Jeg liker å lese i fritiden min.

I like to read in my free time.

Breakdown of Jeg liker å lese i fritiden min.

• jeg: I
• å: to
• i: in
• lese: to read
• like: to like
• min: my
• fritiden: the free time

Questions & Answers about Jeg liker å lese i fritiden min.

Why is it "Jeg liker å lese" and not just "Jeg liker lese"?

In standard Norwegian, when one verb comes after another (like like + read), the second verb is usually in the infinitive with å:

• Jeg liker å lese. = I like to read.
• Jeg begynner å lese. = I start to read.
• Jeg prøver å lese. = I try to read.

So å here corresponds to English “to” in “to read”.
Without å, Jeg liker lese sounds wrong/unfinished in standard Norwegian (though some dialects may drop å in speech).

What is the function of "å" in "å lese"? Is it the same as "og" (and)?

No, they are different words:

• å = the infinitive marker (similar to “to” before a verb in English)

  • å lese = to read
  • å spise = to eat

• og = “and”

  • Jeg liker kaffe og te. = I like coffee and tea.

They can sound quite similar in speech, but in writing they are always different and not interchangeable. In Jeg liker å lese, å must be the infinitive marker, not og.

Why is it "å lese" and not "å leser"?

After å, the verb must be in the infinitive form (the basic dictionary form):

• infinitive: å lese (to read)
• present tense: jeg leser (I read / I am reading)

So you say:

• Jeg liker å lese. ✔
  not
• Jeg liker å leser. ✘

Norwegian never combines å with a conjugated verb form like leser.

Why do we use liker and not elsker here?

Both can be translated as “like” or “love”, but:

• liker = to like, to enjoy; neutral and very common
• elsker = to love; much stronger, often used for people or things you are very passionate about

Jeg liker å lese i fritiden min. = I like/enjoy reading in my free time.
If you said Jeg elsker å lese i fritiden min, it would mean you absolutely love it, it’s a big passion.

Why is it "Jeg liker" and not "Meg liker"?

Jeg is the subject form (“I”), and meg is the object form (“me”).

• Jeg liker deg. = I like you.
• Du liker meg. = You like me.

At the beginning of this sentence, you need the subject form:

• Jeg liker å lese i fritiden min. ✔
• Meg liker å lese i fritiden min. ✘ (ungrammatical)

Why is it "i fritiden min" and not "in min fritid", like English “in my free time”?

Norwegian normally uses this pattern with possessives:

• definite noun + possessive: fritiden min (literally: the free-time my)

So:

• fritid = free time
• fritiden = the free time
• fritiden min = my free time

Word order is different from English:

• English: my free time
• Norwegian: fritiden min

You can put the possessive before the noun (min fritid), but that sounds more formal or emphatic, and in this kind of everyday sentence fritiden min is much more natural.

Why is the noun in "fritiden min" in the definite form (fritiden) if we already have min?

In Norwegian, when you use a postposed possessive (noun + possessive), the noun is normally definite:

• boka mi = my book (bok + -a + mi)
• huset vårt = our house (hus + -et + vårt)
• fritiden min = my free time (fritid + -en + min)

So:
definite ending + possessive is the standard pattern: fritiden min = the free-time my = my free time.

Could I say just "i fritiden" without min?

Yes, you can:

• Jeg liker å lese i fritiden.

Often it will still be understood as “in my free time”, especially when you’re talking about yourself. Adding min just makes it explicitly “my free time”. Both versions are acceptable and used.

What is the difference between "i fritiden min" and "på fritiden min" / "på fritiden"?

All are used, and the difference is small:

• i fritiden min – literally “in my free time”; perfectly natural
• på fritiden min / på fritiden – literally “on (in) my free time”; also common

In practice, you will very often hear:

• Jeg liker å lese på fritiden.
• Jeg liker å lese i fritiden min.

There’s no big meaning difference here. Many speakers slightly prefer på fritiden in everyday speech, but i fritiden (min) is also correct.

Why is it "fritiden min" and not "fritida mi" or "fritidet mitt"?

The noun fritid is grammatically common gender in Bokmål:

• indefinite: en fritid
• definite: fritiden
• with possessive: fritiden min

So the standard Bokmål form is fritiden min.

You will also hear:

• fritida mi – using the feminine form fritid(a) and mi; common in many dialects and in Nynorsk.
• fritidet mitt – would be wrong, because fritid is not neuter; you don’t use mitt here.

Can I move min in front and say "i min fritid"?

Yes, grammatically it’s possible:

• i min fritid

But this word order is:

• more formal/literary
• often used for emphasis (my free time, not someone else’s)

In a normal, neutral sentence about a hobby, i fritiden min (or på fritiden) sounds more natural.

Why is liker in the present tense if we’re talking about a general habit?

Norwegian uses the present tense for:

• things happening now
• general facts and habits

So:

• Jeg liker å lese i fritiden min. = I like reading in my free time (in general).
• Jeg jobber her. = I work here.
• Jeg trener hver dag. = I exercise every day.

This is similar to English “I like / I work / I exercise” (simple present).

Where can extra information go in this sentence, for example if I want to say “I like to read books in my free time”?

You keep the basic structure and add details after å lese:

• Jeg liker å lese bøker i fritiden min.

Word order:

1. Jeg (subject)
2. liker (verb)
3. å lese (infinitive phrase)
4. bøker (what you read)
5. i fritiden min (when / in what time)

You can also add other time/place adverbs in a similar way:

• Jeg liker å lese bøker hjemme i fritiden min.