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Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Vi kontrollerer antallet. - We check the number.

Hardcore Norwegian
/Taking a first-aid course
/Vi kontrollerer antallet.

Vi kontrollerer antallet.

Word

Vi kontrollerer antallet.

Meaning

We check the number.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Norwegian

Lesson

Taking a first-aid course

Breakdown of Vi kontrollerer antallet.

the number; count

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Questions & Answers about Vi kontrollerer antallet.

What does vi mean, and why is it used here?

Vi means we. It is the subject pronoun, so it is used because we are the ones doing the action.

vi = we
oss = us

So:

Vi kontrollerer antallet. = We check the number/count.
Not Oss kontrollerer antallet, because oss cannot normally be the subject.

What form is kontrollerer?

Kontrollerer is the present tense of the verb å kontrollere.

å kontrollere = to check / to inspect / to verify
kontrollerer = check(s) / am checking / are checking / is checking, depending on context

Norwegian verbs do not change for person:

jeg kontrollerer = I check
du kontrollerer = you check
vi kontrollerer = we check

That is much simpler than English, where we say I check but he checks.

Does kontrollerer mean control in the English sense?

Not usually in this sentence. Here, kontrollerer is much more likely to mean check, inspect, or verify.

This is a common thing for English speakers to notice because kontrollere looks like control, but in many contexts it means:

check
inspect
verify

So Vi kontrollerer antallet is more naturally understood as:

We are checking the count
We are verifying the number

If you wanted control in the sense of manage or be in charge of, Norwegian often uses other wording depending on context.

What does antallet mean exactly?

Antallet means the number, the count, or the quantity, depending on context.

It comes from the noun antall, which means:

number
quantity
count

So:

antall = number / count (indefinite)
antallet = the number / the count (definite)

In this sentence, it usually means that a specific total is being checked.

Why is it antallet and not a separate word for the?

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

So instead of saying a separate word like English the number, Norwegian often says:

antall = number
antallet = the number

The ending -et is the definite ending for many neuter nouns.

This is a very important pattern in Norwegian:

hus = house
huset = the house

Similarly:

antall = number/count
antallet = the number/the count

Why is the ending -et used on antall?

Because antall is treated as a neuter noun.

For many neuter nouns:

indefinite singular: no article ending on the noun itself
definite singular: add -et

So:

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

The important thing to remember is that Norwegian nouns have grammatical gender, and that affects the definite form.

Is et antall the same as antallet?

No, they are related but not the same.

et antall = a number of / a quantity of / some
antallet = the number / the total count

Examples:

Et antall personer kom. = A number of people came.
Antallet personer øker. = The number of people is increasing.

So in your sentence, antallet refers to a specific known count, not just some number.

Why is the word order Vi kontrollerer antallet?

This is the normal Norwegian word order for a simple statement:

subject + verb + object

So:

Vi = subject
kontrollerer = verb
antallet = object

This matches normal English word order quite closely:

We check the number.

How would this sentence become a question?

In a yes/no question, Norwegian usually puts the verb before the subject:

Kontrollerer vi antallet? = Are we checking the number? / Do we check the count?

So the statement:

Vi kontrollerer antallet.

becomes the question:

Kontrollerer vi antallet?

That verb-before-subject pattern is very common in Norwegian.

Could I also say Vi sjekker antallet?

Yes, very often you could. Sjekker is a common, everyday word meaning check.

So these can be similar:

Vi kontrollerer antallet.
Vi sjekker antallet.

A small difference in feel:

sjekker often sounds more everyday and informal
kontrollerer can sound a bit more formal, systematic, or careful

But in many real situations, both are possible.

How is antallet different from nummeret?

This is a very useful distinction.

antallet = the number / the count / the quantity
nummeret = the number in the sense of an identifying number, like a phone number or ticket number

So:

Vi kontrollerer antallet. = We are checking the count/quantity.
Vi kontrollerer nummeret. = We are checking the number such as an ID number, order number, room number, etc.

English uses number for both ideas, but Norwegian often separates them more clearly.

Is this sentence present simple or present continuous?

Norwegian present tense can cover both meanings, depending on context.

So Vi kontrollerer antallet can mean:

We check the number
We are checking the number

Norwegian often does not make the same strict distinction that English does between simple present and present continuous.

If the context makes it clear that the action is happening right now, the Norwegian present tense is enough.

How would a Norwegian speaker pronounce Vi kontrollerer antallet?

A rough guide for an English speaker is:

Vi ≈ vee
kontrollerer ≈ kon-tro-LEH-rer
antallet ≈ AN-ta-leh

A few notes:

vi has a long i sound, like vee
r sounds vary by dialect
the final -et in antallet is usually not pronounced like a strong English et; it is lighter

Pronunciation varies across Norway, so this is only a rough guide, but it helps you get close.

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