Breakdown of Planen møtte motstand.
planen
the plan
møte
to encounter
motstanden
the resistance; opposition
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Norwegian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Planen møtte motstand.
Why does plan become planen here?
Because planen is the definite singular form: the plan.
In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word in front.
- en plan = a plan
- planen = the plan
So Planen møtte motstand literally starts with The plan.
What form is møtte?
Møtte is the past tense of å møte, which usually means to meet.
Here are the basic forms:
- å møte = to meet
- møter = meet / meets
- møtte = met
- har møtt = have/has met
In this sentence, møtte is being used in the sense of encountered rather than physically meeting a person.
Does møtte literally mean met, or is it more like encountered here?
It is literally the past tense of to meet, but in this sentence the natural meaning is encountered or ran into resistance.
So:
- Planen møtte motstand = The plan met resistance
- Very natural English translation: The plan encountered resistance
This is a common kind of usage in both Norwegian and English.