A2 Norwegian GrammarObject Pronouns (Accusative & Dative)
Learn Norwegian object pronouns used as direct and indirect objects: meg, deg, ham, henne, den/det, oss, dere, dem. Unlike German, Norwegian does not distinguish between accusative and dative forms. Master pronoun placement in sentences and common verb patterns.
1Object Pronoun Forms
Norwegian object pronouns replace nouns that receive the action of the verb. Unlike English, the same form is used for both direct objects (what is affected) and indirect objects (who receives). The pronouns change form from subject pronouns: jeg→meg, du→deg, han→ham, etc.
Subject vs Object Pronouns
| Person | Subject | Object | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sing. | jeg | meg | Han ser meg. |
| 2nd sing. | du | deg | Jeg hjelper deg. |
| 3rd sing. m. | han | ham/han | Vi kjenner ham. |
| 3rd sing. f. | hun | henne | De liker henne. |
| 3rd sing. n. | det/den | det/den | Jeg tar det. |
| 1st plur. | vi | oss | Hun hjelper oss. |
| 2nd plur. | dere | dere | Jeg ser dere. |
| 3rd plur. | de | dem | Vi kjenner dem. |
Examples
Kan du hjelpe meg?
Can you help me?
meg = me (direct object)
Jeg elsker deg.
I love you.
deg = you (direct object)
Vi så ham i går.
We saw him yesterday.
ham = him (also 'han' in speech)
Barna liker henne.
The children like her.
henne = her (direct object)
2Direct and Indirect Objects
A direct object receives the action directly (I see HIM), while an indirect object is the recipient (I give HIM the book). In Norwegian, the indirect object usually comes before the direct object. Both use the same pronoun forms.
Object Order Pattern
| Pattern | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Direct only | Jeg ser ham. | I see him. |
| Indirect + Direct | Jeg gir ham boken. | I give him the book. |
| Indirect + Direct | Hun sendte meg et brev. | She sent me a letter. |
| Both pronouns | Hun ga den til meg. | She gave it to me. |
Examples
Mor ga meg en gave.
Mom gave me a present.
meg = indirect object (recipient)
Kan du vise oss veien?
Can you show us the way?
oss = indirect object
Jeg sendte dem en melding.
I sent them a message.
dem = indirect object
Han fortalte henne hemmeligheten.
He told her the secret.
henne = indirect object
3Pronouns with Prepositions
Object pronouns are also used after prepositions. Common prepositions include: til (to), for (for), med (with), fra (from), om (about), and hos (at someone's place). The pronoun always follows the preposition.
Common Preposition + Pronoun
| Preposition | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| til | til meg | to me |
| for | for deg | for you |
| med | med ham | with him |
| fra | fra henne | from her |
| om | om oss | about us |
| hos | hos dem | at their place |
Examples
Dette er en gave til deg.
This is a present for you.
til deg = to/for you
Vil du gå med meg?
Do you want to go with me?
med meg = with me
Jeg fikk et brev fra henne.
I got a letter from her.
fra henne = from her
Vi spiste middag hos dem.
We ate dinner at their place.
hos dem = at their place
4Word Order with Object Pronouns
In main clauses, object pronouns come after the verb. In subordinate clauses, they come after the subject (and any adverbs). When there are two pronouns, the indirect object typically comes first or 'til' is used to clarify.
Pronoun Position
| Clause Type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Main clause | Verb + Object | Jeg ser henne. |
| Subordinate | Subj + Object + Verb | ...at jeg ser henne |
| Two objects | IO + DO | Han ga meg den. |
| With til | DO + til + IO | Han ga den til meg. |
Examples
Jeg kjenner ham godt.
I know him well.
Main clause: verb + pronoun
Hun sa at hun kjenner dem.
She said that she knows them.
Subordinate: subject + pronoun + verb
Gi meg den!
Give me it! / Give it to me!
Indirect before direct object
Kan du gi den til ham?
Can you give it to him?
til clarifies recipient