Mistanken gjelder mannen.

the man

Breakdown of Mistanken gjelder mannen.

• gjelde: to apply
• mistanken: the suspicion

Questions & Answers about Mistanken gjelder mannen.

Why is it mistanken and not mistanke?

Mistanken is the definite singular form of mistanke (suspicion).

• en mistanke = a suspicion
• mistanken = the suspicion

So the sentence uses the suspicion, not a suspicion.

What does gjelder mean here?

Gjelder is the present tense of å gjelde, which often means:

• to concern
• to apply to
• to relate to
• to be about

In this sentence, Mistanken gjelder mannen means that the suspicion concerns or relates to the man.

Why is it mannen and not mannen gjelder or some other order?

Norwegian main clauses usually follow subject + verb + object/complement word order, just like English.

Here:

• Mistanken = subject
• gjelder = verb
• mannen = object

So:

• Mistanken gjelder mannen = The suspicion concerns the man

Putting mannen before the verb would change the structure and would usually require a different sentence pattern.

Why is it mannen and not ?