S-Passive in Norwegian

In Brief

Norwegian can make a verb passive by replacing the infinitive's final -e with -es: å bygge → bygges (“to be built”), å selge → selges (“to be sold”). The s-passive is especially common in rules, signs, instructions, descriptions of procedures, and formal writing. It usually presents an action as general, expected, or ongoing without focusing on the person who performs it.

Overview

A sentence is passive when its grammatical subject is the person or thing affected by an action rather than the person or thing performing it. Compare active De bygger huset (“They are building the house”) with passive Huset bygges (“The house is being built”). In the passive sentence, huset is the subject, but it receives the action.

Norwegian has more than one way to express the passive. This article focuses on the s-passive (s-passiv), which is formed as one word ending in -s. You will meet it frequently on notices—Døra stenges kl. 22—and in instructions, regulations, news, and administrative language. At B1, the essential skill is to recognize and form the present s-passive and to understand why the performer is often left unstated.

English commonly uses “be + past participle,” as in “is sold.” Norwegian does not always mirror that structure. A compact form such as selges may correspond to “is sold,” “is being sold,” or, in an advertisement, “for sale.” The intended time and meaning come from the context.

How It Works

From active to passive

An active clause normally contains an agent (the person or thing doing the action), a verb, and an object (the person or thing affected):

Function	Active sentence	Passive sentence
Agent	Vaktmesteren	usually omitted
Verb	stenger	stenges
Affected thing	døra	Døra becomes the subject
Complete sentence	Vaktmesteren stenger døra kl. 22.	Døra stenges kl. 22.

The change is not merely adding -s to the present-tense form. Do not start with stenger and produce ✗ stengers. Start with the infinitive å stenge, remove the final -e, and add -es.

Forming the present s-passive

For most infinitives ending in -e, remove that final -e and add -es. Another useful way to remember the same rule is that the active present ending -r is replaced by -s.

Infinitive	Active present	S-passive	Meaning
å bygge	bygger	bygges	is/are (being) built
å selge	selger	selges	is/are sold
å lese	leser	leses	is/are read
å betale	betaler	betales	is/are paid
å stenge	stenger	stenges	is/are closed
å bruke	bruker	brukes	is/are used

For an infinitive that does not end in -e, add -s directly:

Infinitive	S-passive	Example meaning
å nå	nås	is reached / can be reached
å slå	slås	is struck; is switched
å ta	tas	is taken

Some resulting forms reflect ordinary Norwegian spelling and sound changes. Learn frequent forms as complete units: å gjøre → gjøres (“is done”), å se → ses (“is seen”), and å gi → gis (“is given”).

The present form can cover several English meanings

Norwegian present tense does not formally distinguish “is done” from “is being done.” The same applies to the s-passive:

• Huset bygges nå. — “The house is being built now.”
• Denne modellen bygges i Norge. — “This model is built in Norway.”
• Billetter selges på nettet. — “Tickets are sold online.”

Words such as nå (“now”), hver dag (“every day”), and vanligvis (“usually”) clarify whether the action is happening at this moment or is a regular practice.

With modal verbs

The s-passive is especially natural after a modal verb—a verb such as skal, må, kan, or bør that expresses plans, necessity, possibility, or advice. The modal carries tense, while the passive verb remains in its infinitive form without å.

Pattern	Norwegian	English
skal + s-passive	Skjemaet skal sendes i dag.	The form is to be sent today.
må + s-passive	Regningen må betales innen fredag.	The bill must be paid by Friday.
kan + s-passive	Billetten kan kjøpes på nettet.	The ticket can be bought online.
bør + s-passive	Medisinen bør tas med mat.	The medicine should be taken with food.

This pattern is concise and common in practical instructions. It avoids vague active subjects such as “someone,” “people,” or English generic “you.”

Naming the agent with av

If the performer matters, Norwegian can introduce it with av (“by”):

• Boka leses av mange studenter. — “The book is read by many students.”
• Saken behandles av kommunen. — “The case is handled by the municipality.”

However, the s-passive often sounds most natural when the agent is unknown, obvious, generic, or deliberately unimportant. If a specific one-time event and its performer are central, an active sentence or a bli-passive may be clearer.

Word order and negation

The s-passive is a finite verb (the verb carrying tense) and follows normal Norwegian main-clause word order. In an ordinary statement, ikke usually comes after it:

• Døra låses ikke om dagen. — “The door is not locked during the day.”
• Her serveres det ikke alkohol. — “Alcohol is not served here.”

When another element comes first, Norwegian still follows the V2 rule: the finite verb stays in second position.

• Etter klokka ti stenges inngangen. — “After ten o'clock, the entrance is closed.”
• På biblioteket lånes bøkene gratis. — “At the library, books are borrowed free of charge.”

Examples in Context

Norwegian	English	Note
Huset bygges nå.	The house is being built now.	Action in progress
Døra stenges kl. 22.	The door closes at 10 p.m.	Scheduled routine on a notice
Norsk snakkes her.	Norwegian is spoken here.	The speakers are not identified
Billetter selges ved inngangen.	Tickets are sold at the entrance.	Practical information
Frokost serveres fra klokka sju.	Breakfast is served from seven o'clock.	Hotel or restaurant notice
Søknaden sendes elektronisk.	The application is submitted electronically.	Instruction or procedure
Mobiltelefoner må slås av.	Mobile phones must be switched off.	Modal plus s-passive
Varene kan hentes i butikken.	The goods can be collected in the shop.	Possibility
Denne osten lages av geitemelk.	This cheese is made from goat's milk.	Describes production
Resultatene offentliggjøres i morgen.	The results will be made public tomorrow.	Present form with future time phrase
Forslaget diskuteres av styret.	The proposal is being discussed by the board.	Agent expressed with av
Det sies at vinteren blir kald.	It is said that the winter will be cold.	Impersonal reporting construction
Bilen ble solgt i går.	The car was sold yesterday.	Bli-passive, not s-passive

The final example is an important contrast. Ble solgt describes a completed event in the past and uses bli plus the past participle (a verb form such as solgt, used in perfect and passive constructions). It belongs to the broader Norwegian passive system but is not itself an s-passive.

Common Mistakes

Adding -s to the active present

• Wrong: Billetten selgers på nettet.
• Right: Billetten selges på nettet.
• Why: Replace the active present -r with -s. Form selges from å selge, not from selger.

Keeping the old object as though the sentence were still active

• Wrong: Bygges de huset nå.
• Right: Huset bygges nå.
• Why: In the passive version, the affected thing becomes the subject. If you want to retain de as the doer, use active De bygger huset nå.

Copying English “is” into the s-passive

• Wrong: Huset er bygges nå.
• Right: Huset bygges nå.
• Why: The ending -s already marks the passive. Norwegian does not combine er with the finite s-passive in this way.

Using s-passive for every past event

• Awkward in everyday narrative: Bilen solgtes i går.
• Natural: Bilen ble solgt i går.
• Why: Past-tense s-passive forms exist, especially in formal or compressed writing, but modern Norwegian usually prefers ble + past participle for a specific completed past action.

Forgetting the passive after a modal

• Wrong meaning: Regningen må betale innen fredag.
• Right: Regningen må betales innen fredag.
• Why: The bill does not pay something; it must be paid. The -s marks that passive relationship.

Forcing an agent into every passive sentence

• Heavy: Døra stenges av de ansatte kl. 22 when the staff are irrelevant.
• Better: Døra stenges kl. 22.
• Why: One purpose of the passive is to omit an obvious or unimportant agent. Include an av-phrase only when it adds useful information.

Usage Notes

Signs, rules, and instructions

The s-passive is ideal for language that describes what is done rather than who does it. That is why it appears in public notices, recipes, product descriptions, schedules, regulations, and workplace procedures:

• Oppbevares kjølig. — “Keep refrigerated” (literally, “is to be stored cool”).
• Vaskes på 40 grader. — “Wash at 40 degrees.”
• Røyking er ikke tillatt and Det røykes ikke are different ways of stating a no-smoking rule.

English instructions often use an imperative—“Store in a cool place”—while Norwegian labels may use a bare s-passive. Translate the function of the instruction, not necessarily every grammatical part word for word.

Formal and neutral register

The s-passive is not limited to very formal Norwegian. Forms such as selges, brukes, and lages are entirely ordinary. Still, a long series of passives can make prose sound institutional or distant. In conversation, speakers often prefer an active clause with vi, de, or man:

• More institutional: Søknader behandles fortløpende.
• More conversational: Vi behandler søknadene fortløpende.

Both mean that applications are processed continuously, but the active version makes the organization more visible and direct.

Bokmål and Nynorsk

The examples here use Bokmål. Nynorsk also has s-forms, often written with -st, but its passive choices and standard forms differ. Do not mechanically transfer every Bokmål form into Nynorsk. When writing Nynorsk, consult a Nynorsk dictionary and learn its patterns separately.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

S-passive, bli-passive, and være-passive

Norwegian passive choices often differ in viewpoint rather than simply in tense.

Form	Typical focus	Example	Natural English meaning
S-passive	rule, process, general practice, planned action	Døra stenges kl. 22.	The door is closed/closes at 10 p.m.
bli + past participle	event or change, especially a particular occurrence	Døra ble stengt kl. 22.	The door was closed at 10 p.m.
være + past participle	resulting state	Døra er stengt.	The door is closed.

This distinction is a strong guide, not a mechanical law. Context and style affect the choice. Notice especially the contrast between an action and a state: Døra stenges tells you about the closing; Døra er stengt tells you the door is in a closed condition.

The present s-passive can also refer to a scheduled future event when a time expression makes that clear: Resultatene offentliggjøres i morgen. English normally uses “will be announced tomorrow,” but Norwegian does not need a separate future form here.

Past and perfect s-forms

Forms such as bygdes (“was built”) and har bygges are not parallel alternatives: the second is ungrammatical. A past s-passive may occur, particularly in formal writing, historical summaries, or concise prose, but a compound perfect normally uses bli:

• Formal/compact: Broen bygdes på 1960-tallet.
• Common alternative: Broen ble bygd på 1960-tallet.
• Perfect: Broen har blitt bygd om flere ganger. — “The bridge has been rebuilt several times.”

As a learner, use present s-passive confidently for general processes and modal constructions. Use bli + past participle as the safer default for individual past events.

Not every verb ending in -s is passive

Some Norwegian verbs normally appear with -s but do not function as ordinary passives. These include:

• finnes — exist, be found: Det finnes mange løsninger.
• synes — think, have an opinion: Jeg synes filmen er god.
• trives — thrive, enjoy oneself: Hun trives på jobben.
• møtes — meet each other: Vi møtes i morgen.

The last example has reciprocal meaning: each person acts toward the other. You cannot understand it simply as “we are met.” Dictionary learning matters here; an -s ending is a clue, not proof that a form is passive.

Impersonal det constructions

Formal and news-like Norwegian often combines det with an s-passive when the content comes in a following clause or infinitive:

• Det sies at prisene skal øke. — “It is said that prices will rise.”
• Det forventes at alle møter presis. — “Everyone is expected to arrive on time.”
• Det anbefales å bestille på forhånd. — “Booking in advance is recommended.”

Here det is an impersonal subject: it fills the grammatical subject position without referring to a particular object. These patterns are useful for reporting general opinions, expectations, and recommendations while leaving the source unnamed.

Practice Tips

1. Transform useful active sentences. Start with De selger billetter her, Vi sender svar på e-post, and Man må betale på forhånd. Then remove the unimportant agent and make Billetter selges her, Svar sendes på e-post, and Det må betales på forhånd.
2. Collect real-world examples by purpose. Make three lists from Norwegian websites or packaging: signs (stenges), procedures (behandles), and modal instructions (må betales). Identifying the purpose is more useful than memorizing isolated forms.
3. Contrast action and state aloud. Practise pairs such as Døra stenges klokka ti / Døra er stengt nå and Bilen selges / Bilen ble solgt. This trains you to choose between s-passive, være, and bli rather than translating English “be” automatically.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Present Tense — provides the present-tense patterns that the s-passive contrasts with.
• Next step: Impersonal Constructions — develops patterns such as det sies and det anbefales.
• Next step: Bli-Passive — explains how Norwegian presents passive events and changes with bli plus a past participle.
• Advanced connection: Formal Written Style — explores the institutional and concise style in which passive constructions are especially frequent.