Relative Clauses with 'som'
Relativsetninger med 'som'
'Som' is the universal relative pronoun in Norwegian, equivalent to who/which/that. Unlike English, 'som' is never omitted when it's the subject of the relative clause. It can be omitted when it's the object.
Rule
noun + som + verb (subject) | noun + (som) + subject + verb (object)
Examples
Mannen som bor her er norsk.
The man who lives here is Norwegian.
Boken (som) jeg leser er god.
The book (that) I read is good.
Jenta som snakker er min venn.
The girl who is speaking is my friend.
Common Mistake
Mannen hvem bor her...
Mannen som bor her...
Norwegian uses 'som' for all relative clauses, not 'hvem' (who) or 'hvilken' (which). 'Som' is the only relative pronoun in everyday Norwegian.
English vs Norwegian
| English | Norsk |
|---|---|
| The man who lives here is Norwegian. | Mannen som bor her er norsk. |
| The book (that) I read is good. | Boken (som) jeg leser er god. |
| The girl who is speaking is my friend. | Jenta som snakker er min venn. |
English
The man who lives here is Norwegian.
Norsk
Mannen som bor her er norsk.
English
The book (that) I read is good.
Norsk
Boken (som) jeg leser er god.
English
The girl who is speaking is my friend.
Norsk
Jenta som snakker er min venn.