Helikopteret flyr over byen.

the city

Breakdown of Helikopteret flyr over byen.

• over: over
• fly: to fly
• helikopteret: the helicopter

Questions & Answers about Helikopteret flyr over byen.

Why does helikopteret end in -et instead of having a separate word for the?

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun.

• et helikopter = a helicopter
• helikopteret = the helicopter

The ending -et is the definite singular ending for many neuter nouns. So helikopter is a neuter noun.

Why does byen end in -en?

For the same reason: Norwegian often adds the definite article to the noun itself.

• en by = a town / a city
• byen = the town / the city

Here, by is a common gender noun, so its definite singular form takes -en.

What form is flyr?

Flyr is the present tense of å fly.

• å fly = to fly
• flyr = flies / is flying

Norwegian verbs do not change for person the way English verbs do. So the same form works with all subjects:

• jeg flyr = I fly / I am flying
• du flyr = you fly / are flying
• helikopteret flyr = the helicopter flies / is flying

Why is there no separate word for ?