Relative Clauses in Norwegian

Overview

Relative Clauses (Relativsetninger) are a B1-level grammar concept in Norwegian that allow you to add information about a noun by embedding a clause within the sentence. The primary relative pronoun in Norwegian is som, which covers "who," "which," and "that" -- a significant simplification compared to English.

Understanding relative clauses is essential for constructing complex sentences and moving beyond simple subject-verb-object structures. They are used constantly in both spoken and written Norwegian, and mastering them marks a clear step forward in your ability to express nuanced ideas.

Norwegian relative clauses have several distinctive features: som is used for all genders and numbers, som can be omitted when it functions as the object, and hvis (whose) is used for possession. The word order within the relative clause follows subordinate clause rules, which affects the placement of adverbials like ikke.

How It Works

The relative pronoun som

Som is the universal relative pronoun in Norwegian, used for people and things alike:

Role of som	Example	English
Subject	Mannen som bor her.	The man who lives here.
Object	Boka (som) jeg leste.	The book (that) I read.
After preposition	Stolen som hun sitter på.	The chair (that) she sits on.

When som can be omitted

Som can be dropped when it functions as the object of the relative clause:

With som	Without som	English
Filmen som vi så.	Filmen vi så.	The movie (that) we saw.
Mannen som jeg møtte.	Mannen jeg møtte.	The man (whom) I met.

Som cannot be omitted when it is the subject:

• Gutten som spiller fotball. (NOT Gutten spiller fotball.)

Hvis for possession (whose)

Hvis is the possessive relative pronoun, equivalent to "whose":

Norwegian	English
Kvinnen hvis sønn jeg kjenner.	The woman whose son I know.
Mannen hvis bil ble stjålet.	The man whose car was stolen.

Note: In spoken Norwegian, hvis is often replaced by som ... hans/hennes: Kvinnen som jeg kjenner sønnen hennes.

Der and hvor for place

For locations, der or hvor can replace som:

Norwegian	English
Huset der vi bor.	The house where we live.
Byen hvor hun vokste opp.	The city where she grew up.

Prepositions in relative clauses

Prepositions are typically stranded at the end of the clause (not fronted as in formal English):

Norwegian	English
Stolen som hun sitter på.	The chair she sits on.
Landet som vi reiste til.	The country we traveled to.

Word order inside relative clauses

Relative clauses follow subordinate clause word order -- sentence adverbials precede the verb:

• Mannen som ikke bor her. (The man who doesn't live here.)
• Boka som jeg aldri har lest. (The book I have never read.)

Examples in Context

Norwegian	English	Note
Mannen som bor her er lege.	The man who lives here is a doctor.	Som as subject
Boka (som) jeg leste var god.	The book (that) I read was good.	Som as object (optional)
Kvinnen hvis sønn jeg kjenner.	The woman whose son I know.	Possessive hvis
Huset der vi bor er gammelt.	The house where we live is old.	Place with der
Læreren som ikke var der i dag.	The teacher who wasn't there today.	Negation in relative clause
Er det du som ringte?	Is it you who called?	Cleft sentence with som
Alt som skjer er naturlig.	Everything that happens is natural.	Som with indefinite pronoun
Vennen jeg snakket med bor i Tromsø.	The friend I talked to lives in Tromsø.	Omitted som, stranded preposition
Maten som vi spiste var deilig.	The food (that) we ate was delicious.	Som as object
Hotellet hvor vi bodde var fint.	The hotel where we stayed was nice.	Hvor for place

Common Mistakes

Omitting som when it is the subject

• Wrong: Gutten spiller fotball er min bror.
• Right: Gutten som spiller fotball er min bror.
• Why: Som is obligatory when it functions as the subject of the relative clause. It can only be dropped when it is the object.

Fronting the preposition

• Wrong: Stolen på som hun sitter.
• Right: Stolen som hun sitter på.
• Why: Norwegian strands prepositions at the end of the relative clause, unlike formal English. The preposition stays with the verb.

Using hvem or hvilken as relative pronouns

• Wrong: Mannen hvem jeg møtte.
• Right: Mannen som jeg møtte.
• Why: Som is the only relative pronoun used in standard Norwegian. Hvem and hvilken are interrogative words, not relative pronouns.

Wrong word order with negation

• Wrong: Mannen som bor ikke her.
• Right: Mannen som ikke bor her.
• Why: Relative clauses are subordinate clauses, so ikke and other adverbials must precede the finite verb.

Usage Notes

In spoken Bokmål, som is by far the dominant relative pronoun, and omitting it as object is very common and natural. The possessive hvis is somewhat formal; in casual speech, the periphrastic som ... hans/hennes construction is preferred.

The use of der versus hvor for place is largely interchangeable, though der is slightly more common in spoken language and hvor in formal writing.

Relative clauses are essential for the cleft sentence construction (Det er ... som ...), which is very frequent in Norwegian: Det var hun som vant. (It was she who won.)

Practice Tips

• Combine simple sentences. Take two short sentences and merge them with som: Jeg kjenner en mann. Han bor i Bergen. becomes Jeg kjenner en mann som bor i Bergen. Practice with both subject and object relative clauses.
• Practice omitting som. Write pairs of sentences -- one with som as object and one without -- and read them aloud to develop a feel for when omission sounds natural.
• Read Norwegian news articles. Journalistic writing is dense with relative clauses. Identify each som-clause and determine whether som is subject or object, and whether a preposition is stranded.

Related Concepts

• Subordinate Clauses - Parent concept
• Types of Subordinate Clauses - Child concept