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B2🔄Verbs & Tenses
Subjunctive Mood
Konjunktiv
Norwegian has a vestigial subjunctive, mainly in fixed expressions: 'Leve kongen!' (Long live the king!), 'Gud hjelpe oss' (God help us). It uses the bare infinitive form. Mostly found in formal/literary language.
Rule
Bare infinitive in fixed expressions (leve, være, komme)
Examples
Leve Norge!
Long live Norway!
Komme hva som komme vil.
Come what may.
Gud bevare kongen.
God save the king.
Common Mistake
✗
Lever Norge!
✓
Leve Norge!
Using the present tense -r form instead of the bare infinitive. The subjunctive uses the dictionary form of the verb without any ending.
English vs Norwegian
| English | Norsk |
|---|---|
| Long live Norway! | Leve Norge! |
| Come what may. | Komme hva som komme vil. |
| God save the king. | Gud bevare kongen. |
English
Long live Norway!
Norsk
Leve Norge!
English
Come what may.
Norsk
Komme hva som komme vil.
English
God save the king.
Norsk
Gud bevare kongen.