Questions & Answers about Retten finner ham skyldig.
What does retten mean here?
Here, retten means the court in the legal sense.
So Retten finner ham skyldig means that the court reaches the decision that he is guilty.
A learner may know rett from other meanings too, such as:
- right / correct
- a right (as in a legal right)
- sometimes a dish in food contexts
But in this sentence, the legal context makes retten = the court.
Why is it retten and not just rett?
Because retten is the definite singular form: the court.
- en rett = a court / a right / a dish
- retten = the court / the right / the dish
Norwegian often uses the definite ending attached to the noun:
- bil = car
- bilen = the car
So:
- rett = court
- retten = the court
What form is finner?
Finner is the present tense of finne.
- å finne = to find
- finner = find / finds
So literally, the sentence is structured like:
- Retten = the court
- finner = finds
- ham = him
- skyldig = guilty
In natural English, that becomes The court finds him guilty.