Antallet er høyt.

The number is high.

Breakdown of Antallet er høyt.

• være: to be
• høy: high
• antallet: the number; count

Questions & Answers about Antallet er høyt.

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

Antallet means the number or the total number/amount.

The ending -et is the definite article for many neuter nouns in Norwegian. Instead of putting a separate word before the noun, Norwegian often adds the definite article to the end.

• et antall = a number / a quantity
• antallet = the number / the quantity

So antallet is the definite form of antall.

Is antall a neuter noun?

Yes. Antall is a neuter noun, so it takes et in the indefinite singular:

• et antall = a number / a quantity

Because it is neuter, adjectives that describe it often take -t in the singular when used predicatively, which is why you get høyt in this sentence.

Why is it høyt and not høy?

Because antallet is grammatically neuter.

The adjective høy changes form depending on what it describes:

• høy for common-gender singular nouns
• høyt for neuter singular nouns
• høye for plural and many definite contexts

Here, the structure is:

• Antallet = neuter singular definite noun
• er = is
• høyt = high

So høyt is the correct neuter singular form.