Questions & Answers about Hun arbeider på laboratoriet.
Why does laboratoriet end in -et?
Because Norwegian often marks definiteness by adding an ending to the noun instead of using a separate word like the.
- et laboratorium = a laboratory
- laboratoriet = the laboratory
So in this sentence, på laboratoriet means at the laboratory.
Why is it på laboratoriet and not i laboratoriet?
Both på and i can sometimes be translated as in or at, but they are used differently in Norwegian.
In this sentence, på laboratoriet usually means at the laboratory as a workplace or location in a general sense. This is very natural when talking about where someone works.
- Hun arbeider på laboratoriet. = She works at the laboratory.
If you say i laboratoriet, it sounds more like inside the laboratory room/building physically.
So:
- på laboratoriet = at the lab, as a place of work
- i laboratoriet = in the lab, physically inside it
What does arbeider mean, and is it common?