De graver i hagen.

Here, de means they.

A learner should know that Norwegian de can also mean you in a very formal, old-fashioned way, but in an ordinary sentence like De graver i hagen, it is normally understood as they.

Also note the pronunciation difference many speakers make:

• de = they
• det = it/that
• dem = them

In everyday spoken Norwegian, subject de is often pronounced more like di.

No. Graver is the present tense form.

The infinitive is å grave = to dig.

So the forms are:

• å grave = to dig
• graver = dig / digs / are digging / is digging, depending on context

In this sentence, de graver means they dig or they are digging.

Because Norwegian verbs do not change according to the subject the way English verbs sometimes do.

For example, in English:

• I dig
• he digs
• they dig

But in Norwegian, the present tense stays the same:

• jeg graver
• han graver
• de graver

So once you know the present tense form graver, you use it with all persons.

It can mean both.

Norwegian often uses the simple present where English might use either:

• They dig
• They are digging

So De graver i hagen can mean:

• They dig in the garden
• They are digging in the garden

The exact meaning depends on context.

I hagen means in the garden.

Breakdown:

• i = in
• hagen = the garden

So i hagen is a prepositional phrase telling you where the action happens.

Because hagen is the definite form of the noun.

• en hage = a garden
• hagen = the garden

In Norwegian, the definite article is often added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like English the.

So:

• hage = garden
• en hage = a garden
• hagen = the garden

Because in Norwegian, the definite article is usually attached as a suffix.

Instead of saying the garden with a separate word, Norwegian says:

• hagen

The ending -en functions as the for many masculine nouns.

So:

• en bil = a car
• bilen = the car
• en hage = a garden
• hagen = the garden

Yes, hage is usually treated as a masculine noun:

• en hage
• hagen

In Bokmål, many feminine nouns can also be used with masculine forms, but hage is normally masculine anyway.

Because this is a normal Norwegian main clause with standard word order:

subject + verb + other information

So:

• De = subject
• graver = verb
• i hagen = place expression

This is very similar to English:

• They dig in the garden

Yes, you can.

If you move i hagen to the front, Norwegian uses the V2 rule, which means the finite verb must still come second:

• I hagen graver de.

This means the same thing, but it gives a little more focus to in the garden.

Compare:

• De graver i hagen. = neutral word order
• I hagen graver de. = emphasis on location

Yes, it can be, which can confuse learners.

As a verb:

• de graver = they dig

As a noun, en graver can mean a digger or, in some contexts, something like a grave-digger depending on usage.

But in De graver i hagen, it is clearly the verb, because it comes after the subject de and is followed by a location phrase.

You usually know from context.

In modern everyday Norwegian, de almost always means they.

The formal De = you is old-fashioned, very formal, and much less common now. You might see it in older texts, letters, or very formal situations.

So for learners, the safest interpretation here is:

• De = they

The past tense of å grave is gravde.

So:

• De graver i hagen. = They dig / are digging in the garden.
• De gravde i hagen. = They dug / were digging in the garden.

This is a useful pattern:

• å grave = to dig
• graver = dig / digs / are digging
• gravde = dug / were digging
• har gravd = have dug

Yes. Norwegian i often covers the same range as English in in this kind of sentence.

So i hagen usually means in the garden or in the yard/garden area, not necessarily buried inside the soil or enclosed physically. It is the natural expression for location here.

You add ikke after the verb in a main clause:

• De graver ikke i hagen.

That means:

• They are not digging in the garden
• They do not dig in the garden

This shows a very common pattern in Norwegian:

• De graver. = They dig.
• De graver ikke. = They do not dig.

You usually put the verb first:

• Graver de i hagen?

That means:

• Are they digging in the garden?
• Do they dig in the garden?

This is a basic Norwegian question pattern:

• statement: De graver i hagen.
• question: Graver de i hagen?