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Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Masken dekker ansiktet. - The mask covers the face.

Hardcore Norwegian
/Adopting a rescue cat
/Masken dekker ansiktet.

Masken dekker ansiktet.

Word

Masken dekker ansiktet.

Meaning

The mask covers the face.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Norwegian

Lesson

Adopting a rescue cat

Breakdown of Masken dekker ansiktet.

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Questions & Answers about Masken dekker ansiktet.

Why do masken and ansiktet have endings instead of a separate word for the?

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun.

maske = mask
masken = the mask
ansikt = face
ansiktet = the face

So instead of saying the mask with a separate word like in English, Norwegian often says masken.

The endings depend on the noun’s gender:

-en is common for common gender nouns
-et is common for neuter nouns

That is why you get:

masken
ansiktet

What are the genders of maske and ansikt?

maske is usually a common gender noun
- indefinite: en maske
- definite: masken
ansikt is a neuter noun
- indefinite: et ansikt
- definite: ansiktet

This matters because gender affects articles and endings.

Why is the verb dekker and not dekke?

Dekke is the infinitive form, meaning to cover.

Dekker is the present tense form, meaning covers / is covering.

So:

å dekke = to cover
dekker = covers

In this sentence, the subject is masken, so the finite verb must be used:

Masken dekker ansiktet. = The mask covers the face.

Does Norwegian have different present-tense verb forms for different subjects, like English I cover / she covers?

No. Norwegian verbs do not change for person in the present tense.

So you would say:

jeg dekker = I cover
du dekker = you cover
han dekker = he covers
masken dekker = the mask covers

The form dekker stays the same.

Is the word order the same as in English here?

Yes. This sentence uses normal main-clause word order:

Masken = subject
dekker = verb
ansiktet = object

So it follows the pattern:

Subject + Verb + Object

That is very similar to English:

The mask covers the face.

Why is there no preposition before ansiktet?

Because dekke normally takes a direct object.

In other words, you cover something, not usually cover on/over something in Norwegian grammar.

So:

Masken dekker ansiktet.

Here, ansiktet is the direct object of dekker.

Could maska be used instead of masken?

Yes, in many contexts, maska is also possible.

That is because some nouns can be treated as feminine in Bokmål, while others use the common-gender form more generally.

So you may see:

masken
maska

Both can mean the mask.

However:

masken is very standard and safe in Bokmål
maska may sound more colloquial or reflect feminine-noun usage

For learners, masken is a good default unless you are specifically studying feminine forms.

How would I say this sentence in the indefinite form?

You would use the indefinite articles:

En maske dekker et ansikt.

That means A mask covers a face.

Compare:

Masken dekker ansiktet. = The mask covers the face.
En maske dekker et ansikt. = A mask covers a face.

What does dekker mean exactly? Is it always the same as English cover?

Usually, dekker means covers, but like English cover, it can be used in more than one way depending on context.

It can mean things like:

physically covering something
hiding part of something from view
extending over an area
sometimes even paying for or including in other contexts

But in this sentence, the meaning is the physical one:

the mask covers the face

So this is a very straightforward use of dekke.

How do you pronounce Masken dekker ansiktet?

A rough guide for an English speaker is:

Masken ≈ MAS-ken
dekker ≈ DEK-er
ansiktet ≈ AHN-sik-te

A few notes:

a in maske is usually a broad a sound
kk in dekker makes the consonant short and clear
ansiktet has stress mainly on the second syllable of the base word: an-SIKT-et

Pronunciation varies somewhat by dialect, but that rough pattern is a helpful starting point.

What would happen if I added an adjective, like the black mask?

Then Norwegian usually uses a double definite structure: a separate definite word plus the noun with its definite ending.

For example:

den svarte masken = the black mask
det svarte ansiktet = the black face

So with adjectives, Norwegian often does not just use the noun ending by itself.

Compare:

masken = the mask
den svarte masken = the black mask
ansiktet = the face
det skjulte ansiktet = the hidden face

How would I make these nouns plural?

Here are the usual plural forms:

For maske:

singular indefinite: en maske
singular definite: masken
plural indefinite: masker
plural definite: maskene

For ansikt:

singular indefinite: et ansikt
singular definite: ansiktet
plural indefinite: ansikter
plural definite: ansiktene

So:

Maskene dekker ansiktene. = The masks cover the faces.

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