Lesson 5: Past tense

Norwegian past tense: what this Norwegian lesson covers

This free interactive lesson on norwegian past tense is part of the Mondosol Learn to speak Norwegian course. In about ten minutes you will meet 8 essential words and phrases about Past Tense: preteritum and perfektum, see how they are used, and test yourself with a short quiz. Everything on this page runs in your browser, so you can practise norwegian past tense on your phone, tablet or laptop without installing anything.

What you will learn

• jobbe – jobbet – har jobbet — Regular verb with -et: I går jobbet jeg hjemme. (Yesterday I worked from home.)
• lese – leste – har lest — Regular verb with -te: Jeg leste en bok i går. (I read a book yesterday.)
• bo – bodde – har bodd — Short verbs often take -dde: Jeg bodde i Oslo i tre år. (I lived in Oslo for three years.)
• spise – spiste – har spist — Jeg har spist. (I have eaten.) Perfektum is har + past participle.
• være – var – har vært — Irregular: Jeg var syk i går. (I was ill yesterday.)
• ha – hadde – har hatt — Irregular: Vi hadde det fint. (We had a nice time.)
• gå – gikk – har gått — Irregular: Jeg gikk hjem. (I walked home.)
• Jeg har vært i Norge. — I have been to Norway. Use perfektum for experiences with no fixed time; use preteritum with words like i går or i fjor.

Practice questions

1. What is the past tense of “være”? Options: vært, var, være.
2. Complete: I går ___ jeg hjem. Options: går, har gått, gikk.
3. Which sentence uses perfektum? Options: Jeg har spist, Jeg spiste, Jeg spiser.
4. What is the past tense of “jobbe”? Options: jobbte, jobber, jobbet.

How the lesson works

Each card shows one item with a visual cue and a clear explanation. Tap the card to flip it, say it out loud, and move on when it feels familiar. After the cards you answer a short quiz on norwegian past tense; a wrong answer costs a heart, and if you run out you can restart the lesson for free. Finish all the cards and the quiz to earn XP and keep your daily streak alive, exactly like a language app but built around real Norwegian situations.

Why norwegian past tense matters

Every story, every weekend chat and every job interview uses the past tense. Knowing when to say jeg spiste and when to say jeg har spist makes you sound clear and correct.

Keep going

Ready for more? Go back to the full Learn to speak Norwegian course to pick your next lesson, or browse all Mondosol courses. For an authoritative reference on this topic, see Språkrådet (Language Council of Norway). Mondosol is free to start; Plus unlocks all courses, unlimited hearts and offline practice.