Breakdown of Jeg savner vennene mine fordi jeg har forlatt byen.
jeg
I
ha
to have
by
the city
fordi
because
venn
the friend
savne
to miss
mine
my
forlate
to leave
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Norwegian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Jeg savner vennene mine fordi jeg har forlatt byen.
What does savner mean in this sentence?
Savner is the present tense form of the verb savne, which means "to miss." In this sentence, it expresses that the speaker feels the absence of their friends.
How is the phrase vennene mine constructed and what does it signify?
Vennene mine translates to "my friends." Here, vennene is the definite plural form of venn (friend), indicating "the friends," while mine is the possessive pronoun meaning "my." This placement after the noun is typical in Norwegian when referring to a specific group.
Why is har forlatt used instead of a simple past form?
Har forlatt is the present perfect form of forlate (to leave), meaning "have left." Norwegian often uses the present perfect to indicate that a past action—leaving the city in this case—still has relevance to the current situation.
What role does fordi play in the sentence?
Fordi means "because." It introduces a subordinate clause that provides the reason behind the main statement (the speaker missing their friends).
Why is byen used here and what does it represent?
Byen translates as "the city." The word is in its definite form, created by adding the suffix -en to by (city), indicating that a specific city is being referenced—the one the speaker has left.