Mannen er døv.

The man is deaf.

Breakdown of Mannen er døv.

• være: to be
• mannen: the man
• døv: deaf

Questions & Answers about Mannen er døv.

Why is it mannen and not just mann?

Because -en is the definite ending in Norwegian here.

• mann = man
• mannen = the man

So Norwegian often puts the onto the end of the noun instead of using a separate word in front.

Why is there no separate word for the before mannen?

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached to the noun as a suffix.

So:

• en mann = a man
• mannen = the man

That is why you do not say the mannen or add another separate word here.

A separate definite word can appear when there is an adjective before the noun:

• den døve mannen = the deaf man

This is a very common Norwegian pattern.

What does er mean, and does it change depending on the subject?

Er means is / am / are. It is the present tense of å være = to be.

One useful thing for English speakers: in the present tense, Norwegian does not change this verb for different persons.

• jeg er = I am
• du er = you are
• han er = he is
• vi er = we are

So er stays the same.