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Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Prøven sendes til laboratoriet. - The test is sent to the laboratory.

Hardcore Norwegian
/Baking a sourdough loaf with a friend
/Prøven sendes til laboratoriet.

Prøven sendes til laboratoriet.

Word

Prøven sendes til laboratoriet.

Meaning

The test is sent to the laboratory.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Norwegian

Lesson

Baking a sourdough loaf with a friend

Breakdown of Prøven sendes til laboratoriet.

Questions & Answers about Prøven sendes til laboratoriet.

Why does prøven end in -en?

Because prøven is the definite singular form of prøve.

en prøve = a test / a sample
prøven = the test / the sample

Norwegian often puts the definite article at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English the.

What exactly does prøve mean here? Is it test or sample?

It can mean either, depending on context.

Common meanings of prøve include:

test / exam
trial / attempt
sample / specimen in medical or laboratory contexts

In a sentence with laboratoriet, learners should notice that prøven very often means the sample rather than the exam. Context tells you which meaning is intended.

Why is it sendes and not sender?

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Because sendes is a passive form.

sender = sends / is sending in the active voice
- Legen sender prøven. = The doctor sends the sample.
sendes = is sent / gets sent in the passive voice
- Prøven sendes til laboratoriet. = The sample is sent to the laboratory.

In this sentence, the focus is on the sample, not on who sends it.

How does this passive form work in Norwegian?

Norwegian has a common passive form made by adding -s to the verb.

So:

å sende = to send
sender = sends
sendes = is sent / gets sent

This -s passive is very common in Norwegian, especially in formal, written, or instructional language.

You may also see another passive construction:

Prøven blir sendt til laboratoriet.

That also means The sample is sent to the laboratory or The sample is being sent to the laboratory. In many cases, both are possible, though the -s passive often sounds more compact and formal.

What is the difference between sendes and blir sendt?

Both can translate as is sent, but there is a slight difference in feel.

sendes: often more neutral, formal, general, or procedural
blir sendt: can feel a bit more like an event happening, and is often very natural in everyday speech too

Compare:

Prøven sendes til laboratoriet.
= The sample is sent to the laboratory.
This sounds like a routine or standard procedure.
Prøven blir sendt til laboratoriet.
= The sample is being sent / gets sent to the laboratory.
This can sound a little more dynamic or event-focused.

In many real situations, both are correct.

Why is it til laboratoriet?

Because til usually means to, and it is used for movement or direction toward a place.

til laboratoriet = to the laboratory

Also, laboratoriet is the definite singular form of laboratorium:

et laboratorium = a laboratory
laboratoriet = the laboratory

So the structure is:

til = to
laboratoriet = the laboratory

Why does laboratorium become laboratoriet?

Because laboratorium is a neuter noun.

For most neuter nouns:

indefinite singular: et
- noun
definite singular: noun + -et

So:

et laboratorium = a laboratory
laboratoriet = the laboratory

This is different from masculine nouns like prøve, which in many varieties of Norwegian often take -en in the definite form:

en prøve
prøven

Is the sentence in present tense even though it may describe a routine?

Yes. sendes is present tense, but in Norwegian, just like in English, the present tense can describe:

something happening now
a habitual action
a routine procedure
a general rule

So Prøven sendes til laboratoriet can mean something like:

The sample is sent to the laboratory
The sample gets sent to the laboratory
The sample goes to the laboratory as part of normal procedure

The exact interpretation depends on context.

Who is doing the sending in this sentence?

The sentence does not say. That is one of the main purposes of the passive.

Prøven sendes til laboratoriet focuses on what happens to the sample, not on the person doing the action.

If you wanted to name the person, you would usually use an active sentence, for example:

Legen sender prøven til laboratoriet.
= The doctor sends the sample to the laboratory.

Could the word order be different?

Yes, but the basic version here is the normal, straightforward order:

Prøven = subject
sendes = verb
til laboratoriet = prepositional phrase

So the sentence follows standard Norwegian main-clause word order: subject + verb + other elements.

You could move another element to the front for emphasis, but then Norwegian requires the verb to stay in second position:

Til laboratoriet sendes prøven.

This is grammatical, but less neutral and more marked. Most learners should use:

Prøven sendes til laboratoriet.

How do you pronounce ø in prøven?

The letter ø is a vowel that does not exist in standard English. It is pronounced somewhat like:

the vowel in French peu
or German schön

For English speakers, a rough trick is:

Say ee
Keep your tongue position fairly forward
Round your lips

That gets you closer to ø.

So prøven is approximately pronounced something like PRØ-ven, with the first vowel rounded. The exact sound varies by dialect, but the important thing is that ø is not the same as English o.

Is this sentence more formal or more everyday Norwegian?

It sounds quite natural, but it also has a slightly procedural or medical/administrative feel because of the passive sendes.

You might see this kind of sentence in:

medical instructions
lab reports
hospital routines
official or technical writing

In everyday speech, Norwegians may also use a more active wording, depending on context, such as:

De sender prøven til laboratoriet.
Legen sender prøven til laboratoriet.

But the original sentence is completely normal Norwegian.

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