Breakdown of Han vil selge bilen sin og bruke pengene på ferie.
han
he
bil
the car
og
and
på
on
ferie
the vacation
selge
to sell
bruke
to use
penger
the money
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Questions & Answers about Han vil selge bilen sin og bruke pengene på ferie.
What does the modal verb vil indicate in the sentence?
In this sentence, vil expresses the subject’s intention. It translates to "wants to" (or sometimes "will" in English), showing that he intends to sell his car and use the money on vacation.
Why is the reflexive possessive pronoun sin used in bilen sin instead of something like hans?
Norwegian uses the reflexive possessive sin when the possessor is the same as the subject. Here, bilen sin clearly means "his own car." Using hans might introduce ambiguity or imply that the car belongs to someone else.
Why do both selge and bruke appear in their infinitive forms after vil?
When vil is used as a modal verb, it is followed by the base form (infinitive) of the main verbs. This structure allows the subject to express multiple intended actions—in this case, selge (sell) and bruke (use).
What role does the conjunction og play in this sentence?
The word og functions as a coordinating conjunction, linking the two verb phrases together. It connects the actions “sell his car” and “use the money on vacation” into one compound sentence with a shared subject.
How does pengene fit into the sentence, and why isn’t a possessive pronoun needed here?
Pengene is the definite form of penger (money), meaning "the money." The context implies that the money comes from the sale of his car, so it is already clearly defined. There’s no need for an extra possessive pronoun because the definite form carries that information.
What is the meaning and function of the preposition på in på ferie?
In the phrase på ferie, på is used idiomatically to mean "on" when referring to vacation. Thus, på ferie translates to "on vacation," indicating the purpose for which he wants to use the money.
Is the sentence describing a future action, and how is that conveyed without a dedicated future tense in Norwegian?
Yes, the sentence conveys actions that are intended to happen in the future. Norwegian typically uses modal verbs like vil combined with the infinitive to express future intentions or plans, rather than employing a distinct future tense.