Familien planlegger halloween.

the family

Breakdown of Familien planlegger halloween.

• planlegge: to plan
• halloween: Halloween

Questions & Answers about Familien planlegger halloween.

Why is it familien and not familie?

Because familien is the definite singular form of en familie.

• en familie = a family
• familien = the family

So the sentence uses familien because it is talking about a specific family, not just any family.

What form of the verb is planlegger?

Planlegger is the present tense of å planlegge.

• å planlegge = to plan
• planlegger = plans / is planning

In Norwegian, the present tense is often used in places where English might use either plans or is planning, depending on context.

Why doesn’t Norwegian use a separate word for is planning here?

Because Norwegian usually does not need a separate auxiliary verb like English is for this kind of sentence.

English can say:

• The family plans Halloween
• The family is planning Halloween

Norwegian often just uses the present tense:

• Familien planlegger halloween.

If you want to emphasize an ongoing action, Norwegian can sometimes use other structures, but the simple present is very common and natural here.

Why is halloween not capitalized?