Vi tenner kakelyset, bare bursdagskaken er klar.

to be

Breakdown of Vi tenner kakelyset, bare bursdagskaken er klar.

• vi: we
• klar: ready
• tenne: to light

Questions & Answers about Vi tenner kakelyset, bare bursdagskaken er klar.

What does tenner mean, and what is the base form of the verb?

Tenner is the present tense of å tenne.

In this context, å tenne means to light something, such as a candle. The same verb can also mean to switch on in other contexts, for example with a lamp or a fire.

So here, tenner means that someone is lighting the candle.

Why is tenner in the present tense if the action may happen in the future?

Norwegian often uses the present tense for near-future or planned actions.

So Vi tenner ... can mean either:

• We light ...
• We will light ...

The context tells you whether it is happening now or a little later. If you wanted to make the future idea more explicit, you could also say Vi skal tenne ...

Why are kakelyset and bursdagskaken written as one word each?