in his childhood.
What does mean in , and could you use a different preposition?