#18 "Hvis" or "om"? If I only knew ... / Hvis jeg bare visste det ... [grammatikk]
Description
Starting with good news - you can always use "om" if you're uncertain, though native speakers typically differentiate between the two in conversation. But when should you use each one correctly? The key distinction lies in their grammatical functions.
"Hvis" introduces hypothetical situations with consequences. For example, "Hvis du vil ha dessert, må du spise grønnsakene først" (If you want dessert, you must eat your vegetables first). A helpful trick: if you can mentally insert "then" (så/da) after the conditional clause, "hvis" is usually your best choice.
Meanwhile, "om" serves a specific purpose - it introduces indirect questions, in this case yes/no questions without question words like "når" (when) or "hva" (what). Think of "om" as equivalent to "whether" in English. When transforming direct questions like "Går det bra?" (Is it going well?) into indirect speech, you'd say "Jeg spør OM det går bra" (I'm asking whether it's going well).
The episode includes practical examples to test your understanding, with explanations that make this grammar point much clearer. Whether you're a beginner struggling with basic conditionals or an intermediate learner fine-tuning your grammar, this episode provides the clarity you need to sound more natural in Norwegian.
Do you like the podcast? :)
Feel free to buy me a coffee :)
buymeacoffee.com/thenorwegianpuzzle
....
This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube, Deezer and Podcast Addict.
....
Transcript available here: https://the-norwegian-puzzle.buzzsprout.com
....
Questions? Feedback? Get in touch!
norskmedsilje@gmail.com
....
Other places to find me:
www.norsk-med-silje.com
www.facebook.com/norskmedsilje
www.instagram.com/norskmedsilje
www.linkedin.com/in/silje-linn-moss

![#18 "Hvis" or "om"? If I only knew ... / Hvis jeg bare visste det ... [grammatikk] #18 "Hvis" or "om"? If I only knew ... / Hvis jeg bare visste det ... [grammatikk]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/qx18o54p89qaxb9h8j9b80rfdh59?.jpg)
![#27 Norwegian excitement ... is three different emotions! - So exciting! Så spennende! [vokabular] #27 Norwegian excitement ... is three different emotions! - So exciting! Så spennende! [vokabular]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/d4f823fhk542ojjt22wcsuaew11u?.jpg)
![#26 "At" or "som"? The one where pizza explains it all ... [grammatikk] [on the go] #26 "At" or "som"? The one where pizza explains it all ... [grammatikk] [on the go]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/m1le6x771sa3widuar0l3e0qcnum?.jpg)
![#25 Preteritum and perfektum - How Norwegians look at the past [grammatikk] [on the go] #25 Preteritum and perfektum - How Norwegians look at the past [grammatikk] [on the go]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/x6uwjz5v7utmf6pmrq2vhnr5pa23?.jpg)
![#24 Halloween in Norway listening exercise [på norsk] [pronunciation] #24 Halloween in Norway listening exercise [på norsk] [pronunciation]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/qmep2e0hps2bwxx65j0uhm0ylpw0?.jpg)
![#23 "Noe" or "noen"? what they can mean and how they are used. [vokabular] [grammatikk] #23 "Noe" or "noen"? what they can mean and how they are used. [vokabular] [grammatikk]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/07p1jtt7u95gvxsm8fzbze9j5wni?.jpg)
![#22 A, E, and Æ pronunciation... and some geometry revisions [uttale] [pronunciation] #22 A, E, and Æ pronunciation... and some geometry revisions [uttale] [pronunciation]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/6pks3o9kovbvsxpsgs7rex2u57rd?.jpg)
![#21 Snakkes? Spises? Synes? The secrets of s-ending verbs [grammatikk] #21 Snakkes? Spises? Synes? The secrets of s-ending verbs [grammatikk]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/ndm8wvcgos86oqs9717s1osdohss?.jpg)
![#20 "Skal", "vil", or "kommer til å"? You will soon understand the future tenses! [vokabular] #20 "Skal", "vil", or "kommer til å"? You will soon understand the future tenses! [vokabular]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/eo70p01oo7xjngb8dp8v0plj49e5?.jpg)
![#19 Språkforvirret? Lost in translation? Avoid these funny translation mistakes! [vokabular] #19 Språkforvirret? Lost in translation? Avoid these funny translation mistakes! [vokabular]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/1ldz176blpw0plkc0ct7feh47btg?.jpg)
![#17 "Annen", "annet", "andre" : another confusing topic in Norwegian [grammatikk] [vokabular] #17 "Annen", "annet", "andre" : another confusing topic in Norwegian [grammatikk] [vokabular]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/ecqebrarejsxazhagh68i74rxne1?.jpg)
![#16 Inversion: what it is, when to do it and how [grammatikk] #16 Inversion: what it is, when to do it and how [grammatikk]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/3sybgxe2h0uxabr8q2j5irjg4fsq?.jpg)
![#15 When English "to" becomes "å", "til å", or "for å" [vokabular] #15 When English "to" becomes "å", "til å", or "for å" [vokabular]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/ebqjyr4f1lzbyhh4jmyayuzoombx?.jpg)
![#14 Sommer på jorda - Norwegian summer song decoded [på norsk] [kultur] #14 Sommer på jorda - Norwegian summer song decoded [på norsk] [kultur]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/hvgg3g8qacvywjgt9tx28ah4q25b?.jpg)
![#12 Sikker / sikkert: two mistakes I am 99 % sure you make [grammatikk] [vokabular] #12 Sikker / sikkert: two mistakes I am 99 % sure you make [grammatikk] [vokabular]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/99vm4w6xd0e2w2gye5jzamyeglni?.jpg)
![#11 Perfection your Norwegian "u" sound and avoid misunderstandings [pronunciation] [uttale] #11 Perfection your Norwegian "u" sound and avoid misunderstandings [pronunciation] [uttale]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/l6slfd6ikrsbu5bsth06533jzn0d?.jpg)
![#10 When private lessons might be the answer - and how to choose your teacher. [tips og tanker] #10 When private lessons might be the answer - and how to choose your teacher. [tips og tanker]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/sxz5nh009hvrdvow23t1v7sr5iv6?.jpg)
![#9 Å legge/ligge, å sette/sitte: two tricky verb pairs demystified [vokabular] [grammatikk] #9 Å legge/ligge, å sette/sitte: two tricky verb pairs demystified [vokabular] [grammatikk]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/md11pk40his1egilvo32yml50muv?.jpg)
![#8 Å legge, å sette and å putte: Things, their position and the art of placing them correctly. [vokabular] #8 Å legge, å sette and å putte: Things, their position and the art of placing them correctly. [vokabular]](https://storage.buzzsprout.com/uwe9gyhlabft475tsy4215gosz0a?.jpg)


