Indirect Questions in Norwegian

Overview

Indirect Questions (Indirekte Spørsmål) is a B1-level grammar concept in Norwegian that covers how to embed questions within larger sentences. Instead of asking a question directly (Hvor bor han?), you report or embed it: Jeg vet ikke hvor han bor. This is essential for polite inquiry, reported speech, and expressing uncertainty.

Norwegian indirect questions come in two types: those derived from yes/no questions (introduced by om) and those derived from wh-questions (introduced by the original question word). The critical structural change is word order -- indirect questions use subordinate clause word order, not the inverted order of direct questions.

Understanding indirect questions is a significant step toward sophisticated Norwegian. They appear constantly in conversation (Vet du om...?, Kan du si meg hvor...?) and in writing. The word order shift from direct to indirect questions is one of the areas where learners make the most errors.

How It Works

From yes/no questions: use om (if/whether)

Direct yes/no questions are embedded with om:

Direct question	Indirect question
Kommer hun?	Jeg vet ikke om hun kommer.
Er han hjemme?	Jeg lurer på om han er hjemme.
Kan du hjelpe?	Hun spurte om jeg kunne hjelpe.

From wh-questions: keep the question word

Question words (hva, hvem, hvor, når, hvorfor, hvordan) serve as the conjunction:

Direct question	Indirect question
Hvor bor han?	Jeg vet ikke hvor han bor.
Hva gjør du?	Hun spurte hva jeg gjør.
Når reiser vi?	Han spurte når vi reiser.
Hvorfor ringte hun ikke?	Jeg lurer på hvorfor hun ikke ringte.

Word order change

The most important rule: indirect questions use subordinate clause word order -- the subject comes before the verb, and adverbials like ikke precede the finite verb.

Direct (inverted)	Indirect (subordinate order)
Hvor bor han?	...hvor han bor.
Hvorfor kom hun ikke?	...hvorfor hun ikke kom.
Hva sa han?	...hva han sa.
Når reiser de?	...når de reiser.

Hva som / hvem som when question word is subject

When the question word is the subject, add som:

Direct question	Indirect question
Hva skjedde?	Jeg vet ikke hva som skjedde.
Hvem kom?	Fortell meg hvem som kom.
Hva er best?	Jeg lurer på hva som er best.

This som is required because Norwegian needs a clear subject marker in subordinate clauses when the question word fills that role.

Common introductory phrases

Norwegian	English
Jeg vet ikke om/hva/hvor...	I don't know if/what/where...
Jeg lurer på om/hvorfor...	I wonder if/why...
Kan du si meg hvor/når...?	Can you tell me where/when...?
Vet du om/hva...?	Do you know if/what...?
Han spurte om/hvem...	He asked if/who...

Examples in Context

Norwegian	English	Note
Jeg vet ikke om hun kommer.	I don't know if she's coming.	Yes/no with om
Kan du fortelle meg hvor han bor?	Can you tell me where he lives?	Polite wh-question
Han spurte når vi reiser.	He asked when we're leaving.	Reported wh-question
Jeg lurer på hvorfor hun ikke ringte.	I wonder why she didn't call.	Ikke before verb
Vet du hva som skjedde?	Do you know what happened?	Hva som (subject)
Hun spurte om jeg ville bli med.	She asked if I wanted to join.	Yes/no with om
Jeg forstår ikke hvordan det fungerer.	I don't understand how it works.	Hvordan
Kan du si meg hva klokka er?	Can you tell me what time it is?	Polite inquiry
De ville vite hvem som hadde ringt.	They wanted to know who had called.	Hvem som (subject)
Jeg husker ikke hvor jeg la nøklene.	I don't remember where I put the keys.	Embedded location
Vi diskuterte om vi skulle reise.	We discussed whether we should travel.	Om for "whether"
Fortell meg hva du tenker.	Tell me what you think.	Hva as object

Common Mistakes

Keeping direct question word order

• Wrong: Jeg vet ikke hvor bor han.
• Right: Jeg vet ikke hvor han bor.
• Why: Indirect questions require subordinate clause word order: subject before verb. The inversion of direct questions must be undone.

Forgetting som with subject question words

• Wrong: Jeg vet ikke hva skjedde.
• Right: Jeg vet ikke hva som skjedde.
• Why: When the question word is the subject of the embedded clause, som must follow it. This is a unique Norwegian requirement.

Using at instead of om for yes/no questions

• Wrong: Jeg vet ikke at hun kommer. (meaning "I don't know if she's coming")
• Right: Jeg vet ikke om hun kommer.
• Why: At means "that" and introduces statements, not questions. Om is required for embedded yes/no questions.

Wrong adverb placement in indirect questions

• Wrong: Jeg lurer på hvorfor hun ringte ikke.
• Right: Jeg lurer på hvorfor hun ikke ringte.
• Why: Indirect questions are subordinate clauses, so ikke and other adverbials precede the finite verb.

Usage Notes

Indirect questions are standard across all registers of Bokmål. They are particularly common in polite speech: asking Vet du om...? or Kan du si meg hvor...? is softer than a direct question. This makes indirect questions essential for professional and social interaction.

In spoken Norwegian, the word order distinction between main and subordinate clauses is sometimes blurred, and you may hear Jeg vet ikke hvor han bor and the technically incorrect Jeg vet ikke hvor bor han in very casual speech. However, the correct subordinate order should always be used in writing and careful speech.

The hva som / hvem som construction has no parallel in English and is a frequent source of errors. It applies whenever the question word would be the subject of the embedded clause.

Practice Tips

• Transform direct to indirect. Take a list of direct questions and systematically convert them: Hvor er banken? becomes Kan du si meg hvor banken er? Pay special attention to the word order change.
• Practice the som test. For every wh-indirect question, ask yourself: Is the question word the subject? If yes, add som. Hva skjer? -- Jeg vet ikke hva som skjer. vs. Hva gjør du? -- Jeg vet ikke hva du gjør. (no som).
• Use indirect questions for politeness. In daily practice, rephrase all direct questions as indirect ones: instead of Hvor er toalettet?, say Vet du hvor toalettet er? This improves both grammar and social register.

Related Concepts

• Subordinate Clauses - Parent concept