Jeg liker å lese i fritiden min.

I

Breakdown of Jeg liker å lese i fritiden min.

• å: to
• i: in
• lese: to read

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 and not ?