Jeg vil gratulere deg.

Because after a modal verb like vil, Norwegian normally uses the bare infinitive, without å.

• jeg vil gratulere deg = correct
• jeg vil å gratulere deg = incorrect

This is similar to English I want to congratulate you, where you do use to, but Norwegian does not use å after modal verbs such as:

• vil = want to / will
• kan = can
• skal = shall / will / am going to
• må = must

So:

• Jeg vil gratulere deg
• Jeg kan hjelpe deg
• Jeg må gå

Vil can mean different things depending on context:

• want to
• will or a future sense

In Jeg vil gratulere deg, it often means I want to congratulate you, especially in a speech, message, or formal situation.

But in some contexts, it can also sound like I will congratulate you. Native speakers usually understand the intended meaning from context.

So vil is a flexible word, and that is something English speakers often need time to get used to.

Because it comes after vil.

After vil, the next verb stays in the infinitive:

• vil gratulere
• vil hjelpe
• vil spise

So gratulere is not conjugated here. The verb carrying the tense is vil, not gratulere.

That is why you do not say:

• Jeg vil gratulerer deg = incorrect

The correct form is:

• Jeg vil gratulere deg

Because deg is the object form of the pronoun, while du is the subject form.

• du = you, as the subject
• deg = you, as the object

In this sentence:

• Jeg is the subject
• gratulere is the verb
• deg is the object

So the structure is:

• Jeg = I
• vil gratulere = want to congratulate
• deg = you

Compare:

• Du gratulerer meg = You congratulate me
• Jeg gratulerer deg = I congratulate you

Mostly yes, but there is an important detail: Norwegian very often adds med plus the thing you are congratulating someone for.

Examples:

• Jeg vil gratulere deg med dagen = I want to congratulate you on your birthday
• Jeg vil gratulere deg med seieren = I want to congratulate you on the victory
• Jeg vil gratulere deg med den nye jobben = I want to congratulate you on the new job

So Jeg vil gratulere deg is grammatically complete, but in real life, speakers often continue with med ... to say what the congratulations are for.

Yes, but it sounds a bit formal or ceremonial on its own.

You might hear it in:

• speeches
• written greetings
• official messages
• formal conversations

In casual speech, Norwegians often say shorter things like:

• Gratulerer!
• Gratulerer så mye!
• Jeg ville bare gratulere deg
• Må bare gratulere deg

So the sentence is natural, but not the most casual everyday way to say it.

The word order is:

• Jeg = subject
• vil = finite verb
• gratulere = infinitive
• deg = object

So the pattern is:

subject + finite verb + infinitive + object

That gives:

Jeg vil gratulere deg

This is a very common Norwegian sentence pattern when a modal verb is involved.

Yes. Norwegian is a V2 language, which means the finite verb usually comes in the second position in main clauses.

So if you put something else first, vil still has to stay second:

• I dag vil jeg gratulere deg
• Nå vil jeg gratulere deg
• På vegne av alle vil jeg gratulere deg

Notice that when another element comes first, jeg moves after vil.

This is different from English, so it is a very common thing for learners to ask about.

You usually make a yes/no question by putting the finite verb first:

• Vil jeg gratulere deg? = Will I / Do I want to congratulate you?

But in real conversation, a more natural question might be:

• Vil du gratulere meg? = Do you want to congratulate me?
• Kan jeg gratulere deg? = May I congratulate you?

So the key point is that in questions, the verb vil comes before the subject.

No. The pronunciation of jeg varies a lot by dialect.

Depending on the speaker, it may sound roughly like:

• yai
• yei
• jæi
• sometimes even a shorter form in fast speech

This is normal. Norwegian has a lot of dialect variation, and jeg is one of the words learners notice early.

So even if the spelling stays jeg, the pronunciation can differ quite a bit.

Yes. That is also correct, and it sounds a bit more formal or polite.

Compare:

• Jeg vil gratulere deg = I want to congratulate you / I would like to congratulate you
• Jeg ønsker å gratulere deg = I wish to congratulate you

Notice the grammar difference:

• after vil, you do not use å
• after ønsker, you do use å

So:

• Jeg vil gratulere deg
• Jeg ønsker å gratulere deg

Both are correct, but they have slightly different style and tone.