Hun bruker rettigheten sin.

she

Breakdown of Hun bruker rettigheten sin.

• bruke: to use
• sin: her
• rettigheten: the legal right; entitlement

Questions & Answers about Hun bruker rettigheten sin.

Why is rettigheten written with -en at the end?

Because rettigheten is the definite singular form of en rettighet.

• en rettighet = a right
• rettigheten = the right

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like the in English.

So:

• Hun bruker en rettighet. = She uses a right.
• Hun bruker rettigheten. = She uses the right.

Why does the sentence use sin and not hennes?

Because sin is the reflexive possessive. It is used when the thing belongs to the subject of the sentence.

Here, the subject is Hun = she.

So:

• Hun bruker rettigheten sin. = She uses her own right.

If you said:

• Hun bruker rettigheten hennes.

that would normally mean:

• She uses her right, where her refers to some other female person, not the subject.

This is one of the most important differences for English speakers, because English uses her for both meanings, but Norwegian separates them.

Why is it sin and not sitt or sine?