Hydrasjonen måles før autolysen.

before

Breakdown of Hydrasjonen måles før autolysen.

• måle: to measure
• hydrasjonen: the dough hydration
• autolysen: the autolyse

Questions & Answers about Hydrasjonen måles før autolysen.

Why do hydrasjonen and autolysen end in -en?

Because Norwegian usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like the.

So:

• hydrasjon = hydration
• hydrasjonen = the hydration

and:

• autolyse = autolysis
• autolysen = the autolysis

In this sentence, both nouns are definite, so the meaning is the hydration is measured before the autolysis.

Why is there no separate word for the?

In Norwegian, definiteness is often marked with a suffix on the noun itself.

English:

• the hydration
• the autolysis

Norwegian:

• hydrasjonen
• autolysen

This is one of the biggest structural differences from English. Instead of putting the before the noun, Norwegian typically attaches a definite ending:

• -en
• -et
• -a

Which ending is used depends on the noun’s gender and form.

What does måles mean, and why does it end in -s?