Terningen er grønn.

to be

Breakdown of Terningen er grønn.

• grønn: green
• terningen: the die

Questions & Answers about Terningen er grønn.

Why is the attached to terning in terningen instead of being a separate word?

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun as a suffix.

• en terning = a die
• terningen = the die

So -en here is the definite ending for a singular common-gender noun.

This is one of the big differences from English: instead of the die, Norwegian often says die-the, structurally speaking.

What is the base form of terningen?

The base form is terning.

Its common forms are:

• en terning = a die
• terningen = the die
• terninger = dice
• terningene = the dice

So in the sentence, terningen is the singular definite form.

Does terningen mean one die or several dice?

It means one die.

This can be confusing for English speakers because English has the irregular pair die/dice. Norwegian is more regular here:

• singular: terning
• plural: terninger

So terningen er grønn refers to a single die, not several dice.

Why is the verb er used here?