Norwegian word choices
Da vs når: which word means “when”?
Use da for a particular past occasion or period. Use når for repeated events and future situations. Practise the written Bokmål distinction in four short examples.
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Four practice notes
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Situations, answers and short explanations.
Prompt
You describe getting home yesterday. Jeg lagde middag ___ jeg kom hjem i går. Choose da or når.
Answer and explanation
Jeg lagde middag da jeg kom hjem i går. I made dinner when I got home yesterday. One particular past occasion: use da.
Prompt
You describe a past habit on rainy days. Jeg tok alltid bussen ___ det regnet. Choose da or når.
Answer and explanation
Jeg tok alltid bussen når det regnet. I always took the bus when it rained. A repeated past habit: use når.
Prompt
You promise to send a message on arrival tomorrow. Jeg sender deg en melding ___ jeg kommer fram i morgen. Choose da or når.
Answer and explanation
Jeg sender deg en melding når jeg kommer fram i morgen. I will send you a message when I arrive tomorrow. A future arrival: use når.
Prompt
You describe your childhood. Jeg bodde i Bergen ___ jeg var barn. Choose da or når.
Answer and explanation
Jeg bodde i Bergen da jeg var barn. I lived in Bergen when I was a child. Childhood is a past period: use da.
The difference
Da: a particular past occasion or period. Da jeg kom hjem i går (when I got home yesterday).
Når: repeated events or future situations. Når jeg kommer hjem (when I get home).
Past habits use når too: Jeg tok alltid bussen når det regnet (I always took the bus when it rained). Compare da jeg var barn (when I was a child), a past period. This is the standard written distinction for connecting clauses.
See Språkrådet’s guidance on da and når for the grammar behind this distinction. Practice examples are original.