Barna liker å gå på ski om vinteren.

The children like to go skiing in the winter.

Breakdown of Barna liker å gå på ski om vinteren.

• å: to
• barnet: the child
• like: to like
• om: in
• vinteren: the winter
• gå på ski: to ski

Questions & Answers about Barna liker å gå på ski om vinteren.

Why is it barna and not barn or barnene?

Barn is a neuter noun that is a bit irregular:

• et barn = a child
• barnet = the child
• barn = children (no article, indefinite plural)
• barna / barnene = the children (definite plural)

In this sentence, barna means “the children”.
Both barna and barnene are grammatically correct forms of “the children” in Bokmål, but barna is more common and sounds more natural in everyday language.
We don’t use just barn here because that would mean simply “children”, not “the children” as a specific or generic group.

Why do we say liker å gå and not liker gå?

In Norwegian, the infinitive of a verb is usually formed with å + verb, similar to English “to + verb”.

• å gå = to walk / to go
• å spise = to eat
• å lese = to read

After liker (“like”), you normally need å + infinitive:

• Barna liker å gå på ski. = The children like to go skiing.

Some helper verbs (modal verbs) like kan (can), vil (want to), må (must) do not use å:

• Barna kan gå på ski. (not kan å gå)

But liker is not a modal verb, so it takes å.

Why do Norwegians say å gå på ski instead of just a single verb like “to ski”?

Norwegian usually uses an expression rather than a single verb for “to ski”:

• å gå på ski – literally: “to walk/go on skis”
• å stå på ski – literally: “to stand on skis”

Both are common, and both basically mean “to ski”.
There is a verb å ski, but it sounds more like a borrowing from English and is not what people normally say.
So å gå på ski is simply the natural idiomatic way to say “to go skiing.”

What does på mean in gå på ski, and could we use a different preposition?

Literally, på means “on”:

• på bordet = on the table
• på skolen = at school

In gå på ski, på is part of a fixed expression: “go on skis” → “to ski”.
You cannot change it to another preposition (gå i ski, gå med ski are wrong in this meaning).
So here på is not freely chosen; it’s required because gå på ski is a set phrase.

Why is it om vinteren and not i vinteren?

For seasons in a general, habitual sense, Norwegian often uses om + definite season:

• om vinteren – in (the) winter, during wintertime (in general)
• om sommeren – in (the) summer

i vinteren is not idiomatic for this meaning.
i vinter (without the -en) means “this past winter” or “this coming winter”, referring to a specific winter:

• Jeg gikk mye på ski i vinter. = I skied a lot this winter.

So in your sentence, the general, repeated-time meaning fits om vinteren, not i vinteren.

Why is vinteren in the definite form? In English we often say “in winter”, not “in the winter”.

Norwegian usually uses the definite form of seasons when talking about them in a general or habitual way:

• Om vinteren går vi på ski. = We go skiing (in) winter.
• Om sommeren bader vi. = We swim in summer.

Using vinter without -en would sound odd here.
Even though English normally drops “the” (“in winter”), Norwegian keeps the article inside the word (vinteren) in this kind of general statement.

Where can om vinteren go in the sentence? Can I put it at the beginning?

You have two very natural options:

1. Barna liker å gå på ski om vinteren.
2. Om vinteren liker barna å gå på ski.

Both are correct and common.
If you move om vinteren to the front (option 2), Norwegian still follows the verb-second rule, so liker must come right after the first element (om vinteren).
A sentence like *Om vinteren barna liker å gå på ski is wrong, because the verb is no longer in the second position.

What is the subject and what is the verb in this sentence?

• Subject: Barna (“the children”)
• Main verb (finite verb): liker (“like”)

Everything after liker – å gå på ski om vinteren – is an infinitive clause that works as the object/complement of liker:

• Barna liker [å gå på ski om vinteren].
  → The children like [to go skiing in the winter].

So grammatically, “å gå på ski om vinteren” is what the children like.

Is liker in the present tense? How would I say “The children liked to go skiing in the winter”?

Yes, liker is the present tense of å like (“to like”).

• Barna liker å gå på ski om vinteren.
  = The children like to go skiing in the winter.

The past tense (preterite) is likte:

• Barna likte å gå på ski om vinteren.
  = The children liked to go skiing in the winter.

Can I just say Barna liker å gå på ski? Does leaving out om vinteren change the meaning?

Yes, Barna liker å gå på ski is a perfectly correct sentence.
Without om vinteren, it simply means “The children like to go skiing” in general, without saying when.
Adding om vinteren specifies that this is something they like in the winter rather than as a general, all-year preference.

What is the difference between å gå på ski and å stå på ski?

Both expressions mean “to ski”:

• å gå på ski – literally “to walk/go on skis”
• å stå på ski – literally “to stand on skis”

Usage can vary by region and context, but both are widely understood.
Some speakers may use gå på ski more for cross-country skiing, and stå på ski more for downhill/alpine, but in everyday speech they often overlap.
In your sentence, å gå på ski is completely natural and idiomatic.

How do you pronounce å, ski, and the ending -en in vinteren?

Very roughly (using English-like sounds):

• å – like the vowel in “law” or “bought” (British “lorry” / American “awe”)
• ski – usually pronounced like “shee” (the Norwegian sk before i often sounds like English sh)
• -en in vinteren – the e is a short, neutral vowel (like the e in “taken”), and the n is pronounced.

So a rough approximation:
Barna liker å gå på ski om vinteren →
"BAR-na LEE-ker aw gaw paw shee om VIN-te-ren" (not exact, but close enough to guide you).