Han håper at nyhetene er gode i dag.

He hopes that the news is good today.

Breakdown of Han håper at nyhetene er gode i dag.

• være: to be
• han: he
• i: in
• dag: the day
• håpe: to hope
• at: that
• god: good

Questions & Answers about Han håper at nyhetene er gode i dag.

Why is at used after håper in this sentence?

At is a subordinating conjunction in Norwegian, much like that in English. It introduces the subordinate clause nyhetene er gode i dag which serves as the object of the verb håper. Unlike in informal English where that might sometimes be omitted, Norwegian typically requires at to link the main clause with the subordinate clause clearly.

What does nyhetene mean, and why does it have the ending -ene?

Nyhetene translates to the news in English. The ending -ene is the definite plural marker in Norwegian. It shows that the noun nyhet (meaning a news item or news) is in its definite form. Even though news is treated as a singular concept in English, Norwegian uses this form to indicate a specific set of news items.

Why is the adjective gode used instead of just god?

In Norwegian, adjectives must agree in number and definiteness with the noun they modify. Since nyhetene is the definite plural form of nyhet, the adjective takes the ending -e to become gode. This rule ensures that the adjective matches the noun in both definiteness and number.

How does the word order in the subordinate clause at nyhetene er gode i dag compare to the main clause?

In Norwegian, subordinate clauses introduced by at generally follow a subject-verb-object order without the inversion seen in main clauses. In the sentence, nyhetene (subject) comes first, followed by er (verb), and then gode i dag (predicate and time expression). This structure is a typical characteristic of Norwegian subordinate clauses, making the sentence clear and grammatically consistent.

Why are both verbs håper and er in the present tense, and what does this convey about the sentence’s meaning?

Both håper and er are in the present tense to indicate that the hope and the state of the news are relevant at the same time—essentially, today. Håper expresses an ongoing hope, while er describes the current condition of the news. This consistent use of the present tense mirrors the English sentence He hopes that the news is good today, emphasizing that both actions (the hoping and the state of the news) are happening in the present.