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Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Forsøket varer i ett minutt. - The attempt lasts one minute.

Hardcore Norwegian
/Trying indoor bouldering with friends
/Forsøket varer i ett minutt.

Forsøket varer i ett minutt.

Forsøket varer i ett minutt.

The attempt lasts one minute.

Breakdown of Forsøket varer i ett minutt.

Questions & Answers about Forsøket varer i ett minutt.

What does forsøket mean, and why does it end in -et?

Forsøk can mean experiment, attempt, or trial, depending on context. In this sentence, it means experiment.

The ending -et is the definite ending, so:

et forsøk = an experiment
forsøket = the experiment

Unlike English, Norwegian usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun.

How do I know that forsøk is a neuter noun?

You learn that from the dictionary form: et forsøk.

In Norwegian, et marks a neuter noun. Neuter nouns typically have:

et in the indefinite singular
-et in the definite singular

So:

et forsøk
forsøket

Why is it ett minutt and not en minutt?

Because minutt is also a neuter noun:

et minutt = a minute
ett minutt = one minute

So en minutt is wrong.

The form ett is the numeral one, while et is the indefinite article a/an. In this sentence, ett emphasizes the exact number: one minute.

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Why is i used here when English uses for?

With expressions of duration, Norwegian often uses i where English uses for.

So:

varer i ett minutt = lasts for one minute
sover i to timer = sleeps for two hours
møtet varer i hele dag would be wrong, but møtet varer hele dagen is fine because not every duration expression needs i

In this sentence, i ett minutt is the normal way to express duration after å vare.

What does varer mean exactly?

Varer is the present tense of å vare, which means to last.

So:

å vare = to last
varer = lasts / is lasting

In this sentence, varer tells you how long the experiment continues.

Could I use er instead of varer?

No, not here.

Forsøket varer i ett minutt = correct
Forsøket er i ett minutt = not natural Norwegian for duration

If you want to talk about duration, å vare is the right verb.

Could I also say Forsøket tar ett minutt?

Yes, that is also natural.

There is a small difference in focus:

Forsøket varer i ett minutt = the experiment lasts one minute
Forsøket tar ett minutt = the experiment takes one minute

In many situations, both are possible. Varer focuses a bit more directly on duration.

Is the word order anything special here?

No. This is a very normal main-clause pattern:

Forsøket = subject
varer = verb
i ett minutt = time expression

So it follows the basic order Subject + Verb + Time expression.

If you move something else to the front, Norwegian still keeps the verb in second position:

I ett minutt varer forsøket.

That is grammatical, but more marked and less neutral than the original sentence.

When would I use et forsøk instead of forsøket?

Use et forsøk when you mean an experiment / an attempt in a general or new sense.

Use forsøket when you mean the experiment / the attempt, meaning a specific one that is already known from the context.

Compare:

Et forsøk varer i ett minutt. = An experiment lasts one minute.
Forsøket varer i ett minutt. = The experiment lasts one minute.

Can forsøk mean attempt as well as experiment?

Yes. Forsøk is a flexible word.

It can mean:

experiment
attempt
trial

For example:

et forsøk på å hjelpe = an attempt to help
et vitenskapelig forsøk = a scientific experiment

So the exact meaning depends on the context.

How do I pronounce the ø in forsøket?

The vowel ø does not have an exact English equivalent.

A useful approximation is:

round your lips as if saying oo
but try to make a vowel closer to eh

If you know other languages, it is similar to the vowel in French deux or German schön.

In forsøket, the stress is on the second syllable, so roughly:

for-SØ-ket

That is only an approximation, but it helps as a starting point.

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