Breakdown of Svararket ligger på bordet.
på
on
bordet
the table
ligge
to lie (be located)
svararket
the answer sheet
Questions & Answers about Svararket ligger på bordet.
Why is it svararket and not et svarark?
Because svararket is the definite singular form: the answer sheet.
- et svarark = an answer sheet
- svararket = the answer sheet
In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word in front.
Since svarark is a neuter noun, the definite ending is -et:
- et svarark
- svararket
What does the ending -et mean in svararket and bordet?
The ending -et marks the noun as definite singular for many neuter nouns.
So here:
- svararket = the answer sheet
- bordet = the table
This is very common in Norwegian:
- et hus → huset = the house
- et brev → brevet = the letter
So both nouns in this sentence are in the definite form.
Why is there no separate word for the?
Because Norwegian usually puts the at the end of the noun.
In English:
- the table
- the answer sheet
In Norwegian:
- bordet
- svararket
This is one of the biggest structural differences from English. Instead of a separate article before the noun, Norwegian often uses a suffix.