Han må løpe ned trappen.

He must run down the stairs.

Breakdown of Han må løpe ned trappen.

• han: he
• måtte: must
• trappen: the stairs
• løpe ned: to run down

Questions & Answers about Han må løpe ned trappen.

What exactly does må mean here? Is it more like must or have to in English?

Må is a modal verb that usually corresponds to English must or have to.

In this sentence, Han må løpe ned trappen, it expresses necessity or obligation:

• He must run down the stairs.
• He has to run down the stairs.

How strong it is depends on context and intonation. It can mean:

• external obligation (He has to, someone is making him), or
• internal necessity (He must, he feels he needs to).

Grammatically, it always behaves like a modal verb, followed by an infinitive (løpe here).

Why is løpe in the infinitive form and not conjugated like løper?

After a modal verb like må, the main verb stays in the infinitive:

• Han løper. = He runs. (no modal, verb is conjugated)
• Han må løpe. = He must run. (modal må
  • infinitive løpe)

This pattern is regular:

• kan + infinitive: Han kan løpe. (He can run.)
• vil + infinitive: Han vil løpe. (He wants/will run.)
• må + infinitive: Han må løpe. (He must/has to run.)

Why is it trappen and not just trapp?

Trapp is the indefinite form (a stair / a staircase).
Trappen is the definite form (the stairs / the staircase).

Norwegian usually marks definiteness by adding an ending to the noun instead of using a separate article:

• en trapp = a stair / a staircase
• trappen = the stair / the staircase

In Han må løpe ned trappen, we are talking about a specific, known staircase, so Norwegian uses the definite form trappen. English shows this with the stairs; Norwegian shows it with -en.

Is trappa also correct, and what’s the difference between trappen and trappa?

Both can be correct, depending on style:

• trappen – standard Bokmål, more formal/neutral
• trappa – also Bokmål, but more informal/colloquial; especially common in speech and in many dialects

They mean exactly the same: the stairs / the staircase.

So you could also say:

• Han må løpe ned trappa.

In most modern contexts, trappa will sound very natural in speech; trappen is slightly more formal or written style, but both are accepted in Bokmål.

What does ned mean here, and why is it placed before trappen?

Ned is a directional adverb/preposition meaning down (downwards).

In løpe ned trappen, the sequence is:

• løpe ned = run down (movement + direction)
• trappen = the stairs (the thing you move on)

So literally: He must run down the stairs.

Placing ned before the noun is very normal with motion verbs:

• gå ned bakken – walk down the hill
• kjøre ned veien – drive down the road
• løpe ned trappen – run down the stairs

Can I also say Han må løpe nedover trappen? What’s the difference between ned and nedover?

Yes, you can also say:

• Han må løpe nedover trappen.

ned vs nedover:

• ned = down
• nedover = downwards / along and down

Often they’re interchangeable with stairs, but:

• nedover can suggest more continuous movement in a downward direction, step by step.
• ned is a bit more neutral and common.

For everyday use, løpe ned trappen is perfectly natural and maybe slightly more common, but løpe nedover trappen is also fully correct.

Could I say Han må løpe trappen ned instead? Does that sound natural?

Han må løpe trappen ned is grammatically possible, but it sounds unusual or poetic in Norwegian.

The normal, natural order is:

• Han må løpe ned trappen.

Putting trappen before ned usually feels marked or stylistic, not like everyday speech. Stick with løpe ned trappen (or løpe ned trappa) in normal conversation.

How would I say He has to run up the stairs instead?

You just replace ned (down) with opp (up):

• Han må løpe opp trappen.
• Han må løpe opp trappa.

Structure stays the same:

• må (must/has to)
• løpe (run, infinitive)
• opp (up)
• trappen/trappa (the stairs)

How do I put this sentence in the past: He had to run down the stairs?

Change the modal må to its past form måtte:

• Han måtte løpe ned trappen.
• Han måtte løpe ned trappa.

The main verb løpe stays in the infinitive; only the modal changes tense:

• Present: Han må løpe ned trappen. – He has to run down the stairs.
• Past: Han måtte løpe ned trappen. – He had to run down the stairs.

How do you pronounce må, løpe, and trappen?

Approximate pronunciations (standard East Norwegian):

• må – /moː/

  • like English mo in more, but with a long o sound and no final r.

• løpe – /ˈløːpə/

  • lø-: the ø is like the vowel in British English bird or French deux, rounded.
  • stress on lø-, -pe is a light, unstressed p-eh.

• trappen – /ˈtrapən/

  • tra-: like tra in trap but slightly cleaner vowel.
  • double pp just indicates a short vowel in tra-; the e is unstressed: -pen like p’n.

In careful IPA: [hɑn moː ˈløːpə ˈtrapən] for Han må løpe ned trappen (with ned /neːd/ or /neː/ depending on dialect).