Barnet må spy.

the child

Breakdown of Barnet må spy.

• må: must
• spy: to vomit

Questions & Answers about Barnet må spy.

Why is it barnet and not barn?

Barn means child in general, or a child in some contexts.

Barnet means the child.
The ending -et is the definite article for many neuter nouns in Norwegian.

So:

• et barn = a child
• barnet = the child

This sentence uses barnet because it is talking about a specific child.

Why is the article attached to the noun instead of being a separate word like the in English?

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun.

Compare:

• the child → barnet
• the house → huset
• the apple → eplet

This is a very normal pattern in Norwegian. English uses a separate word (the), but Norwegian often uses a noun ending instead.

What does må mean here?

Må is the present tense of måtte, and it usually means must, have to, or sometimes need to.

In this sentence, it expresses necessity:

• Barnet må spy. = The child must throw up / needs to vomit.

Depending on context, må can sound like:

• strong obligation: must
• practical necessity: has to
• obvious need: needs to