Jeg heller vann i glasset.

I pour water into the glass.

Breakdown of Jeg heller vann i glasset.

• jeg: I
• vannet: the water
• i: into
• glasset: the glass
• helle: to pour

Questions & Answers about Jeg heller vann i glasset.

In Jeg heller vann i glasset, what exactly does heller mean, and which verb is it?

Heller is the present tense of the verb å helle, which means to pour.

• å helle → jeg heller (I pour / I am pouring)
• It is not the same heller as the adverb heller meaning rather or either; they just look and sound the same, but are different words.

Why is vann used without an article? Why not et vann or vannet?

Here, vann is a mass noun, like water in English.

• Jeg heller vann i glasset = I pour (some) water into the glass.
  No article, just the substance.
• vannet = the water
  
  • Jeg heller vannet i glasset = I pour the water into the glass (some specific water).
• et vann usually means a lake (a body of water), not a portion of drinkable water.

So for “pouring water (as a substance)”, you normally just use vann with no article.

Why is it i glasset and not i et glass?

Both are possible, but they mean slightly different things:

• i glasset = into the glass (a specific, known glass)
  
  • Maybe it is already mentioned or obvious from context.
• i et glass = into a glass (some unspecified glass)
  
  • You are introducing the glass for the first time.

Choice of definite (glasset) vs indefinite (et glass) works very similarly to the glass vs a glass in English.

Why is the preposition i used here? Could it be på?

For liquids going inside a container, Norwegian normally uses i (in/into):

• helle vann i glasset = pour water in/into the glass
• helle melk i koppen = pour milk into the cup

På usually means on / onto a surface:

• helle vann på bordet = pour water on the table (onto its surface)

So i glasset is correct because the water goes inside the glass.

Why is it glasset and not glass? What gender is glass?

Glass is a neuter noun in Norwegian.

Its forms are:

• et glass = a glass
• glasset = the glass

In the sentence, glasset is in the definite form because you are referring to a specific glass. Grammatically:

• et glass (indefinite, singular, neuter)
• glasset (definite, singular, neuter)

What tense is heller, and how would I say this in the past or future?

Heller is present tense.

• Jeg heller vann i glasset
  = I pour water into the glass / I am pouring water into the glass.

Some other forms of å helle:

• Past:
  
  • Jeg helte vann i glasset. = I poured water into the glass.
• Future (with skal):
  
  • Jeg skal helle vann i glasset. = I will pour water into the glass.
• Infinitive:
  
  • å helle = to pour

In English we say I am pouring, but Norwegian uses just jeg heller. Is there a progressive form in Norwegian?

Norwegian does not normally have a separate progressive form like English am pouring.

• Jeg heller vann i glasset can mean both:
  • I pour water into the glass (habitual/general)
  • I am pouring water into the glass (right now)

Sometimes you can add expressions like holder på å to emphasize an ongoing action:

• Jeg holder på å helle vann i glasset.
  = I am in the process of pouring water into the glass.

But in most everyday situations, simple present jeg heller is enough.

Can I change the word order and say Jeg heller i glasset vann?

No, that sounds unnatural in Norwegian.

The normal word order is:

• Subject – Verb – Object – Place
• Jeg heller vann i glasset.

You can move the place to the front for emphasis:

• I glasset heller jeg vann. (unusual, a bit poetic or contrastive)

But you do not typically insert the place between the verb and its main object in a neutral sentence. So:

• ✅ Jeg heller vann i glasset.
• ❌ Jeg heller i glasset vann.

What is the difference between Jeg heller vann i glasset and Jeg fyller glasset med vann?

Both involve putting water into a glass, but the focus is different:

• Jeg heller vann i glasset.

  • Focus: the action of pouring.
  • It does not say whether the glass becomes full or not.

• Jeg fyller glasset med vann.

  • Focus: the result: the glass becomes full.
  • Literally: I fill the glass with water.

So helle is about how you transfer the liquid, fylle is about the end state (full).

Can I add ned and say Jeg heller vann ned i glasset? Does that change the meaning?

Yes, you can say:

• Jeg heller vann ned i glasset.

Ned adds the idea of downwards movement. It is often used if:

• You want to emphasize the direction (from higher to lower).
• You are describing the motion more vividly.

Basic meaning is the same, but:

• i glasset = into the glass (neutral)
• ned i glasset = down into the glass (more visual/physical emphasis)

How are the words in Jeg heller vann i glasset pronounced?

Approximate standard Bokmål pronunciation (can vary by dialect):

• jeg
  
  • Often /jæi/ or more relaxed /jæ/.
• heller
  
  • /ˈhɛlːər/ (double l = longer l sound).
• vann
  
  • /vɑnː/ (short a, and double n = longer n).
• i
  
  • /i/ (like ee in see).
• glasset
  
  • /ˈɡlɑsːə/ or /ˈɡlɑsːet/ depending on dialect;
    double s is long, final -et is usually a weak e sound.

So a rough English-like rendering could be: “yai HEL-ler vahn ee GLAS-se”.