Et dusin er tolv.

to be

Breakdown of Et dusin er tolv.

• et: a
• tolv: twelve
• dusinet: the dozen

Questions & Answers about Et dusin er tolv.

Why is it et dusin and not en dusin?

Because dusin is a neuter noun in Norwegian Bokmål.

Norwegian indefinite articles agree with the noun’s gender:

• en for common gender
• et for neuter

So you say:

• en bil = a car
• et hus = a house
• et dusin = a dozen

That is why et is correct here.

What exactly is dusin? Is it used like English dozen?

Yes. Dusin corresponds closely to English dozen.

It is used for a group of twelve items, especially in everyday expressions such as:

• et dusin egg = a dozen eggs
• et dusin roser = a dozen roses

So its use is very similar to English.

What does er mean?

Er means is / are / am, depending on context.

It is the present tense of å være, which means to be.

Examples:

• Han er her. = He is here.
• Vi er klare. = We are ready.
• Et dusin er tolv. = A dozen is twelve.