allerede

Allerede is a Norwegian adverb meaning already. It is used to indicate that something has happened earlier than expected or before the present moment, and it can modify verbs or entire clauses.

In everyday Norwegian, allerede appears in various tenses, especially with the present perfect. Examples include har du allerede spist? (have you already eaten?) and jeg har allerede sett filmen (I have already seen the film). It can also introduce emphasis at the beginning of a sentence, as in allerede i dag ble avtalen signert (already today the agreement was signed). While common in speech, it is also frequent in written Norwegian, including news and literature.

Etymology and cognates: allerede is closely related to similar forms in other Scandinavian languages. It is cognate with Danish allerede and Swedish redan; all derive from North Germanic roots. The exact historical development is not always clear, but the word represents a shared semantic element of time—an event that has occurred sooner than expected.

Usage notes: allerede is a flexible adverb that typically appears before the main verb or after an auxiliary verb in Norwegian syntax. It is less common to place it after the main verb in simple tenses (e.g., spiste allerede is less natural than har spist allerede). In negative constructions about time, speakers may use ennå (yet) or other phrases, depending on emphasis and register.

See also: Norwegian language; Danish allerede; Swedish redan.