Questions & Answers about Fem minus to er tre.
Why is it to and not toe or to/too?
Because to is the Norwegian word for the number 2.
A few similar-looking English words can be confusing here:
- to in English = a preposition
- too in English = also / excessively
- two in English = the number 2
In Norwegian, to simply means two.
What does minus mean in Norwegian? Is it exactly the same as in English?
Yes. Minus in Norwegian means minus in math.
So:
- fem minus to = five minus two
Norwegian often uses many international math words that look very familiar to English speakers.
Why is er used here?
Er is the present tense of å være, which means to be.
So er means is / are / am, depending on context.
In this sentence:
- Fem minus to er tre = Five minus two is three
Norwegian uses er the same way English uses is in a sentence like this.
Is this the normal word order for arithmetic in Norwegian?