Det koster én milliard.

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Breakdown of Det koster én milliard.

• én: one
• koste: to cost
• milliard: billion

Questions & Answers about Det koster én milliard.

Why does the sentence start with det?

Det means it here.

Just like English often says It costs..., Norwegian usually needs a subject too. In this sentence, det can refer to some thing already known from context, or it can function as a general it.

For example:

• Huset koster én milliard. = The house costs one billion.
• Det koster én milliard. = It costs one billion.

So det is completely normal here.

What does koster mean, and what form is it?

Koster is the present tense of the verb å koste, which means to cost.

So:

• å koste = to cost
• koster = costs / is costing

In this sentence, Det koster én milliard means that something costs one billion.

Why is it én and not just en?