'når' or 'da': Two Words for 'When' — Norwegian Grammar

English has one word, "when", where Norwegian has two. The choice depends on time: is the clause about a single occasion in the past, or about the present, the future, or something that happens again and again?

da: One Time in the Past

refers to a single event or a single period in the past that is over.

Da jeg var ung, bodde jeg i Kina.
When I was young, I lived in China.
Da jeg kom hjem, sov alle.
When I came home, everyone was asleep.
Hun gråt da hun hørte nyheten.
She cried when she heard the news.

når: Now, Later and Every Time

is used for the present and the future, and for something in the past that happened repeatedly.

Ring meg når du ankommer.
Call me when you arrive.
Når jeg studerer, blir jeg veldig trøtt.
When I study, I get very tired.
Når vi var på hytta, badet vi hver dag.
Whenever we were at the cabin, we went swimming every day.

Side by Side

The same situation needs a different word depending on whether it happened once or keeps happening.

Da jeg var i Spania, regnet det.
When I was in Spain, it rained.
Når jeg er i Spania, regner det alltid.
When I am in Spain, it always rains.

hver gang: Every Time

To make the idea of repetition explicit, Norwegian uses (every time), which works in any tense.

Hver gang jeg ser ham, smiler han.
Every time I see him, he smiles.
Hver gang vi kom, var hun hjemme.
Every time we came, she was at home.

når in Questions

As a question word, is used for every tense, the past included.

Når skjedde det?
When did it happen?
Når begynner du å jobbe?
When do you start work?

da Meaning "Then"

also works as an adverb meaning "then" or "at that time". In that use it does not start a clause of its own.

Møtet er på fredag, men da er jeg borte.
The meeting is on Friday, but I am away then.

Word Order

Both words start a subordinate clause, so the subject comes before the verb. If the clause opens the sentence, the main clause continues with its verb.

Da vi kom, var maten kald.
When we arrived, the food was cold.

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