Vi hjelper kvinnen ut av knipa.

the woman

Breakdown of Vi hjelper kvinnen ut av knipa.

• vi: we
• hjelpe: to help
• ut av: out of

Questions & Answers about Vi hjelper kvinnen ut av knipa.

Why is it kvinnen and not kvinne?

Because kvinnen is the definite singular form of kvinne.

• kvinne = woman
• kvinnen = the woman

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like the in English.

So:

• en kvinne = a woman
• kvinnen = the woman

Why is there no separate word for the before kvinnen?

Norwegian normally adds definiteness to the noun itself.

So instead of saying something like the woman, Norwegian usually says:

• kvinnen

That -en ending already means the.

A separate word like den is only used in certain cases, for example:

• with adjectives: den gamle kvinnen = the old woman
• for extra emphasis: den kvinnen = that woman / that particular woman

Why is the verb hjelper and not hjelpe?