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Introduction to Norwegian: 26

Alright, now it is true that these sentences are quite unusual. When you talk about things you usually want to at least specify what things you are talking about, or at least say the thing or the house and so on. We run into a problem here, though:

Norwegian words for the are the same as their words for a: en and et.

So if you want to say the thing, you can’t say en ting because that would be the same as a thing, and it would quickly get so confusing that Norwegians would just quit this talking thing and go hide themselves in a fjord instead. Luckily, though, Norwegians figured out a way to solve this problem:

The Norwegian word for the goes at the end of the word instead of in front of it.

Now that clears up the confusion! For example, if you have an et-word hus, you could say et hus and that would mean a house, or you could put et in the end of the word and have huset to mean the house.

So how would you say: 

  1. Put "et" right after "hus" (without any spaces).
    3.   
  3. 
  
   
    
    Remember you are saying "the time".
    4.   
  4. 
  
   
    
    5.   
  5. 
  
   
    
    6.   
  6. 
  
   
    
    Think carefully whether it is "det" or "den" this time.
    7.   
  7. 
  
   
    
    8.   
  8. 
  
   
    
    9.   
  9. 
  
   
    
    10.   
  10. 
  
   
    
    11.   
  11. 
  
   
    
    Just put "good" and "night" together.
    12.   
  12. 
  
   
    
    Use the word "hjelpe".
    13.   
  13. 
  
   
    
    Use "handhun" to remember the word for "he".
    14.   
  14. 
  
   
    
    15.   
  15. 
  
   
    
    16.   
  16. 
  
   
    
    17.   
  17. 
  
   
    
    Remember that "the car" is just one word. And, again, "England" is "England".
    18.   
  18. 
  
   
    
    19.   
  19. 
  
   
    
    20.   
  20. 
  
   
    
    Use the same word order as in English.
    21.   
  21. 
  
   
    
    Literally: "what want you?"
    22.   
  22. 
  
   
    
    Literally: "what have you?"
    23.   
  23. 
  
   
    
    Use the same word order as in English. From was "fra".
    24.   
  24. 
  
   
    
    Don't forget to make "house" into "the house".
    25.   
  25. 
  
   
    
    26.   
  26. 
  
   
    
    Use the word order "why speak you Norwegian?"
    27.   
  27. 
  
   
    
    28.   
  28. 
  
   
    
    Remember that this is literally "how have you it?" The word "how" was "hvordan".
    29.   
  29. 
  
   
    
    30.   
  30. 
  
   
    
    This is "I have it good, thanks".
    31.   
  31. 
  
   
    
    You are saying "have it good", and using the word "bra" instead of "god". The imperative word for "have" is only two letters long, and comes from the infinitive form.
    32.   
  32. 
  
   
    
    Do you remember that "hi" was "hei"? Also, you are asking "how have you it?" (Remember that "how" was "hvordan".)
    33.   
  33. 
  
   
    
    You are saying "I have it good, thanks". Moreover, "morning" was "morgon".
    34.   
  34. 
  
   
    
    The same word order as in English. "From" was "fra", and where was "hvor".
    35.   
  35. 
  
   
    
    Norway was "Norge".
    36.   
  36. 
  
   
    
    37.   
  37. 
  
   
    
    Literally: "No, I speak not English."
    38.   
  38. 
  
   
    
    This sounds similar to "whatfor?"
    39.   
  39. 
  
   
    
    40.   
  40. 
  
   
    
    Your car comes with a bill, remember?
    41.   
  41. 
  
   
    
    Be careful to use "en" and "et" where appropriate.
    42.   
  42. 
  
   
    
    You will be saying "the car", thus add the right article to end the word.
    43.   
  43. 
  
   
    
    44.   
  44. 
  
   
    
    Use the word "være" for "be". Be careful as to whether you use "det" or "den".
    45.   
  45. 
  
   
    
    46.   
  46. 
  
   
    
    This is, remember, literally "have it good". Use the word "bra" for "good".
    47. 

  
                                                       
                                                

                                                

                                                        
                                                        
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