Lesson goal
After the lesson, the student can ask and say when an action happens, what time it starts, and how long it lasts. The student distinguishes basic time words and builds simple phrases with når, hva tid, hvor lenge, as well as with i dag, i går, i morgen, før, etter, om, fra ... til ....
Topic explanation
In everyday speech, it is not enough to name only the clock time. You need to be able to connect an event to a day, to its start, to its duration, and to another event. For this, Norwegian at A1 level uses short question patterns and a limited set of time words.
The first type is a question about a point in time: Når kommer du? Here they ask when the action happens in general: today, tomorrow, after work, in the evening. The question word når is needed when the important thing is the moment in time itself, not the exact number on the clock.
The second type is a question about the exact starting time: Hva tid begynner møtet? or Når begynner møtet? At the beginner level, both forms are possible, but hva tid more often points to an answer with a clock time, while når is broader and works both for clock times and for a more general answer.
The third type is a question about duration: Hvor lenge varer timen? Here the question is not when the action starts, but how long it continues. This is a separate logic: point in time and duration cannot be mixed.
For everyday answers, you need the main adverbs of time: i dag — today, i går — yesterday, i morgen — tomorrow. They are used without an article and without additional prepositions, because they already indicate a point in time by themselves.
The connection between events is expressed with the words før and etter: before and after. They are needed when time is described not by the clock, but through another action: etter jobb, før møtet. The word om in this lesson is important in the meaning of “in”: om to timer. It shows the distance from the present moment to a future event.
For schedules, the pattern fra ... til ... is especially useful: Jeg jobber fra ni til fire. It sets the boundaries of a period. This is more precise than simply naming two times separately, because it immediately shows the duration of the interval.
Rules and exceptions
Below are the basic rules needed for correct questions and answers about time in everyday situations.
Når? — a question about when an action happens in general: a day, part of the day, a moment after another event. It fits answers like i morgen, etter jobb, klokka to.
Hva tid? — a question about clock time. At A1, it is convenient to use when an answer with a specific hour is expected.
Hvor lenge? — a question only about duration. After it, answers like en time, to timer are natural, not klokka to.
In a normal question, the question word comes first: Når kommer du? This word order is mandatory.
In a statement, the verb usually stands in second position: Jeg kommer i morgen. If the phrase begins with a time expression, the verb still remains second: I morgen kommer jeg.
i dag, i går, i morgen are used without a preposition. You cannot add an extra form before them.
før and etter connect the time of one event with another: før timen, etter møtet. These are not exact clock times, but relative time.
om in this lesson means “in”: om en time. Do not confuse it with other meanings of om; they are not needed here.
fra ... til ... sets the beginning and the end of a period: fra ni til fire. This is the standard pattern for working hours and schedules.
avtale — appointment, arrangement; arbeidstid — working hours. These words are often used with questions like Når er ...? and with the pattern fra ... til ....
Examples with explanation
Når kommer du? — I will come tomorrow. In Norwegian: Når kommer du? Jeg kommer i morgen. The question with når asks about a point in time, and the answer is given through i morgen, without a clock time.
Møtet begynner klokka to. — The meeting starts at two o’clock. Here an exact hour is needed, so the form with klokka to is used. The verb begynner stands in second position after the subject.
Hva tid begynner timen? — When does the lesson start? This question points to an answer with a specific time. At A1, this is a convenient pattern for schedules.
Jeg jobber fra ni til fire. — I work from nine to four. The pattern fra ... til ... shows the boundaries of working hours. These are not two separate facts, but one time interval.
Hvor lenge varer timen? — Hvor lenge varer timen? Den varer en time. — How long does the lesson last? It lasts one hour. A question about duration requires an answer with an amount of time, not with the starting hour.
Jeg har en avtale etter jobb. — I have an appointment after work. Here time is defined through another event. etter jobb is a natural everyday way when the exact hour is not needed.
Vi spiser før møtet. — We eat before the meeting. The word før shows that one action happens earlier than another. This is relative time, not calendar time.
Bussen går om ti minutter. — The bus leaves in ten minutes. om shows the interval from the present moment to a future event. This is not “at ten minutes,” but specifically “in ten minutes.”
Når er arbeidstiden? — Arbeidstiden er fra åtte til tre. — When are the working hours? The working hours are from eight to three. The question Når er ...? also works for schedules. The answer is built with fra ... til ..., because it is about a period.
I dag har jeg en avtale, men i morgen er jeg fri. — Today I have an appointment, but tomorrow I am free. Here two days are contrasted with i dag and i morgen. Both words stand without a preposition and clearly indicate the time.