Øvelsesrunden begynner på dansegulvet.

The practice round begins on the dance floor.

Breakdown of Øvelsesrunden begynner på dansegulvet.

• på: on
• begynne: to begin
• øvelsesrunden: the practice round
• dansegulvet: the dance floor

Questions & Answers about Øvelsesrunden begynner på dansegulvet.

Why is øvelsesrunden written as one word?

Because Norwegian very often makes compound nouns by joining words together into a single word.

Here:

• øvelse = practice / exercise
• runde = round

So øvelsesrunde means something like practice round or exercise round, and in the sentence it appears as øvelsesrunden, the definite form: the practice round.

This is very normal in Norwegian. English often writes these as two words, but Norwegian usually joins them.

Why does øvelsesrunden end in -en?

The ending -en marks the noun as definite singular.

So:

• en øvelsesrunde = a practice round
• øvelsesrunden = the practice round

Unlike English, Norwegian usually puts the onto the end of the noun instead of using a separate word.

What form of the verb is begynner?

Begynner is the present tense of å begynne.

So:

• å begynne = to begin
• begynner = begins / is beginning / starts

In Norwegian, the present tense is often used in ways that match English simple present or present progressive, depending on context.

Could I say starter instead of begynner?