Mynten er gammel.

The coin is old.

Breakdown of Mynten er gammel.

• være: to be
• gammel: old
• mynten: the coin

Questions & Answers about Mynten er gammel.

Why does mynten mean the coin, not just coin?

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word in front.

• en mynt = a coin
• mynten = the coin

So the -en ending is what makes the noun definite here.

What does er mean?

Er is the present tense of å være (to be). It corresponds to English am / is / are, but Norwegian uses the same form er for all persons in the present tense.

Examples:

• jeg er = I am
• du er = you are
• hun er = she is
• vi er = we are

Why is the adjective gammel and not gammelt or gamle?

Norwegian adjectives change form depending on gender and number.

Here, gammel is used because mynten is singular and not neuter.

Compare:

• Mynten er gammel = singular, non-neuter
• Huset er gammelt = singular, neuter
• Myntene er gamle = plural

So gammel is the correct form in this sentence.

Why isn’t it gamle if mynten is definite?