Breakdown of Referansenummeret står i brevet.
i
on
brevet
the letter
stå
to say (in writing)
referansenummeret
the reference number
Questions & Answers about Referansenummeret står i brevet.
Why does referansenummeret end in -et?
Because Norwegian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun.
- et referansenummer = a reference number
- referansenummeret = the reference number
The ending -et shows that the noun is definite and neuter.
This is very different from English, where you normally put the before the noun instead of attaching it to the end.
Why is it brevet and not brev?
For the same reason: brevet is the definite form.
- et brev = a letter
- brevet = the letter
So i brevet means in the letter, not just in a letter.
Why is there no separate word for the?
In Norwegian, the definite article is often attached to the noun as a suffix.
So instead of:
- the reference number
- the letter
Norwegian says:
- referansenummeret
- brevet
That is the normal pattern for simple definite nouns.
Why does the sentence use står instead of er?