Advanced Prepositional Usage in Norwegian

Overview

At the C1 level, Norwegian learners encounter complex prepositional phrases that go far beyond basic spatial and temporal prepositions. These multi-word expressions — such as "i forhold til" (in relation to), "til tross for" (despite), "i forbindelse med" (in connection with), and "med tanke på" (with a view to) — are essential for academic, professional, and formal Norwegian. They allow speakers to express nuanced logical relationships between ideas, including comparison, concession, purpose, and reference.

These compound prepositions are particularly important because they appear with high frequency in news, academic writing, and official documents. Many have no single-word equivalent, making them irreplaceable in formal discourse. English speakers will find partial translations helpful, but the Norwegian phrases often have subtly different usage ranges and connotations.

Mastering these expressions marks the transition from functional intermediate Norwegian to the sophisticated, precise language use expected at C1 and above. They are a key component of the "glue" that holds complex arguments and descriptions together.

How It Works

Compound Prepositions of Comparison and Reference

Norwegian	English	Usage
i forhold til	in relation to / compared to	Comparison or reference
sammenlignet med	compared with	Direct comparison
med hensyn til	with regard to	Formal reference
når det gjelder	when it comes to / regarding	General reference
med tanke på	with a view to / considering	Purpose or consideration

Compound Prepositions of Concession

Norwegian	English	Usage
til tross for	despite / in spite of	Concession
på tross av	despite / in spite of	Concession (variant)
uavhengig av	regardless of	Independence from
uansett	regardless / no matter	General concession

Compound Prepositions of Connection and Context

Norwegian	English	Usage
i forbindelse med	in connection with	Context, occasion
i sammenheng med	in the context of	Broader context
i tillegg til	in addition to	Addition
bortsett fra	apart from / except for	Exception

Compound Prepositions of Cause and Consequence

Norwegian	English	Usage
på grunn av	because of	Cause
som følge av	as a result of	Consequence
med bakgrunn i	on the basis of	Formal cause/basis
i kraft av	by virtue of	Authority/basis

Compound Prepositions of Purpose and Condition

Norwegian	English	Usage
med sikte på	with the aim of	Purpose
med forbehold om	with the reservation that	Condition/qualification
med henblikk på	with a view to	Formal purpose
forutsatt at	provided that	Condition

Preposition Choices: "I forhold til" vs. "Sammenlignet med"

"I forhold til" is one of the most debated expressions in Norwegian. Språkrådet notes that it is overused and often vague. Precise alternatives exist:

Vague	Precise Alternative	Context
I forhold til i fjor...	Sammenlignet med i fjor...	Comparison
I forhold til loven...	I henhold til loven...	Reference to rules
I forhold til jobben...	Når det gjelder jobben...	Regarding

Syntax Notes

Most compound prepositions are followed by a noun phrase. Some can also precede clauses introduced by "at":

With noun	With clause
til tross for regnet	til tross for at det regnet
på grunn av snøen	på grunn av at det snødde
i tillegg til jobben	i tillegg til at han jobber

Examples in Context

Norwegian	English	Note
I forhold til i fjor er salget bedre.	Compared to last year, sales are better.	Comparison
Til tross for regnet gikk vi ut.	Despite the rain, we went out.	Concession
I forbindelse med møtet vil vi...	In connection with the meeting, we will...	Context
Med tanke på framtida bør vi spare.	Considering the future, we should save.	Consideration
På grunn av streiken er toget forsinket.	Due to the strike, the train is delayed.	Cause
Som følge av vedtaket må vi endre planen.	As a result of the decision, we must change the plan.	Consequence
I tillegg til lønn får du bonus.	In addition to salary, you get a bonus.	Addition
Bortsett fra det var alt bra.	Apart from that, everything was fine.	Exception
Med hensyn til budsjettet må vi kutte.	With regard to the budget, we must cut.	Formal reference
Uavhengig av resultatet er vi fornøyde.	Regardless of the result, we are satisfied.	Independence
Sammenlignet med Sverige er Norge dyrt.	Compared with Sweden, Norway is expensive.	Direct comparison
I kraft av sin stilling tok hun avgjørelsen.	By virtue of her position, she made the decision.	Authority

Common Mistakes

Wrong: I forhold til loven sier... Right: I henhold til loven... / Ifølge loven... Why: "I forhold til" should be used for comparison, not for citing laws or regulations. "I henhold til" (in accordance with) or "ifølge" (according to) are the correct choices.

Wrong: Til tross for at regnet, gikk vi ut. Right: Til tross for regnet, gikk vi ut. / Til tross for at det regnet, gikk vi ut. Why: After "til tross for," use either a noun directly or a full "at"-clause. Mixing the two creates a grammatical error.

Wrong: På grunn av vi var trøtte... Right: På grunn av at vi var trøtte... / Fordi vi var trøtte... Why: "På grunn av" requires either a noun or an "at"-clause. It cannot directly precede a subject and verb without "at."

Wrong: I tillegg jobber han også... Right: I tillegg til jobben studerer han. / I tillegg jobber han... Why: "I tillegg" (without "til") is an adverb meaning "in addition/also." "I tillegg til" is a preposition requiring an object. The two are not interchangeable.

Wrong: Med tanke for framtida... Right: Med tanke på framtida... Why: The correct preposition in this compound is "på," not "for." These compounds must be learned as fixed units.

Usage Notes

Advanced prepositional phrases appear in all formal registers: academic writing, journalism, business correspondence, and government documents. Some (like "i forbindelse med" and "i forhold til") are also common in spoken Norwegian, particularly in professional contexts such as meetings and presentations.

Språkrådet (the Language Council of Norway) has specifically cautioned against the overuse of "i forhold til," which many speakers use as a general-purpose connector where more precise prepositions would serve better. C1 learners should be aware of this criticism and strive for precision.

There is no significant regional variation in these compound prepositions within Bokmål. Nynorsk equivalents exist but may use slightly different vocabulary (e.g., "i høve til" for "i forhold til").

At B2 and below, learners can often substitute simpler constructions (using "fordi," "selv om," "om"). At C1, the compound prepositions are expected and their absence can make text seem simplistic.

Practice Tips

1. Group compound prepositions by function. Create categories (comparison, concession, cause, purpose) and learn two or three expressions per category. This makes retrieval easier when you need a specific logical connector.

2. Read a Norwegian editorial and highlight every compound preposition. News editorials and opinion pieces are dense with these expressions. Identifying them in context helps you internalize both form and usage.

3. Practice the "at"-clause variants. For each compound preposition, practice using it with both a noun and an "at"-clause: "til tross for regnet" and "til tross for at det regnet." This flexibility is important for fluent production.

Related Concepts

• Parent: Basic Prepositions — The foundational preposition system that these advanced expressions build upon.