Vi ventet et døgn.

We waited for 24 hours.

Breakdown of Vi ventet et døgn.

• en: a
• vi: we
• vente: to wait
• døgnet: the 24-hour period

Questions & Answers about Vi ventet et døgn.

What does døgn mean, and how is it different from dag?

Døgn means a full 24-hour period: day and night together.

That is different from dag, which often means day in the sense of:

• the daytime,
• a calendar day,
• or one day in a more general sense.

So Vi ventet et døgn specifically means we waited for 24 hours.
If you used dag, it might sound less precise.

Why is it et døgn and not en døgn?

Because døgn is a neuter noun in Norwegian. Neuter nouns take et in the indefinite singular.

So:

• et døgn = a 24-hour period

This is just something you have to learn with the noun: Norwegian nouns can be masculine, feminine, or neuter.

Why is there no word for for in Vi ventet et døgn?

In Norwegian, a duration of time can often be expressed directly, without a preposition.

So:

• Vi ventet et døgn = We waited a day / for a day / for 24 hours

This works much like English in sentences such as:

• We waited an hour
• She slept all day

The time expression et døgn functions as a duration phrase.

What form is ventet?