Arbeidssøkeren søker dagpenger.

to apply for

Breakdown of Arbeidssøkeren søker dagpenger.

• dagpengene: the unemployment benefit
• arbeidssøkeren: the job seeker

Questions & Answers about Arbeidssøkeren søker dagpenger.

Why does arbeidssøker become arbeidssøkeren here?

Because -en is the definite singular ending for many masculine nouns in Norwegian.

• en arbeidssøker = a job seeker
• arbeidssøkeren = the job seeker

So Arbeidssøkeren søker dagpenger means The job seeker is applying for unemployment benefits.

Also, arbeidssøker is a compound noun:

• arbeid = work
• søker = seeker / applicant

Together, arbeidssøker literally means work-seeker or job seeker.

Why is søker used twice, once inside arbeidssøkeren and once as the verb?

They are two different grammatical roles, even though they come from the same root.

• arbeidssøkeren contains søker as a noun: seeker / applicant
• søker on its own is the verb: applies for / seeks

So the sentence is built like this:

• Arbeidssøkeren = the job seeker
• søker = applies for
• dagpenger = unemployment benefits

This kind of repetition is completely normal in Norwegian.

What exactly does søker mean in this sentence: seek or apply for?