Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Øyeblikk er kort.

Øyeblikk translates as "moment" in English. Interestingly, the word is the same in both the singular and plural forms. This means context will often help you decide whether it refers to one moment or multiple moments.

Why is there no article (such as et) before øyeblikk in this sentence?

Norwegian sometimes drops the article when making general or abstract statements. In Øyeblikk er kort, the sentence is making a general remark about moments rather than specifying a particular moment. In contrast, if you wanted to refer to a single, specific moment, you might say et øyeblikk.

Why is the adjective kort not inflected with an ending like -t or -e in this sentence?

In Norwegian, adjectives used in the predicate—meaning they follow the linking verb (in this case, er)—typically aren’t inflected. So even though adjectives may take endings when they directly modify a noun in attributive position (e.g., et kort øyeblikk), when they’re used after the verb as in this sentence, they remain in their base form.

How does the word order in Øyeblikk er kort compare to typical English sentence structure?

The sentence follows a straightforward subject–verb–adjective order, much like English. Øyeblikk is the subject, er is the verb (equivalent to is/are), and kort is the predicate adjective, corresponding to short.