Når or Da? Study Guide

Overview

Norwegian Når vs. Da

This guide teaches how to choose between når and da in time expressions.

Level 1

Når or da

Use når for repeated or future time. Use da for one specific past time.

når

repeated or future

Når det regner, tar jeg med paraply.
da

one past moment

Da jeg var liten, bodde vi i Bergen.

Classify the time reference

Use når for repeated events and future time. Use da for one particular occasion in the past.

Both can correspond to English when, so an English translation usually supports rather than reveals the choice.

Examples

Når jeg kommer hjem, lager jeg mat.

When I come home, I make food.

habit

Da jeg kom hjem, lagde jeg mat.

When I came home, I made food.

one past occasion

Level 2

Time meaning

Compare similar sentences by asking whether the time is a habit, future, or one past event.

når

habit

Når jeg kommer hjem, lager jeg kaffe.

When I come home, I make coffee.

når

future

Jeg lager kaffe når jeg kommer hjem.

I will make coffee when I get home.

da

past event

Jeg lagde kaffe da jeg kom hjem.

I made coffee when I got home.

Use meaning, not tense alone

Repeated past situations can still use når, while an indirect question may use når because it asks at what time. The item explanation should name the intended reading.

Examples

Når vi besøkte bestemor, fikk vi kake.

Whenever we visited Grandma, we got cake.

repeated past

Jeg husker da vi møttes.

I remember when we met.

one specific event

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