Questions & Answers about Ballen havner under bordet.
Why is it ballen and not ball?
Because ballen is the definite singular form: the ball.
In Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun:
- en ball = a ball
- ballen = the ball
So Ballen havner under bordet starts with the ball, not just ball.
Why is it bordet and not bord?
For the same reason: bordet means the table.
The noun bord is a neuter noun:
- et bord = a table
- bordet = the table
So:
- under bordet = under the table
- under et bord = under a table
Why are there no separate words for the, like in English?
Because Norwegian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word before it.
Compare:
- English: the ball
Norwegian: ballen
- English: the table
- Norwegian: bordet
This is one of the biggest differences from English. In this sentence, both nouns are definite, so both get endings instead of a separate the.