Han ligner på sin far.

he

Breakdown of Han ligner på sin far.

• på: on
• sin: his
• faren: the father

Questions & Answers about Han ligner på sin far.

Why do you say ligner på instead of just ligner?

In modern spoken Norwegian, ligner på (or likner på) is the most natural way to say “looks like / resembles”:

• Han ligner på sin far. – He looks like his father.

In more formal or traditional Bokmål, you can also use ligner without på:

• Han ligner sin far.

Both are correct. Many learners find ligner på easier to remember, because it behaves like a verb + preposition unit, similar to English “look like”.

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Does på here literally mean “on”?

Literally, på often corresponds to “on”, “in”, or “at”, but in this sentence it does not have a clear, separate meaning.

With ligner (likner) it is best to think of ligner på as a fixed combination meaning “to look like / to resemble”. The på is required by usage, not by a literal meaning.

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What is the difference between sin far and hans far?