Biblioteket er stille, og jeg liker å studere der.

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Breakdown of Biblioteket er stille, og jeg liker å studere der.

• være: to be
• der: there
• å: to
• og: and
• bibliotek: the library
• stille: quiet
• studere: to study

Questions & Answers about Biblioteket er stille, og jeg liker å studere der.

Why does the noun Biblioteket have the ending -et?

In Norwegian, many nouns are given a definite form by adding an ending. In this case, bibliotek ("library") is a neuter noun, and adding -et forms its definite article, making it "the library" (i.e., biblioteket).

What does stille mean in this sentence?

Stille means quiet. It describes the library’s atmosphere in the phrase Biblioteket er stille.

Why is there a comma before og in the sentence?

The sentence consists of two independent clauses: Biblioteket er stille and jeg liker å studere der. The comma before og (which means "and") is used to clearly separate these clauses. While comma rules can vary in Norwegian, it is common to use a comma in such cases to emphasize the break between complete ideas.

What role does å play in å studere?

Å signals that the verb that follows is in its infinitive form. It’s equivalent to the English “to” in “to study.” Therefore, å studere means to study. This construction is required in Norwegian when using the infinitive form of a verb after verbs like liker (like).

Why is the adverb der used at the end of the sentence?

Der means there and functions as a locative adverb that refers back to biblioteket. Instead of repeating the noun, Norwegian uses der to indicate the place where the studying happens, similar to how you might say “I like to study there” in English.

How is the sentence structured in terms of its clauses?

The sentence is a compound sentence made up of two independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction og (“and”). The first clause is:
• Biblioteket er stille (Subject: biblioteket, Verb: er, Adjective complement: stille).
The second clause is:
• jeg liker å studere der (Subject: jeg, Verb: liker, with an infinitive phrase å studere acting as the object, and der indicating location). This structure mirrors how compound sentences are often built in English.

How does the word order in this Norwegian sentence compare to English?

The word order in Norwegian is quite similar to English in simple statements, generally following a subject-verb-object (or complement) pattern. For instance, Biblioteket er stille mirrors the English “The library is quiet.” Also, the placement of the infinitive marker å before studere aligns with English usage of “to study.” However, note that while English uses separate words for articles (e.g., “the library”), Norwegian often changes the ending of the noun (e.g., biblioteket) to express definiteness.