Word
Tjenesten er gratis.
Meaning
The service is free.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
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Questions & Answers about Tjenesten er gratis.
What does tjenesten mean, word by word?
Tjenesten is made up of:
- tjeneste = service
- -en = the definite ending, meaning the
So tjenesten means the service.
Why is the attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word?
In Norwegian, definiteness is very often shown by adding an ending to the noun.
Compare:
- en tjeneste = a service
- tjenesten = the service
This is a very common pattern in Norwegian. English uses a separate word, but Norwegian usually adds the definite ending directly to the noun.
What does er mean here?
Er is the present tense of å være, which means to be.
So:
- tjenesten er gratis = the service is free
Unlike English, Norwegian does not change the present-tense form of to be depending on the subject:
- jeg er = I am
- du er = you are
- han er = he is
- de er = they are
It is always er in the present tense.
Why is there no separate word for is and free like in English?