Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Vi tar en kort løpetur på turstien før vi går inn på treningssenteret. - We take a short run on the trail before we go into the gym.

Vi tar en kort løpetur på turstien før vi går inn på treningssenteret.

We take a short run on the trail before we go into the gym.

Breakdown of Vi tar en kort løpetur på turstien før vi går inn på treningssenteret.

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Questions & Answers about Vi tar en kort løpetur på turstien før vi går inn på treningssenteret.

Why is it Vi tar en kort løpetur and not something like Vi løper en kort tur?

Both are possible, but Vi tar en kort løpetur is a very natural, idiomatic way to say this.

å ta en løpetur literally means to take a run and is a set phrase in Norwegian, similar to English.
å løpe en kort tur would be understood, but it sounds a bit less idiomatic and a bit more “literal”.
If you want to avoid tar, you’d more likely say Vi løper en kort tur or Vi skal løpe en kort tur, but native speakers very often say ta en løpetur / joggetur / tur.

So you should simply learn ta en løpetur as a common collocation.

Why is the adjective kort and not korte in en kort løpetur?

In Bokmål, adjectives change form depending on gender, number, and definiteness:

Indefinite singular (masc/fem): kort
Indefinite singular (neuter): kort
Plural and definite form: korte

Since løpetur is a masculine noun in the indefinite singular:

en (masculine indefinite article)
kort (indefinite singular adjective)
løpetur (masculine noun)

So: en kort løpetur is the grammatically correct form.
You would use korte in, for example, de korte løpeturene (the short runs).

What exactly does the word løpetur mean, and how is it different from just løp or løping?

All three are related to running, but they’re used differently:

løpe – verb: to run
løp – noun: a run, but more often a race or running event (e.g. maratonløp)
løping – noun: running as an activity (like “running is good exercise”)
løpetur – compound noun: løpe
- tur → literally a run-trip, i.e. a (casual) run/jog

løpetur is what you normally say for “going out for a run/jog” as exercise:

Jeg tar en løpetur. – I’m going for a run.
Using løp here would usually sound like you’re talking about a race, not your casual exercise run.

Why is it på turstien and not i turstien?

With paths, roads, and similar surfaces, Norwegian normally uses på:

på veien – on the road
på fortauet – on the sidewalk
på stien / på turstien – on the path / trail

i is used more for being inside something (a room, a building, a forest in a more “inside” sense, etc.). A tursti (trail) is seen as a surface or route you move on, so på turstien is the natural choice.

What is a tursti / turstien exactly?

tursti is a compound:

tur – trip, outing, walk, hike
sti – path, trail

So en tursti is a trail or path used for walking/hiking/jogging, usually a designated recreational path.

Forms:

Indefinite: en tursti – a trail
Definite: turstien – the trail
Plural indefinite: turstier – trails
Plural definite: turstiene – the trails

In the sentence, på turstien = on the (specific) trail—probably one both speakers know.

Why is turstien in the definite form (with -en) here?

The definite form is used when a specific thing is meant—something that’s known from context, earlier conversation, or shared knowledge.

på en tursti – on a trail (some trail, not specified)
på turstien – on the trail (a particular one both of us know or can identify)

In this sentence, turstien suggests a known or usual trail:

maybe “the trail behind our house”
or “the trail next to the gym”

So turstien is the trail, not just a trail.

How should I understand går inn på treningssenteret? Why both inn and på?

The phrase is made of two parts:

går inn – “go in / enter”
- inn is a directional word: it shows movement into something (from outside to inside).
på treningssenteret – literally “on the fitness center”, but in Norwegian på is used with many buildings/institutions:
- på skolen – at school
- på jobb – at work
- på universitetet – at the university
- på treningssenteret – at the gym / fitness center

Together, gå inn på treningssenteret means to go in(to) the gym, with:

inn → direction (entering)
på treningssenteret → the place/institution you’re entering

Compare:

Vi er på treningssenteret. – We are at the gym.
Vi går inn på treningssenteret. – We go into the gym (we enter).

Could you also say går til treningssenteret instead of går inn på treningssenteret?

Yes, but it means something slightly different:

Vi går til treningssenteret.
Focus: going to the gym (the journey there). It doesn’t necessarily say that you actually go inside; you just walk there.
Vi går inn på treningssenteret.
Focus: the act of entering the gym (going from outside to inside).

So:

If you want to talk about how you’re getting there: gå til treningssenteret.
If you want to describe the moment you go inside: gå inn på treningssenteret (as in the sentence).

Why is it treningssenteret with -et, and not treningssenter or et treningssenter?

treningssenter is a neuter noun meaning gym / fitness center.

Its main forms:

Indefinite singular: et treningssenter – a gym
Definite singular: treningssenteret – the gym
Indefinite plural: treningssentre (or treningssenter) – gyms
Definite plural: treningssentrene – the gyms

After a preposition, you can use either indefinite or definite, depending on whether it’s specific:

på et treningssenter – at a gym (not specified)
på treningssenteret – at the gym (a particular, known one)

In the sentence, treningssenteret refers to a specific gym that the speakers both have in mind (maybe their usual gym).

Why is vi repeated: Vi tar ... før vi går inn ...? Can you omit the second vi?

In Norwegian, you generally must include the subject (like vi) in each clause. You cannot normally drop it the way you sometimes might in English informal speech.

So:

Vi tar en kort løpetur før vi går inn på treningssenteret. ✅
Vi tar en kort løpetur før går inn på treningssenteret. ❌ (ungrammatical)

Each clause here has its own subject–verb pair:

Main clause: Vi tar en kort løpetur ...
Subordinate clause with før: før vi går inn på treningssenteret

The subject vi has to be stated again in the subordinate clause.

What is happening to word order after før in før vi går inn på treningssenteret?

før introduces a subordinate clause (a dependent clause), and in Norwegian:

In main clauses, you have V2 word order (the verb is in second position):
- Vi tar en kort løpetur.
- I dag tar vi en kort løpetur.
In subordinate clauses, the order is subject + verb (no V2):
- … før vi går inn på treningssenteret.
- … fordi vi skal trene.

So in the subordinate clause:

vi (subject)
går (verb)
inn på treningssenteret (rest)

That subject–verb order after før is exactly what you want in Norwegian.

Why is there no comma before før in this sentence?

Both with and without a comma can be seen in Norwegian; style guides differ a bit. In practice:

You may put a comma before a subordinate clause introduced by før, fordi, når, etc.:
- Vi tar en kort løpetur, før vi går inn på treningssenteret.
But in modern, less formal text, it’s very common to omit the comma when the sentence is short and clear:
- Vi tar en kort løpetur før vi går inn på treningssenteret.

So the version without a comma is normal and fully correct.

The verbs are in the present tense (tar, går), but the sentence sounds future-like. Is that normal in Norwegian?

Yes. Norwegian often uses the present tense to describe near-future plans, especially when the plan is fairly certain or part of a routine:

I morgen tar vi en lang løpetur. – Tomorrow we’ll take a long run.
Etter middag går vi på kino. – After dinner we’re going to the cinema.

You could also use:

Vi skal ta en kort løpetur ...
Vi kommer til å ta en kort løpetur ...

But in many everyday contexts, the plain present (Vi tar …, vi går …) is the most natural way to express a planned near-future action.