Motstemmen står i protokollen.

The dissenting vote is recorded in the minutes.

Breakdown of Motstemmen står i protokollen.

• i: in
• stå: to say (in writing)
• protokollen: the meeting minutes
• motstemmen: the dissenting vote

Questions & Answers about Motstemmen står i protokollen.

What does motstemmen mean as a word?

It is a compound noun:

• mot = against
• stemme = vote / voice

So motstemme means a vote against, an opposing vote, or a dissenting vote.

The ending -n in motstemmen makes it definite singular, so it means the opposing vote or the dissenting vote.

Why is it motstemmen and not en motstemme?

Because the sentence is talking about a specific opposing vote, not just any opposing vote.

• en motstemme = an opposing vote
• motstemmen = the opposing vote

Norwegian uses the definite ending on the noun itself, instead of adding a separate word like the in English.

Why does the sentence use står? Doesn’t that literally mean stands?

Yes, stå literally means to stand, but Norwegian often uses it idiomatically for things written in documents, signs, books, records, and so on.

So in a sentence like this, står means something like:

• is written
• is recorded
• appears
• is entered

That is why Motstemmen står i protokollen sounds natural in Norwegian, even though English would not normally say The dissenting vote stands in the minutes.