Word
Bursdagskaken er i kjøleskapet.
Meaning
The birthday cake is in the refrigerator.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Bursdagskaken er i kjøleskapet.
være
to be
i
in
kjøleskapet
the refrigerator
bursdagskaken
the birthday cake
Questions & Answers about Bursdagskaken er i kjøleskapet.
Why is bursdagskaken one word?
Norwegian very often makes compound nouns where English uses two or more words.
- bursdag = birthday
- kake = cake
- bursdagskake = birthday cake
The -s- in the middle is a common linking sound in compounds. It does not usually have a separate meaning here; it just helps the word flow naturally.
Then bursdagskaken is the definite form: the birthday cake.
Why does bursdagskake become bursdagskaken?
Because Norwegian usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun instead of putting a separate word like the in front.
- en bursdagskake = a birthday cake
- bursdagskaken = the birthday cake
This noun is an en-word (common gender), so the definite ending is -en.
Why is kjøleskap written as kjøleskapet here?
For the same reason: it is in the definite form.
- et kjøleskap = a refrigerator / a fridge
- kjøleskapet = the refrigerator / the fridge
This noun is an et-word (neuter), so the definite ending is -et.