Fisken er rå.

The fish is raw.

Breakdown of Fisken er rå.

• være: to be
• fisken: the fish
• rå: raw

Questions & Answers about Fisken er rå.

Why is it fisken and not just fisk?

Because fisken is the definite form: the fish.

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun as a suffix.

• en fisk = a fish
• fisken = the fish

So Fisken er rå literally means The fish is raw.

What is the base form of fisken?

The base form is fisk, meaning fish.

A common pattern for a masculine/common-gender noun is:

• en fisk = a fish
• fisken = the fish

So here:

• noun stem: fisk
• definite ending: -en

Why isn’t there a separate word for the, like in English?

Because Norwegian usually expresses the by attaching an ending to the noun instead of using a separate word before it.

Compare:

• English: the fish
• Norwegian: fisken

This is one of the biggest differences from English grammar.

What does er mean?