Jeg betaler regningen i nettbanken.

I pay the bill in the online bank.

Breakdown of Jeg betaler regningen i nettbanken.

• jeg: I
• i: in
• betale: to pay
• regningen: the bill
• nettbanken: the online bank

Questions & Answers about Jeg betaler regningen i nettbanken.

Why does Norwegian use betaler here? In English I’d probably say I am paying the bill…, with an -ing form.

Norwegian doesn’t have a separate -ing verb form like English. The simple present betaler covers both:

• Jeg betaler regningen i nettbanken.
  = I pay the bill in the online bank.
  = I am paying the bill in the online bank.

Context decides whether it’s a general habit or something happening now. If needed, you can add time words:

• Nå betaler jeg regningen i nettbanken. = I’m paying the bill in the online bank now.
• Jeg pleier å betale regningen i nettbanken. = I usually pay the bill in the online bank.

Why is it regningen and not regning? What does the -en ending mean?

The -en ending marks definite singular (the-form) for most masculine nouns in Bokmål.

• en regning = a bill
• regningen = the bill

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like the.

So Jeg betaler regningen… is literally I pay the bill…, not I pay a bill….

What gender is regning, and does that affect the forms?

Regning is feminine in Norwegian, but in Bokmål you’re allowed to treat many feminine nouns as masculine.

So both of these systems are used:

Masculine pattern (very common in Bokmål):

• en regning – regningen – regninger – regningene

Feminine pattern:

• ei regning – regninga – regninger – regningene

In your sentence, regningen uses the masculine pattern. Both patterns are correct Bokmål; choice depends on style and dialect. In Nynorsk you must use the feminine system (rekninga etc.), but that’s a different written standard.

What exactly does nettbanken mean, and how is it formed?

Nettbanken is a compound noun:

• nett = net / internet
• bank = bank
• nettbank = online bank / internet banking
• nettbanken = the online bank / the internet bank

Again, -en at the end shows definite singular. So i nettbanken literally means in the online bank (i.e. in your internet banking interface).

Why is it i nettbanken and not something like på nettbanken or på nettet?

Norwegian prepositions are partly idiomatic, but here are the usual patterns:

• i banken = in the bank (the bank as a place or system)
• i nettbanken = in the online bank (inside your internet banking service)
• på nettet / på nett = on the internet / online

You could say:

• Jeg betaler regningen på nett.
  = I pay the bill online.

That’s more general: you’re paying online, but not specifying that it’s in the bank’s own internet service. I nettbanken focuses on using the bank’s online banking system specifically. På nettbanken is not idiomatic.

Can I change the word order, like Jeg betaler i nettbanken regningen?

No, Jeg betaler i nettbanken regningen sounds wrong in standard Norwegian. The normal neutral order here is:

• Subject – Verb – Object – Place
• Jeg (subject) betaler (verb) regningen (object) i nettbanken (place)

You can move elements for emphasis, though:

• Regningen betaler jeg i nettbanken. (emphasis on regningen)
• I nettbanken betaler jeg regningen. (emphasis on i nettbanken)

But you don’t usually put the place phrase (i nettbanken) between the verb and the object in neutral sentences.

In English, I might just say I pay bills online in a general sense. Is Jeg betaler regningen i nettbanken general or specific?

Because of the definite form regningen, the sentence is specific: it refers to a particular bill.

• Jeg betaler regninger i nettbanken.
  = I pay bills in the online bank. (general habit; plural regninger)
• Jeg betaler regningen i nettbanken.
  = I pay the bill in the online bank. (one specific bill)

If in English we just say in online banking (without the), why does Norwegian use nettbanken with the?

Norwegian often uses the definite form where English uses a more general or bare noun:

• på skolen = at school
• på jobben = at work
• på kinoen = at the movies / at the cinema
• i nettbanken = in online banking / in the online bank

So i nettbanken is the natural idiomatic way to talk about the online banking system you use, even if English wouldn’t say the.

Can I drop jeg, like in some other languages, and just say Betaler regningen i nettbanken?

No, not in a normal statement. Norwegian is not a “null‑subject” language like Spanish or Italian. You normally need the subject pronoun:

• Jeg betaler regningen i nettbanken. ✅
• Betaler regningen i nettbanken. ❌ (feels like a fragment)

You can omit the subject in imperatives (commands):

• Betal regningen i nettbanken! = Pay the bill in the online bank!

How would I say this in the past tense: I paid the bill in online banking?

Use the simple past (preterite) of å betale:

• Jeg betalte regningen i nettbanken.
  = I paid the bill in the online bank.

If you want the present perfect (I have paid…):

• Jeg har betalt regningen i nettbanken.

How would I say I will pay the bill in the online bank?

Two common options:

1. Using skal (plan/intention):

   • Jeg skal betale regningen i nettbanken.
     = I’m going to pay / I will pay the bill in the online bank.

2. Using the present with a time expression (very common):

   • I kveld betaler jeg regningen i nettbanken.
     = I’m paying the bill in the online bank tonight.

Norwegian often uses the present tense with a time adverbial to talk about the near future.

How do you pronounce Jeg betaler regningen i nettbanken?

Approximate standard Eastern Norwegian pronunciation (IPA and rough English hints):

• Jeg – /jæi/ or /jæ/ (often sounds like “yay” or short “ye”)
• betaler – /beˈtɑːlər/ (beh-TAH-ler)
• regningen – /ˈrɛɡnɪŋən/ (REG-ning-en; g pronounced, gn like in English “signal”, not like Spanish)
• i – /i/ (like ee in “see”)
• nettbanken – /ˈnɛtbɑŋkən/ (NET-bang-ken; clear t, nk as in “bank”)

In fluent speech, some consonants may soften or blend a bit, but this gives you a solid starting point.