Imperative Mood in Norwegian

In Brief

Norwegian usually forms the imperative—the verb form used for commands—by using the verb stem: å snakke becomes Snakk!, and å lese becomes Les! Short verbs often keep their infinitive form without å: å gå becomes Gå! The same form addresses one person or several people; for a gentler request, Norwegian commonly uses Kan du ...? or Kunne du ...?

Overview

The imperative mood (imperativ) lets you tell or encourage someone to act. You hear it in instructions, directions, warnings, invitations, recipes, exercise prompts, and everyday requests: Vent! (“Wait!”), Ta til venstre! (“Turn left!”), and Kom inn! (“Come in!”). A grammatical “mood” simply describes how a verb presents an action; the imperative presents it as something the listener should do.

This B1 topic builds naturally on the present tense. If you already know snakker, leser, and skriver, you can connect those forms with the stems snakk, les, and skriv. Unlike English, Norwegian normally leaves out the subject du (“you”) in a direct command. Unlike some other European languages, it does not use different imperative endings for one listener, several listeners, or formal address.

Forming the imperative is generally easy. Choosing the right tone needs more attention. A bare command can sound efficient and friendly in the right setting, but abrupt in a personal request. Norwegian speakers therefore often turn a command into a question with kan du (“can you”) or kunne du (“could you”).

How It Works

Use the verb stem

The infinitive is the dictionary form of a verb, normally shown with å, as in å snakke (“to speak”). For most infinitives ending in unstressed -e, remove å and the final -e. What remains is the imperative stem.

Infinitive	Imperative	Meaning
å snakke	snakk!	speak!
å lese	les!	read!
å skrive	skriv!	write!
å vente	vent!	wait!
å lukke	lukk!	close!
å høre	hør!	listen!
å svare	svar!	answer!
å parkere	parker!	park!

Keep consonants that belong to the stem. Thus snakke becomes snakk, not snak, and lukke becomes lukk.

This stem rule is more reliable than trying to remove the present-tense ending mechanically. Compare skriver → skriv! and kommer → kom! The dictionary form helps you identify the right stem: å skrive, å komme.

Short infinitives

When the infinitive does not have a removable final -e, the imperative usually looks like the infinitive without å.

Infinitive	Imperative	Meaning
å gå	gå!	go!
å stå	stå!	stand!
å se	se!	look! / see!
å ta	ta!	take!
å bo	bo!	live!
å få	få!	get!

Several frequent verbs have forms worth learning as complete items.

Infinitive	Imperative	Meaning
å komme	kom!	come!
å være	vær!	be!
å gjøre	gjør!	do! / make!
å spørre	spør!	ask!
å sette	sett!	put! / sit!

When the final -e remains

Some verbs retain -e because removing it would create a difficult or unnatural final consonant group. Common examples include å åpne → åpne! (“open!”), å handle → handle! (“shop!”), and å forandre → forandre! (“change!”). Do not force every verb into the “remove -e” pattern; learn these pronunciation-friendly forms as you encounter them.

Infinitive	Imperative	Example
å åpne	åpne!	Åpne vinduet!
å handle	handle!	Handle på vei hjem!
å forandre	forandre!	Forandre passordet!

One form for every listener

Norwegian has no separate singular and plural imperative forms. Kom inn! can address one friend, two customers, or an entire class. The listener is normally understood, so du or dere is not required.

A pronoun may be added for contrast or emphasis, often with a pause:

• Kom du, så venter jeg her. — “You go/come along; I’ll wait here.”
• Gå dere først! — “You all go first!”

These are marked uses, not the neutral command pattern. For ordinary instructions, use the imperative alone.

Negative commands with ikke

Put ikke before the imperative to tell someone not to do something:

• Ikke gå! — “Don’t go!”
• Ikke åpne døra! — “Don’t open the door!”
• Ikke vær redd! — “Don’t be afraid!”
• Ikke glem nøklene! — “Don’t forget the keys!”

This order is important for English speakers. English uses do not/don’t plus a verb, but Norwegian does not add an equivalent of “do.” Use ikke + imperative, not a form with gjøre.

Objects and reflexive pronouns

An object—the person or thing affected by the action—normally follows the imperative: Les boka! (“Read the book!”), Ring meg! (“Call me!”). A reflexive pronoun—a word referring back to the listener—also follows the verb:

• Sett deg! — “Sit down!”
• Skynd deg! — “Hurry up!”
• Ta på deg jakka! — “Put on your jacket!”
• Kos dere! — “Enjoy yourselves!”

Use deg when addressing one person and dere when addressing more than one. The verb itself does not change.

Softer requests

For an everyday favor, a question often sounds less forceful than a bare imperative. After kan du or kunne du, use the infinitive without å.

Pattern	Example	Typical force
imperative	Lukk døra.	direct: “Close the door.”
kan du + infinitive	Kan du lukke døra?	ordinary polite request
kunne du + infinitive	Kunne du lukke døra?	more tentative or considerate
vær så snill og + imperative	Vær så snill og lukk døra.	explicit “please”
vær så snill å + infinitive	Vær så snill å lukke døra.	explicit “please”

Kan du ...? often functions as a request rather than a literal question about ability, just as “Can you ...?” does in English. Kunne du ...? adds distance and can sound more courteous, especially when the request takes effort.

With vær så snill, two structures occur. In Vær så snill og vent, vær and vent are coordinated commands: literally, “be so kind and wait.” In Vær så snill å vente, å vente is an infinitive. Both express “please wait,” but do not mix their verb forms: use og vent or å vente.

Examples in Context

Norwegian	English	Note
Snakk saktere!	Speak more slowly!	Direct request or instruction
Les denne boka!	Read this book!	Stem of å lese
Skriv navnet ditt her.	Write your name here.	Form or classroom instruction
Kom hit!	Come here!	Irregular-looking common form
Gå rett fram og ta til venstre.	Go straight ahead and turn left.	Directions with two imperatives
Åpne vinduet, er du snill.	Open the window, please.	åpne retains -e; softener follows
Ikke rør den!	Don’t touch it!	Negative command
Ikke vær redd.	Don’t be afraid.	Negative of vær
Sett deg ned.	Sit down.	Singular reflexive deg
Ta på dere skoene.	Put on your shoes.	Addressed to several people
Kan du sende meg adressen?	Can you send me the address?	Neutral everyday request
Kunne du snakke litt saktere?	Could you speak a little more slowly?	More tentative request
Vær så snill og vent.	Please wait.	Coordinated imperative pattern
La oss begynne!	Let’s begin!	Suggestion including the speaker
Ha en fin dag!	Have a nice day!	Fixed friendly wish

Common Mistakes

Keeping the infinitive ending everywhere

• Wrong: Snakke saktere!
• Right: Snakk saktere!
• Why: Most verbs ending in unstressed -e drop that ending in the imperative. Use the stem of å snakke.

Removing -e when pronunciation requires it

• Wrong: Åpn døra!
• Right: Åpne døra!
• Why: Some verbs, including å åpne, keep -e. Learn frequent exceptions by sound and as complete forms.

Using the present tense as a neutral command

• Wrong: Du leser teksten! when you mean a normal instruction
• Right: Les teksten!
• Why: The present du leser states “you read/are reading.” It can be made forceful in special contexts, but the ordinary instruction uses les and omits du.

Putting ikke after the verb

• Wrong: Gå ikke! in ordinary conversational Norwegian
• Right: Ikke gå!
• Why: The usual modern spoken pattern places ikke before the imperative. Verb-first Gå ikke can occur in formal, literary, or deliberately emphatic language, but it is not the best default.

Mixing å and og

• Wrong: Vær så snill og vente.
• Right: Vær så snill og vent. / Vær så snill å vente.
• Why: After og, use the parallel imperative vent. After infinitive marker å, use vente.

Making every request a bare command

• Too abrupt in many situations: Gi meg rapporten.
• More suitable: Kan du sende meg rapporten?
• Why: The grammar of the direct command is correct, but tone is part of correct use. A question often fits requests between colleagues, strangers, and service staff better.

Usage Notes

Bare imperatives are not automatically rude. They are normal where brevity is expected: Trykk her (“Press here”) on an interface, Rør godt (“Stir well”) in a recipe, Se opp! (“Watch out!”) as a warning, and Kom inn! (“Come in!”) as an invitation. Intonation and context matter as much as the form.

In conversation, small words can change the tone. Bare kom inn means roughly “just come in / do come in” and often reassures the listener. Vent litt (“wait a moment”) sounds less sharp than Vent! A name, a friendly tone, or er du snill (“please,” literally “if you’re kind”) can also soften a request: Send meg lenken, er du snill.

Written public instructions often omit the exclamation mark: Fyll ut skjemaet (“Complete the form”). An exclamation mark can signal urgency, enthusiasm, or a true order, but it is not grammatically required. Capitalization follows ordinary sentence rules.

The forms described here are standard Bokmål forms. Spoken pronunciation varies by region, and Nynorsk spelling can differ, but the core idea—an invariant command form based on the verb stem—is broadly recognizable across Norwegian varieties.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Suggestions with la oss

Norwegian uses la oss + infinitive without å for proposals that include the speaker:

• La oss begynne. — “Let’s begin.”
• La oss ta en pause. — “Let’s take a break.”
• La oss ikke diskutere det nå. — “Let’s not discuss that now.”

This is related to commands but has a collaborative meaning: the speaker proposes an action for “us,” rather than ordering only the listener.

Wishes and conventional expressions

Imperatives also appear in friendly wishes and set phrases where no strong order is intended:

• Ha det! — “Bye!” (literally related to “have it [good]”)
• Ha en fin helg! — “Have a nice weekend!”
• God bedring! is the usual noun phrase for “Get well soon,” while Bli frisk snart! is a more literal command-like wish.
• Velkommen inn! — “Welcome in / Come in!”

These expressions show why “imperative” should not be equated with “angry order.” The form can express encouragement, hospitality, advice, or good wishes.

Subject pronouns for contrast

Although the listener is normally omitted, a pronoun can divide tasks or establish contrast: Du tar kjøkkenet, og dere andre rydder stua (“You take the kitchen, and the rest of you tidy the living room”). This commonly uses the present tense rather than a plain imperative. It sounds like assigning roles and can be quite firm. At an advanced level, notice that Norwegian chooses among imperative, present tense, and modal questions not only by grammar but by social purpose.

Formal and literary negatives

You may encounter the order imperative + ikke in notices, older writing, slogans, or elevated style: Glem ikke ... (“Do not forget ...”). It remains understandable and can be intentional, but Ikke glem ... is the neutral conversational order. Recognizing both prevents a useful stylistic distinction from becoming a rigid “right versus wrong” rule.

Practice Tips

1. Build commands from infinitives. Choose ten useful verbs and say the pair aloud: å snakke—snakk, å skrive—skriv, å gå—gå. Mark exceptions such as å åpne—åpne separately.
2. Practice three levels of directness. Turn one action into Lukk vinduet, Kan du lukke vinduet?, and Kunne du lukke vinduet? Imagine who you are speaking to and which version fits.
3. Notice real instructions. Look at Norwegian recipes, app buttons, signs, or exercise prompts. Collect imperatives with their objects and any softening words, rather than memorizing isolated verbs.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Present Tense — helps you recognize Norwegian verb stems and distinguish commands from statements.