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Questions & Answers about Han tjener penger.
What does each word in the sentence mean?
Han means "He." Tjener is the present tense form of å tjene, which means "to earn." Penger means "money" and, interestingly, is always used in its plural form in Norwegian.
Why is there no article before penger?
In Norwegian, penger is treated as a plural or mass noun that refers to money in a general sense. Like many uncountable or generally plural nouns in both Norwegian and English, it is used without an article when speaking about money in general.
How is the verb tjener conjugated, and does it change based on the subject?
Tjener is the present tense form of å tjene. In Norwegian, the present tense form of many verbs remains the same regardless of the subject. Thus, whether you say jeg tjener (I earn) or han tjener (he earns), the form does not change.
What is the sentence structure of "Han tjener penger."?
The sentence follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure. Han is the subject, tjener is the verb, and penger is the object. This order is similar to English, making it easier for English speakers to grasp.
Can tjener mean something other than "earns" in different contexts?
Yes, while in this sentence tjener clearly means "earns" (as in, "He earns money"), in other contexts it can sometimes be used to mean "serves" or imply usefulness. However, in this context, the intended meaning is simply "earns."