Norwegian word choices
Mer vs flere: two ways to say “more”
Use mer for more of an amount and flere for more countable things. Practise the next step after mye and mange.
The difference
Mer describes more of an amount. Flere describes more countable things in the plural. Compare mer kaffe (more coffee) with flere kopper (more cups).
This builds on mye vs mange: mye becomes mer, while mange becomes flere when you compare quantities or ask for more.
Look at what you are counting
In flere kopper kaffe, you are counting cups. In mer kaffe, you are describing the amount of coffee. The same drink can appear in either sentence; it is the noun being counted that matters.
The exercise focuses on quantities before nouns. Mer also has other uses, including comparisons with adjectives. Here, ask whether you want a greater amount or a greater number of separate things.
See NTNU’s explanation of quantities for the grammar behind this distinction. The situations and practice notes here are original examples.
Four practice notes
Keep these examples for learning
Each note keeps the situation, sentence and explanation together.
Prompt
Your cup is nearly empty and you want a greater amount of coffee. Jeg vil gjerne ha ___ kaffe. Choose mer or flere.
Answer and explanation
Jeg vil gjerne ha mer kaffe. I would like more coffee. Kaffe describes an amount of the drink here. Use mer, the comparative form associated with mye.
Prompt
Two more guests are coming. You need extra cups for the table. Vi trenger ___ kopper. Choose mer or flere.
Answer and explanation
Vi trenger flere kopper. We need more cups. Kopper refers to separate cups you can count. Use flere, the comparative form associated with mange.
Prompt
You cannot finish the task before the deadline and ask for a greater amount of time. Jeg trenger ___ tid. Choose mer or flere.
Answer and explanation
Jeg trenger mer tid. I need more time. Tid describes an amount of time here, not a number of days or hours. Use mer.
Prompt
The assignment requires a greater number of examples, not a longer explanation of the same one. Vi trenger ___ eksempler. Choose mer or flere.
Answer and explanation
Vi trenger flere eksempler. We need more examples. Eksempler is a plural noun for individual examples. Use flere because you need a greater number of them.