Word
Han holder utkikk etter båter.
Meaning
He keeps watch for boats.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Norwegian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Han holder utkikk etter båter.
What does holder utkikk mean here? Is it a fixed expression?
Yes. å holde utkikk is an idiomatic expression meaning to keep watch, to be on the lookout, or to watch out for something.
In this sentence, holder utkikk etter båter means he is actively watching and scanning for boats, not just casually seeing them.
You can think of it as:
- holde utkikk etter noe = look out for something
So this is more of a set phrase than a literal combination you would translate word by word.
Why is it holder and not holde?
Holder is the present tense of the verb å holde.
- å holde = to hold / to keep
- holder = holds / is keeping
Since the subject is han (he), and the sentence is in the present tense, Norwegian uses holder:
- Han holder ... = He is keeping ... / He keeps ...
Norwegian does not change the verb form depending on the subject the way English does. So:
- jeg holder
- du holder
- han holder
- vi holder
They all use holder in the present tense.
Why is there no article before utkikk?