Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Hun har legitimasjonen i lommeboken. - She has the identification in her wallet.

Breakdown of Hun har legitimasjonen i lommeboken.

Why do both legitimasjonen and lommeboken end in -en?

Because -en marks the definite singular form in Bokmål.

So Norwegian often puts the idea of the at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word in front.

Why is there no separate word for the?

In Norwegian, definiteness is often built into the noun itself.

So instead of saying something like the wallet, Norwegian usually says lommeboken, where the ending shows that it is definite.

That is why you see:

and not a separate article before them.

What exactly does legitimasjonen mean here?

It means the identification / the ID.

In real life, legitimasjon is a general word for something used to identify yourself, such as:

So it is broader than one single English word. In everyday speech, Norwegians also often say ID-en.

Why is it i lommeboken and not på lommeboken?