Jakken er slitt.

The jacket is worn.

Breakdown of Jakken er slitt.

• være: to be
• jakken: the jacket
• slitt: worn

Questions & Answers about Jakken er slitt.

What does jakken mean, and why does it end in -en?

Jakken means the jacket.

The ending -en is the usual way to mark the definite singular for many Norwegian nouns, especially many masculine nouns.

• en jakke = a jacket
• jakken = the jacket

So instead of adding a separate word like English the, Norwegian often adds the definiteness to the end of the noun.

Why is it er slitt and not something like er sliten?

In this sentence, slitt is the normal form used to mean worn or worn out about an object like clothing.

• Jakken er slitt = The jacket is worn

You may also see sliten, but that is very often used about people meaning tired:

• Jeg er sliten = I am tired

So for a jacket, slitt is the natural choice.

Is slitt an adjective or a past participle?

It behaves like an adjective here, but historically it comes from the verb å slite.

In sentences like this, learners can think of it as an adjective meaning:

• worn
• worn down
• showing signs of use

So in practice:

• Jakken er slitt = The jacket is worn

You do not need to translate it word-for-word as an English participle. Just treat it as the normal descriptive form here.