Han bærer et kors.

he

Breakdown of Han bærer et kors.

• et: a
• bære: to carry
• korset: the cross

Questions & Answers about Han bærer et kors.

Why is it han and not ham?

Han is the subject form of he. In Han bærer et kors, han is the person doing the action.

• han = he
• ham = him

So:

• Han bærer et kors = He carries a cross
• Jeg ser ham = I see him

What form of the verb is bærer?

Bærer is the present tense of the verb å bære, meaning to carry, to bear, or sometimes to wear depending on context.

Some common forms are:

• å bære = to carry / to bear
• bærer = carries / is carrying
• bar = carried
• har båret = has carried

So Han bærer et kors is in the present tense.

Why does Norwegian use bærer instead of a form meaning is carrying?

In Norwegian, the simple present often covers both:

• he carries
• he is carrying

So Han bærer et kors can mean either one, depending on context.

Norwegian does have ways to express an ongoing action more explicitly, but very often the plain present tense is enough.

Why is it and not ?