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Questions & Answers about Denne hunden er stor.
Why does the noun appear as hunden instead of just hund?
In Norwegian, definiteness is often marked by adding a suffix to the noun. Here, hund (dog) becomes hunden to indicate “the dog.” This suffix is a common way to form the definite version of common gender nouns.
What is the role of the word denne in the sentence?
Denne is a demonstrative adjective meaning “this.” It specifies which particular dog is being discussed. When using a demonstrative like denne, the noun it modifies must appear in its definite form—in this case, hunden—to match correctly.
Why is the adjective stor not inflected to store even though the noun is definite?
In Norwegian, adjectives used in the predicate position (after the linking verb er) remain in their base form. When an adjective is placed before a noun as part of a definite phrase, it typically takes an ending (for example, den store hunden). Because stor is used predicatively in Denne hunden er stor, it stays uninflected.
How does the word order in Denne hunden er stor compare with that of English?
The sentence follows a clear Subject-Verb-Predicate adjective structure. Denne hunden (This dog) is the subject, er (is) is the linking verb, and stor (big) is the predicate adjective. This structure closely mirrors English, making the sentence familiar and easier to learn for native English speakers.
Can denne be omitted, and if so, what difference does that make?
Yes, you can say Hunden er stor without denne. Omitting denne changes the nuance: the sentence then means “The dog is big,” which is a more general statement about a known or previously mentioned dog, rather than emphasizing a specific one as “this dog is big.”