Formen og hanken er enkle.

to be

Breakdown of Formen og hanken er enkle.

• og: and
• enkel: simple
• hanken: the handle (on a cup)

Questions & Answers about Formen og hanken er enkle.

Why do formen and hanken end in -en?

Because Norwegian usually shows the by adding it to the end of the noun.

• en form → formen = the shape / the form
• en hank → hanken = the handle

So instead of a separate word like English the, Norwegian often uses a suffix.

What does hank mean here?

Hank usually means a handle, loop, or strap-like part that you hold or carry something by. In this sentence, hanken most naturally means the handle.

The exact English word can depend on the object:

• a cup or bucket: handle
• a bag: sometimes handle or strap
• a looped piece: sometimes loop

Why is it enkle and not enkel?

Because the subject is plural in meaning.

Even though formen and hanken are each singular, they are joined by og (and), so together they count as more than one thing. That makes the adjective plural:

• Formen er enkel. = The shape is simple.
• Hanken er enkel. = The handle is simple.
• Formen og hanken er enkle. = The shape and the handle are simple.

So enkle is the correct plural form here.