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Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Boken er tynn. - The book is thin.

Hardcore Norwegian
/Organising a clothing swap with friends
/Boken er tynn.

Boken er tynn.

Word

Boken er tynn.

Meaning

The book is thin.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Norwegian

Lesson

Organising a clothing swap with friends

Breakdown of Boken er tynn.

thin (not thick)

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Questions & Answers about Boken er tynn.

Why is it boken and not just bok?

Because boken is the definite singular form: the book.

bok = a book
boken = the book

In Norwegian, definiteness is often shown by adding an ending to the noun instead of using a separate word like the in English.

What does the ending -en mean in boken?

Here, -en marks the noun as definite singular.

So:

en bok = a book
boken = the book

This is a very common Norwegian pattern. English uses a separate article (the), but Norwegian often attaches the definiteness directly to the noun.

Can I also say boka er tynn?

Yes, in Bokmål, boka er tynn is also correct.

The noun bok is traditionally feminine, so you may see:

boka = the book (feminine form)

But in Bokmål, many feminine nouns can also take the common-gender/masculine-style definite ending:

boken = also the book

So both are possible in Bokmål:

Boka er tynn
Boken er tynn

Which one sounds more natural can depend on style, dialect, and personal preference.

Why is it and not or ?

tynn

tynt

tynne

Because tynn agrees with the noun it describes.

Here, bok/boken is a common-gender singular noun, so the adjective stays in its basic form:

en tynn bok = a thin book
Boken er tynn = The book is thin

Compare:

et tynt ark = a thin sheet → tynt for neuter singular
bøkene er tynne = the books are thin → tynne for plural

So in this sentence, tynn is the correct form.

Why doesn’t the adjective have a definite ending here?

Because tynn is used after the verb er. This is called predicative use.

Compare:

Den tynne boken = the thin book
- adjective comes before the noun
- definite phrase
- adjective becomes tynne
Boken er tynn = The book is thin
- adjective comes after er
- adjective is predicative
- adjective is tynn

So even though boken is definite, the adjective does not become tynne here.

What does er mean?

Er means is / are / am, depending on context. It is the present tense of å være (to be).

Examples:

Jeg er trøtt = I am tired
Hun er glad = She is happy
Boken er tynn = The book is thin

Norwegian uses the same present-tense form er for all persons.

Is the word order anything special here?

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

subject + verb + adjective

Boken = subject
er = verb
tynn = adjective/complement

So Boken er tynn follows the same basic pattern as English The book is thin.

How would I make this negative?

You usually put ikke after the verb:

Boken er ikke tynn = The book is not thin

That is the normal position in a simple sentence like this.

How would I turn it into a question?

You switch the verb and subject:

Er boken tynn? = Is the book thin?

This is a very common Norwegian pattern for yes/no questions.

How is tynn pronounced?

The tricky part is the vowel y, which does not exist in the same way in standard English.

A rough guide:

tynn sounds approximately like tünn
the y is pronounced with rounded lips

A useful tip:

Start by saying ee as in see
Keep your tongue in roughly that position
Round your lips

That gets you closer to Norwegian y.

Also, tynn has a short vowel and a double n, so it sounds short and crisp.

Is Boken er tynn a natural sentence?

Yes, it is grammatically natural.

Whether it is natural in context depends on what kind of book you mean:

If you mean a physically thin book, booklet, or slim volume, it sounds fine.
In some situations, Norwegian speakers might also choose words like slank or just describe the number of pages, depending on context.

But as a basic learning sentence showing structure and adjective agreement, Boken er tynn is completely normal.

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