Legen undersøker lungene.

The doctor examines the lungs.

Breakdown of Legen undersøker lungene.

• legen: the doctor
• undersøke: to investigate; examine
• lungene: the lungs

Questions & Answers about Legen undersøker lungene.

Why is it legen and not lege?

Because legen is the definite singular form of lege (doctor).

• en lege = a doctor
• legen = the doctor

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun as a suffix, instead of being a separate word like the in English.

Why is it lungene and not lunger?

Because lungene is the definite plural form of lunge (lung).

Here is the full pattern:

• ei/en lunge = a lung
• lunger = lungs
• lungene = the lungs

So Legen undersøker lungene means The doctor examines the lungs, not just lungs in a general sense.

Why does Norwegian put the at the end of the word?

That is a normal feature of Norwegian grammar. In many cases, definiteness is shown with an ending attached to the noun.

Examples:

• bil = car
• bilen = the car
• hus = house
• huset = the house

This is very different from English, where the comes before the noun.