Vi katalogiserer originalen før støvfjerningen.

We catalogue the original before the dust removal.

Breakdown of Vi katalogiserer originalen før støvfjerningen.

• vi: we
• før: before
• originalen: the original
• støvfjerningen: the dust removal

Questions & Answers about Vi katalogiserer originalen før støvfjerningen.

Why is it vi katalogiserer and not something like vi katalogisere?

Because katalogiserer is the present tense form of the verb å katalogisere (to catalogue / to catalog).

In Norwegian, the present tense is often made by adding -er to the infinitive stem:

• å katalogisere = to catalogue
• katalogiserer = catalogue / are cataloguing

So Vi katalogiserer originalen means We catalogue the original or We are cataloguing the original, depending on context.

Norwegian present tense often covers both the English simple present and present continuous.

Why does original become originalen?

Because Norwegian often puts the definite article at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like the.

So:

• en original = an original / an original document/item
• originalen = the original

This -en ending is the definite singular ending for many masculine nouns.

So originalen literally means original-the, but in natural English it is just the original.

What exactly does originalen mean here?