Conditions and Hypotheticals

01

Real Conditions

For something that can actually happen, the hvis clause takes the present tense. The result is in the present tense or uses vil (will).

• Ring meg hvis du trenger noe.

  Call me if you need anything.

• Hvis jeg tjener mer penger, vil jeg kjøpe en større leilighet.

  If I earn more money, I will buy a bigger apartment.

02

Imagined Situations: Past Tense + ville

To imagine a situation that is not real now, the hvis clause takes the past tense and the result takes ville (would) with an infinitive. The past form of være is var for every person, where English uses "were".

• Hvis jeg var rik, ville jeg eie en større leilighet.

  If I were rich, I would own a bigger apartment.

• Hvis jeg hadde tid, ville jeg lære spansk.

  If I had time, I would learn Spanish.

03

Imagined Past: hadde + ville ha

For something that did not happen in the past, the hvis clause uses hadde (had) with a participle, and the result uses ville ha (would have) with a participle.

• Hvis du hadde fortalt meg det, ville jeg ha gitt deg penger.

  If you had told me, I would have given you money.

In everyday speech the ha is often left out.

• Jeg ville ikke gjort det hvis jeg var deg.

  I wouldn't have done that if I were you.

04

Word Order After a hvis Clause

When the sentence starts with the hvis clause, the whole clause counts as the first element, so the verb of the main clause comes next and the subject follows it. When the main clause comes first, it keeps the ordinary order.

• Hvis du stiller et spørsmål, vil du få et svar.

  If you ask a question, you will get an answer.

• Du vil få et svar hvis du stiller et spørsmål.

  You will get an answer if you ask a question.

05

Wishes with skulle ønske

Jeg skulle ønske (I wish) is followed by the past tense when the wish is about the present.

• Jeg skulle ønske du var mer sparsommelig.

  I wish you were more frugal.

• Jeg skulle ønske jeg hadde en bil.

  I wish I had a car.

06

Polite Requests and Offers

The past forms kunne and ville make a request softer and more polite. Jeg vil gjerne or Jeg ville gjerne means "I would like".

• Kunne du gjenta det?

  Could you repeat that?

• Kunne du be kelneren komme hit?

  Could you ask the waiter to come here?

• Jeg ville gjerne ha en kopp kaffe.

  I would like a cup of coffee.