Bien sitter på blomsten.

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Breakdown of Bien sitter på blomsten.

• sitte: to sit
• blomsten: the flower
• bien: the bee

Questions & Answers about Bien sitter på blomsten.

Why do bien and blomsten end in -en?

The ending -en marks the definite singular in Norwegian, so:

• bien = the bee
• blomsten = the flower

Unlike English, Norwegian often puts the at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word.

Compare:

• en bi = a bee
• bien = the bee
• en blomst = a flower
• blomsten = the flower

Why isn’t there a separate word for the?

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

So instead of saying something like the bee, Norwegian normally says:

• bi + en = bien

and instead of the flower:

• blomst + en = blomsten

This is one of the biggest differences from English noun structure.

What tense is sitter?

Sitter is the present tense of å sitte.

So it can mean:

• sits
• is sitting

Norwegian usually does not need a separate progressive form like English is sitting. The simple present often covers both meanings, and context tells you which one is intended.