Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Norwegian, you don't put 'the' in front of a noun; you attach '-en' to the end of masculine words.
- For masculine nouns, add '-en' to the end: 'en gutt' (a boy) becomes 'gutten' (the boy).
- If the word already ends in '-e', just add '-n': 'en lærer' (a teacher) becomes 'læreren'.
- If the word ends in a double consonant, drop one before adding '-en': 'en mann' becomes 'mannen'.
Definite Suffix Formation
| Indefinite | Definite | Rule |
|---|---|---|
|
en gutt
|
gutten
|
Add -en
|
|
en stol
|
stolen
|
Add -en
|
|
en lege
|
legen
|
Add -n
|
|
en mann
|
mannen
|
Drop one n, add -en
|
|
en hund
|
hunden
|
Add -en
|
|
en lærer
|
læreren
|
Add -en
|
Meanings
The definite suffix is used to indicate a specific, previously mentioned, or unique noun.
Specific reference
Referring to a specific object or person known to the listener.
“Hunden sover.”
“Bilen er rød.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Noun + en
|
Gutten sover.
|
|
Negative
|
Ikke + Noun + en
|
Gutten sover ikke.
|
|
Question
|
Er + Noun + en + ...?
|
Er gutten trøtt?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Ja, det er gutten.
|
Ja, det er gutten.
|
|
Plural (Ref)
|
Noun + ene
|
Guttene sover.
|
|
Indefinite
|
En + Noun
|
En gutt sover.
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
Mannen er ankommet. (General statement)
Mannen er her. (General statement)
Mannen er her. (General statement)
Typen er her. (General statement)
Masculine Noun Definiteness
Standard
- gutt boy
Ends in -e
- lege doctor
Double Consonant
- mann man
Definite vs Indefinite
How to make it definite
Does it end in -e?
Does it have a double consonant?
Common Masculine Nouns
People
- • gutt
- • mann
- • lærer
Objects
- • stol
- • bil
- • penn
수준별 예문
Gutten leser.
The boy is reading.
Hvor er stolen?
Where is the chair?
Læreren er snill.
The teacher is kind.
Bilen er blå.
The car is blue.
Mannen går til butikken.
The man is walking to the store.
Jeg liker hunden.
I like the dog.
Hvor er legen?
Where is the doctor?
Katten sover på stolen.
The cat is sleeping on the chair.
Sjefen har bestemt seg.
The boss has decided.
Filmen var veldig spennende.
The movie was very exciting.
Hagen er full av blomster.
The garden is full of flowers.
Vinteren er lang i Norge.
The winter is long in Norway.
Resultatet av undersøkelsen er klar.
The result of the survey is ready.
Han er forfatteren av boken.
He is the author of the book.
Problemet med motoren er løst.
The problem with the engine is solved.
Studenten har levert oppgaven.
The student has submitted the assignment.
Direktøren presenterte strategien for styret.
The director presented the strategy to the board.
Utviklingen i samfunnet er kompleks.
The development in society is complex.
Forskeren publiserte funnene i tidsskriftet.
The researcher published the findings in the journal.
Kandidaten imponerte intervjueren.
The candidate impressed the interviewer.
Eksistensen av fenomenet er omdiskutert.
The existence of the phenomenon is debated.
Forfatteren utforsker mennesket i sin nye roman.
The author explores the human in his new novel.
Arkitekten tegnet bygget med presisjon.
The architect designed the building with precision.
Dommeren avsa dommen i saken.
The judge delivered the verdict in the case.
혼동하기 쉬운
Learners mix up masculine (-en) and feminine (-a) suffixes.
Learners use -en for neuter nouns.
Learners use 'en' as a definite article.
자주 하는 실수
den gutt
gutten
gutt-en
gutten
en gutten
gutten
mannen (if spelled manen)
mannen
stolen (if it was feminine)
stola
bilen (if it was neuter)
bilen
legenen
legen
huset (if it was masculine)
huset
læreren (if it was feminine)
læreren
mannen (if it was neuter)
mannen
feil bruk av suffiks
riktig suffiks
feil bruk av suffiks
riktig suffiks
feil bruk av suffiks
riktig suffiks
문장 패턴
___ er her.
Jeg ser ___.
___ er veldig snill.
Hvorfor er ___ så rask?
Real World Usage
Jeg vil ha burgeren.
Hvor er gutten?
Jeg liker sjefen.
Hvor er toget?
Hunden er søt!
Velg burgeren.
Check the gender
Don't use 'den'
Double consonants
Dialects
Smart Tips
Always learn the indefinite article with the noun (e.g., 'en stol').
Check if your noun ends in a double consonant.
Don't pause between the noun and the suffix.
Use a dictionary to verify the gender.
발음
Suffix stress
The suffix '-en' is unstressed.
Statement
Gutten er her ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
암기하기
기억법
Think of '-en' as a little 'en'velope that wraps around the noun to make it specific.
시각적 연상
Imagine a boy (gutt) wearing a cape that has the letters '-en' printed on it. Whenever he puts on the cape, he becomes 'the' boy (gutten).
Rhyme
When the noun is masculine and you need to say 'the', just add '-en' at the end for all to see.
Story
Once there was a boy named Gutt. He found a magic cape labeled '-en'. When he wore it, everyone knew exactly who he was—he was 'the' boy, Gutten. He walked to his chair, which was just a chair, but once he touched it, it became 'stolen', the chair.
Word Web
챌린지
Look around your room for 5 masculine objects and write down their indefinite and definite forms in 5 minutes.
문화 노트
This is the standard form used in most of Norway.
Nynorsk often uses different endings, but the principle of suffixation remains.
Bergen dialect often uses different gender assignments.
The definite suffix evolved from the Old Norse demonstrative pronoun 'inn'.
대화 시작하기
Hvor er gutten?
Er læreren snill?
Hvorfor er bilen rød?
Hva synes du om sjefen?
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
Gutt -> ___
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Den gutt er her.
er / gutten / her
Mann -> ___
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Do all masculine nouns take -en?
A: Hvor er ___? B: Han er på skolen.
Score: /8
연습 문제
8 exercisesGutt -> ___
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Den gutt er her.
er / gutten / her
Mann -> ___
Lærer -> ?
Do all masculine nouns take -en?
A: Hvor er ___? B: Han er på skolen.
Score: /8
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
'-en' is for masculine nouns, '-a' is for feminine nouns.
No, 'den' is a pronoun, not an article.
Just add -n, like 'legen'.
Mostly, but some dialects have variations.
Check a dictionary or look for the 'en' article.
Plural nouns take '-ene'.
Yes, it is standard in all registers.
It's one of the easiest parts of Norwegian grammar.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
el + noun
Placement of the article.
le + noun
Placement of the article.
der + noun
Placement of the article.
noun + wa/ga
Japanese has no definite articles.
al- + noun
Prefix vs suffix.
noun + de
Chinese lacks definite articles.
