Is my noun phrase more like a general example, or is it pointing at something concrete? In English, you can easily turn an indefinite noun phrase <\/i>such as \u2019a car\u2019 into a definite<\/i> one: the car<\/i>, this car<\/i>, that car<\/i>, Ola\u2019s car<\/i>, my car<\/i>\u2026 In Norwegian, there is a bit more variation: bilen<\/b>, denne bilen<\/b>, den bilen<\/b>, Olas bil<\/b>, min bil\/bilen min<\/b>. (Hunnkj\u00f8nn<\/em> words such as\u00a0bok<\/strong>, book<\/em>,\u00a0behave in the same way as\u00a0hannkj\u00f8nn<\/em> words, except that they may optionally get an -a<\/strong> ending instead of -en<\/strong>:\u00a0boka\/boken, denne boka\/boken, Olas bok, min bok\/mi bok\/boken min\/boka mi<\/strong>.)\u00a0With a neuter word like hus<\/b> (house), it becomes: huset<\/b>, dette huset<\/b>, det huset<\/b>, Olas hus<\/b>, mitt hus\/huset mitt<\/b>.<\/p>\n The definite-indefinite thing becomes really important when you want to throw in an adjective or two in your Norwegian noun phrase. Singular, neuter nouns generally infect their adjectives with a t<\/b> ending: boka<\/strong>\u00a0er r\u00f8d<\/b> (the book\u00a0is red) > huset er r\u00f8dt<\/b> (the house is red); en r\u00f8d bil<\/b> (a red car) > et r\u00f8dt hus<\/b> (a red house).<\/p>\n However, as soon as an indefinite noun phrase is made definite (a car<\/i> > this car<\/i>), any built-in adjective gets an e<\/b> ending, no matter the noun\u2019s gender: en r\u00f8d bil <\/b>> Karis r\u00f8de bil<\/b> (Kari\u2019s red car), ei r\u00f8d bok >\u00a0<\/em>denne r\u00f8de boka<\/strong>\u00a0(this red book),\u00a0et<\/strong> r\u00f8dt hus<\/b> > det r\u00f8de huset mitt<\/b> (my red house).<\/p>\n Now you know the basics of Norwegian noun phrases. But how about the plurals? Most of them end in -er<\/b>. Some of them have no ending. As with the gender the specific plural form of each word has to be learnt separately.<\/p>\n The vast majority of adjectives receive an e<\/b> ending in the plural, no matter whether they describe something definite or indefinite. Note, though, the word sm\u00e5<\/b>, which is an irregular plural of liten<\/b> (little, small): glade, ville, sm\u00e5 gutter<\/b> (happy, wild, small boys); disse glade, ville, sm\u00e5 guttene<\/b> (these happy, wild, small boys).<\/p>\n Norsk er faktisk ganske lett, ikke sant?<\/b> (Norwegian is actually quite easy, isn\u2019t it so?)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fuglen synger. Toget g\u00e5r. (The bird is singing. The train is leaving.) An awful lot of phrases consist of a noun phrase + a verbal phrase. Norwegian verbal phrases are a piece of cake: Er, for example, means both am, is and are; prater can be translated as chat, chats, and am\/is\/are chatting. Noun phrases…<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/norwegian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2014\/04\/Mockingbird_silhouette-350x350.png\")