Møtet var fredelig.

The meeting was peaceful.

Breakdown of Møtet var fredelig.

• være: to be
• møtet: the meeting
• fredelig: peaceful

Questions & Answers about Møtet var fredelig.

What does møtet mean literally, and why does it end in -et?

The base noun is et møte, which means a meeting.

• møte = meeting
• et = the indefinite article a/an for a neuter noun

When Norwegian makes this noun definite, it usually adds the article to the end of the noun:

• et møte = a meeting
• møtet = the meeting

So -et here is the definite ending for a singular neuter noun.

Why is there no separate word for the?

Because Norwegian often puts the at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word before it.

So:

• møtet already means the meeting
• you do not need a separate word for the

This is a very common feature of Norwegian nouns.

Why is it var and not er?

Var is the past tense of å være (to be).

• er = is / am / are
• var = was / were

So:

• Møtet er fredelig = The meeting is peaceful
• Møtet var fredelig = The meeting was peaceful

Why does fredelig stay ? Shouldn’t a neuter noun make the adjective end in ?