Object Pronouns in Norwegian

Overview

Norwegian distinguishes between subject pronouns (I, you, he) and object pronouns (me, you, him) just as English does. The object forms — meg, deg, ham, henne, den, det, oss, dere, dem — are used when the pronoun receives the action rather than performing it. "Hun ser meg" (She sees me) uses the object form "meg" because "I" am the one being seen, not the one seeing.

This is an A2 concept that builds on Personal Pronouns. Once you know the subject forms (jeg, du, han, hun, vi, dere, de), learning the object forms is a matter of memorizing the corresponding pairs. Norwegian uses the same object form for both direct objects (she sees me) and indirect objects (give me the book), simplifying things compared to some other languages.

Object pronouns appear in nearly every conversation. Asking someone to help you, telling someone you saw them, giving things to people — all require object pronouns. Getting them right is essential for clear, natural communication.

How It Works

Subject vs Object Pronoun Pairs

Person	Subject	Object	English (subject → object)
1st sg.	jeg	meg	I → me
2nd sg.	du	deg	you → you
3rd sg. m.	han	ham	he → him
3rd sg. f.	hun	henne	she → her
3rd sg. (thing, m/f)	den	den	it → it
3rd sg. (thing, n)	det	det	it → it
1st pl.	vi	oss	we → us
2nd pl.	dere	dere	you → you
3rd pl.	de	dem	they → them

Note: "Den" and "det" (for things) and "dere" (2nd person plural) have identical subject and object forms.

As Direct Objects

The direct object receives the action of the verb:

Norwegian	English
Hun ser meg.	She sees me.
Jeg hjelper deg.	I help you.
Vi treffer ham i morgen.	We'll meet him tomorrow.
Kjenner du henne?	Do you know her?
De inviterte oss til fest.	They invited us to a party.
Vi så dem på stasjonen.	We saw them at the station.

As Indirect Objects

The indirect object is the recipient or beneficiary:

Norwegian	English
Gi meg boka!	Give me the book!
Jeg sender deg en melding.	I'll send you a message.
Hun ga ham en gave.	She gave him a present.
Vi viste dem huset.	We showed them the house.
Kan du lage oss kaffe?	Can you make us coffee?

After Prepositions

Object pronouns always follow prepositions:

Norwegian	English
med meg	with me
til deg	to you
for ham	for him
hos henne	at her place
mellom oss	between us
uten dem	without them
fra deg	from you

Word Order

In main clauses, the object pronoun comes after the verb:

Norwegian	English
Jeg ser deg.	I see you.
Hun hjelper meg.	She helps me.

With two objects (indirect + direct), the indirect object (pronoun) comes first:

Norwegian	English
Gi meg boka.	Give me the book.
Vis oss veien.	Show us the way.

When both objects are pronouns, the direct object comes first:

Norwegian	English
Gi den til meg.	Give it to me.
Send den til ham.	Send it to him.

In Subordinate Clauses

In subordinate clauses, word order stays the same — the object follows the verb:

Norwegian	English
...fordi hun ser meg.	...because she sees me.
...som hjelper dem.	...who helps them.

Examples in Context

Norwegian	English	Note
Hun ser meg.	She sees me.	Direct object
Jeg hjelper deg.	I help you.	Direct object
Vi treffer dem i morgen.	We meet them tomorrow.	Direct object
Gi meg boka!	Give me the book!	Indirect object
Kan du ringe ham?	Can you call him?	Direct object
Hun snakker med oss.	She talks with us.	After preposition
Jeg ga henne blomster.	I gave her flowers.	Indirect object
De ventet på meg.	They waited for me.	After preposition
Kom med deg!	Come along! (lit. "come with you")	After preposition
Vis dem veien, er du snill.	Show them the way, please.	Indirect object
Kan du hjelpe oss?	Can you help us?	Direct object
Jeg tenker på deg.	I'm thinking of you.	After preposition

Common Mistakes

Using subject pronouns as objects

• Wrong: Hun ser jeg.
• Right: Hun ser meg.
• Why: "Jeg" is the subject form. When the pronoun is the object of the verb, use "meg."

Confusing "ham" and "han"

• Wrong: Jeg så han på butikken.
• Right: Jeg så ham på butikken.
• Why: "Han" is the subject form; "ham" is the object form. In casual speech, "han" is sometimes used as an object, but "ham" is correct in standard Bokmål.

Confusing "de" and "dem"

• Wrong: Jeg traff de i går.
• Right: Jeg traff dem i går.
• Why: "De" is the subject form (they); "dem" is the object form (them). This is one of the most common errors in Norwegian, even among native speakers in casual speech.

Wrong pronoun order with two objects

• Wrong: Gi boka meg.
• Right: Gi meg boka. / Gi den til meg.
• Why: When the indirect object is a pronoun and the direct object is a noun, the pronoun comes first: "Gi meg boka." When both are pronouns, use a preposition: "Gi den til meg."

Usage Notes

In standard Bokmål, the distinction between subject and object pronouns is maintained. However, in casual spoken Norwegian, "han" is increasingly used as both subject and object, and "de" is sometimes used instead of "dem." In writing, using the correct forms is expected and important.

The politeness pronoun "De/Dem" (formal you, capitalized) exists in Norwegian but is rarely used in modern communication. Most Norwegians use "du/deg" with everyone, including strangers, authority figures, and the elderly. Use "De/Dem" only in very formal written contexts or with very elderly people who expect it.

In many dialects, object pronouns have reduced forms in speech. "Meg" may sound like /mei/ or /mæ/, and "deg" like /dei/ or /dæ/. These are not reflected in standard Bokmål writing.

Practice Tips

1. Drill the pairs together. Practice subject-object pairs as a set: "jeg/meg, du/deg, han/ham, hun/henne, vi/oss, dere/dere, de/dem." Say them aloud until the pairing is automatic.

2. Practice with common verb phrases. Create sentences with frequently used verbs: "hjelpe meg," "se deg," "gi ham," "fortelle henne," "vente på oss," "treffe dem." These collocations build natural recall.

3. Pay attention to the han/ham and de/dem distinction. These are the pairs that cause the most errors. When you read or listen to Norwegian, consciously note whether the subject or object form is used — this heightened awareness accelerates learning.

Related Concepts

• Parent: Personal Pronouns — subject pronoun forms are the foundation for learning object pronouns
• Related: Reflexive Verbs — reflexive pronouns (meg, deg, seg) overlap with object pronoun forms