Norwegian grammar in use
Jeg lurer på in Norwegian: Examples and Practice
Jeg lurer på means “I wonder”. Learn how to follow it with a question word or om, then practise six indirect questions with answers and explanations.
The short answer
After jeg lurer på, an embedded question uses subordinate-clause order. Keep the question word, then put the subject before the verb. For a yes/no question, use om (whether/if).
Direct: Hvor ligger biblioteket? (Where is the library?)
Embedded: Jeg lurer på hvor biblioteket ligger. (I wonder where the library is.)
Yes/no: Er butikken åpen? becomes Jeg lurer på om butikken er åpen. (I wonder whether the shop is open.)
If the question word itself is the subject, add som: Hvem kommer? becomes Jeg lurer på hvem som kommer. The examples below include this pattern too.
Direct questions are normal Norwegian. This is another way to express a question or uncertainty; it does not make every direct question rude. Try the prompts without an account.
Six examples with answers
Examples with answers
Turn each direct question into a sentence beginning Jeg lurer på. Say or write your answer, then reveal an example and explanation. A free account is needed to keep these six examples for review.
Prompt
You are wondering where the library is. Begin with Jeg lurer på. Hvor ligger biblioteket?
Show answer and explanation
Answer and explanation
Jeg lurer på hvor biblioteket ligger. I wonder where the library is. Keep hvor, then put the subject biblioteket before the verb ligger.
Prompt
You are wondering when the shop opens. Begin with Jeg lurer på. Når åpner butikken?
Show answer and explanation
Answer and explanation
Jeg lurer på når butikken åpner. I wonder when the shop opens. Keep når and use subject-before-verb order: butikken åpner.
Prompt
You are wondering whether the shop is open. Begin with Jeg lurer på. Er butikken åpen?
Show answer and explanation
Answer and explanation
Jeg lurer på om butikken er åpen. I wonder whether the shop is open. This is a yes/no question, so use om followed by the subject butikken and the verb er.
Prompt
You are wondering about your own payment options. Begin with Jeg lurer på and keep jeg as the person paying. Kan jeg betale med kort?
Show answer and explanation
Answer and explanation
Jeg lurer på om jeg kan betale med kort. I wonder whether I can pay by card. Use om for the yes/no question, then jeg before kan. Betale stays after kan.
Prompt
You are wondering why he is not coming. Begin with Jeg lurer på and keep the negative meaning. Hvorfor kommer han ikke?
Show answer and explanation
Answer and explanation
Jeg lurer på hvorfor han ikke kommer. I wonder why he is not coming. The embedded question uses han + ikke + kommer. Do not keep the direct-question order kommer han ikke.
Prompt
You are wondering who is coming tomorrow. Begin with Jeg lurer på. Hvem kommer i morgen?
Show answer and explanation
Answer and explanation
Jeg lurer på hvem som kommer i morgen. I wonder who is coming tomorrow. Hvem is the subject of the embedded question, so add som before kommer.
Usage notes
Use om for yes/no questions. After jeg lurer på, use om, not hvis, to mean “whether”. With a question word, use it directly: Jeg lurer på når butikken åpner.
Keep ikke before the finite verb inside the embedded question. Hvorfor kommer han ikke? becomes Jeg lurer på hvorfor han ikke kommer. The question word is followed by han + ikke + kommer.
Do not add som after every hvem. Use it when hvem is the subject, as in hvem som kommer. When someone else is the subject, the pattern is different: Jeg lurer på hvem du møter (I wonder whom you are meeting). Here du is the subject.
Keep track of who is speaking. Reporting someone else’s question can also require a pronoun change. These prompts keep the viewpoint explicit. The model answers begin with the statement Jeg lurer på and end with a full stop.
Choose the wording for the situation. A short direct question can be entirely appropriate. Jeg lurer på expresses wondering and can introduce an inquiry, but tone and context still matter.
Reference: NTNU NoW2: indirect questions, om, word order and subject questions with som. Practice examples are original.