Breakdown of Skjorten din er ny, men du har en travel dag, ikke sant?
være
to be
du
you
ha
to have
en
a
men
but
dag
the day
ny
new
skjorte
the shirt
din
your
travel
busy
ikke sant
right
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Questions & Answers about Skjorten din er ny, men du har en travel dag, ikke sant?
Why is the possessive marker din placed after skjorten instead of before it as in English?
In Norwegian, when referring to a specific (definite) noun, the possessive pronoun follows the noun. Here, skjorten is the definite form of skjorte (meaning “the shirt”), so it becomes skjorten din (“your shirt”). In an indefinite phrase, you might say din skjorte instead.
Why does the adjective ny appear uninflected even though skjorten is definite?
This is because ny is used as a predicate adjective after the linking verb er (“is”). In Norwegian, adjectives in a predicate position do not change form to reflect definiteness. If the adjective were placed before the noun in a definite noun phrase, it would be inflected (e.g., den nye skjorten).
What is the role of men in the sentence?
The word men means “but” and is used to connect two contrasting ideas—in this case, the statement that “your shirt is new” with the observation that “you have a busy day.”
What purpose does the tag ikke sant? serve at the end of the sentence?
Ikke sant? translates as “isn't it?” and functions as a tag question. It invites the listener to confirm or agree with the statement, adding a conversational tone.
Why is there a comma before ikke sant?
The comma is used to separate the main statement from the tag question. It signals a brief pause and clarifies that ikke sant? is asking for confirmation, similar to the use of a comma before a tag in English.
How does the word order in du har en travel dag compare to English?
The word order is subject–verb–object, just like in English. Du (you) is the subject, har (have) is the verb, and en travel dag (a busy day) is the object. This familiar structure can help ease the transition between the languages.
Why doesn't the adjective travel take an ending in en travel dag?
In Norwegian, when an adjective precedes an indefinite singular common-gender noun—as in en travel dag—it typically remains uninflected. Only when the noun phrase is definite (for example, den travle dagen) does the adjective receive an ending.