Tunnelen er lang.

to be

Breakdown of Tunnelen er lang.

• lang: long
• tunnelen: the tunnel

Questions & Answers about Tunnelen er lang.

Why is it tunnelen and not en tunnel?

Because tunnelen is the definite form: the tunnel.

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

• en tunnel = a tunnel
• tunnelen = the tunnel

So Norwegian often expresses the with a suffix instead of a separate word.

Why is there no separate word for the?

Norwegian usually adds definiteness directly to the noun.

So instead of:

• English: the tunnel

you normally get:

• Norwegian: tunnelen

This is one of the first big differences English speakers notice. The noun itself changes form to show the.

What does er mean, and is it like English is?

Yes. Er is the present-tense form of å være (to be), and here it means is.

Examples:

• Tunnelen er lang. = The tunnel is long.
• Huset er stort. = The house is big.

Unlike English, Norwegian verbs do not change depending on the subject:

• jeg er = I am
• du er = you are
• han er = he is
• de er = they are

So er is used with all persons in the present tense.