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Questions & Answers about Dette er et hus.
What is the word-for-word translation of Dette er et hus?
Dette translates as “this”, er means “is”, et is the neuter form of the indefinite article (equivalent to “a” or “an”), and hus means “house”. So, the sentence translates literally to “This is a house.”
Why is the neuter indefinite article et used before hus?
In Norwegian, every noun is assigned a gender. Hus is a neuter noun, so it takes the indefinite article et (whereas masculine or feminine nouns typically use en). This usage is similar to the English “a house” where the article indicates that the noun is indefinite.
How does the word order in Dette er et hus compare to English?
The word order in this Norwegian sentence is essentially identical to English: it follows a subject–verb–predicate structure. Dette (this) is the subject, er (is) is the linking verb, and et hus (a house) functions as the predicate noun. This makes the sentence straightforward for English speakers.
What role does the verb er play in this sentence?
Er is the present tense form of the Norwegian verb å være, which means “to be.” It serves as the linking verb that connects the subject, dette, to its description, et hus, in the same way “is” does in English.