Hjemkomsttidspunktet er sent.

The return time is late.

Breakdown of Hjemkomsttidspunktet er sent.

• være: to be
• sent: late
• hjemkomsttidspunktet: the return time

Questions & Answers about Hjemkomsttidspunktet er sent.

Is hjemkomsttidspunktet really one word, and how is it built?

Yes. Norwegian very often makes long compound nouns where English would use several words.

hjemkomsttidspunktet can be broken down like this:

• hjem = home
• hjemkomst = return home / homecoming
• tidspunkt = point in time / time
• hjemkomsttidspunkt = return-home time / time of returning home
• hjemkomsttidspunktet = the return-home time

The most important part is the last part, tidspunkt, because the last part decides the basic meaning and grammar of the whole compound.

Why is there no separate word for the?

Because Norwegian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun as a suffix.

Here:

• tidspunkt = a time / a point in time
• tidspunktet = the time / the point in time

Since this is a compound noun, the definite ending goes on the whole compound:

• hjemkomsttidspunkt = return-home time
• hjemkomsttidspunktet = the return-home time

So English uses a separate word (the), but Norwegian often uses an ending like -en, -a, or -et.

Why is it sent and not sen?