Smerten er konstant.

The pain is constant.

Breakdown of Smerten er konstant.

• være: to be
• smerten: the pain
• konstant: constant

Questions & Answers about Smerten er konstant.

Why is it smerten and not just smerte?

Because smerten is the definite singular form: the pain.

• smerte = pain / a pain
• smerten = the pain

So this sentence is talking about a specific pain, not pain in general.

Why is there no separate word for the?

In Norwegian, the definite article is often attached to the end of the noun instead of appearing as a separate word.

So:

• en smerte = a pain
• smerten = the pain

That final -en is doing the job that the does in English.

What does er mean here?

Er is the present tense of å være, which means to be.

So:

• jeg er = I am
• du er = you are
• smerten er = the pain is

Unlike English, Norwegian does not change this verb in the present tense depending on the subject. It stays er.

Why is it konstant and not konstante?