Stjernekikkingen begynner i skumringen.

to begin

Breakdown of Stjernekikkingen begynner i skumringen.

• i: during
• stjernekikkingen: the stargazing
• skumringen: the twilight

Questions & Answers about Stjernekikkingen begynner i skumringen.

How is stjernekikkingen built up?

It is a compound noun:

• stjerne = star
• kikking = looking / watching (from å kikke, to look)
• -en = the definite singular ending for a common-gender noun

So:

• stjernekikking = stargazing
• stjernekikkingen = the stargazing

Norwegian makes compounds very freely, much more than English does.

Where is the word the in stjernekikkingen and skumringen?

In Norwegian, the is often attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word.

So:

• stjernekikking = stargazing
• stjernekikkingen = the stargazing

and

• skumring = twilight / dusk
• skumringen = the twilight / the dusk

That final -en is doing the job that the does in English.

Why is it stjernekikkingen and not just stjernekikking?

Using stjernekikkingen makes it sound like a specific stargazing event or the stargazing already being talked about.

So this sentence suggests something like:

• a planned activity
• a particular session
• the stargazing everyone already knows about

If you said Stjernekikking begynner i skumringen, that would sound more general, like a statement about the activity of stargazing in general.