You have probably come across the words “hvis” and “om” before and have learned that both of them mean “if” in Norwegian. However, we can’t always use them in the same way. In this post, you will learn Norwegian words “hvis” and “om” and how we use them in sentences.
“Hvis” and “om” sentences
Both “hvis” and “om” mean “if” and can be used interchangeably in conditional sentences:
- Hvis/om du er interessert i arkitektur, må du besøke Barcelona. – If you’re interested in architecture, you must visit Barcelona.
- Hvis/om det blir fint vær, kan vi gå på tur. – If the weather is nice, we can go for a hike.
Please pay attention to the word order after “hvis” part: the verb comes first.
Hvis/om det blir fint vær, kan vi gå på tur.
Sentences with «om»
When there is no condition, we use only “om” in a sentence. If you can substitute “if” with “whether” – always use “om”.
For example:
- Han spør om vi kan dra til Spania i ferien. – He is asking if/whether we could go on vacation to Spain.
We can’t use “hvis” in this sentence: Han spør hvis vi kan dra til Spania i ferien. – Han spør om vi kan dra til Spania i ferien.
More examples:
- Jeg lurer på om du kan synge for oss? – I wonder if/whether you could sing for us?
- Han spurte om det var sant. – He asked if/whether it was true.
Can you think of an example with “hvis” and “om” in a sentence? Write them in the comments below. If you want to learn Norwegian, check out our online courses or other blog posts about Norwegian.
