Brennvidden er lang.

to be

Breakdown of Brennvidden er lang.

• lang: long
• brennvidden: the focal length

Questions & Answers about Brennvidden er lang.

Why is brennvidden one word, and where is the?

Because Norwegian usually puts the definite article on the end of the noun.

• brennvidde = focal length
• brennvidden = the focal length

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

What is the base form of brennvidden?

The base or dictionary form is brennvidde. In this sentence it is in the definite singular form: brennvidden.

Why is lang after the noun instead of before it?

Because lang is not directly modifying the noun inside a noun phrase here. It comes after er and works as a predicative adjective.

Compare:

• en lang brennvidde = a long focal length
• Brennvidden er lang = The focal length is long

So before the noun, lang is attributive; after er, it is predicative.

Why is it lang and not langt?