Hun har savnet deg lenge, men nå er hun glad.

to be

Breakdown of Hun har savnet deg lenge, men nå er hun glad.

• hun: she
• ha: to have
• nå: now

Questions & Answers about Hun har savnet deg lenge, men nå er hun glad.

What tense is used in “har savnet” and how is it formed?

It’s the present perfect tense. In Norwegian, the present perfect is formed by combining the auxiliary verb har (“have”) with the past participle savnet (from å savne, “to miss”). This construction indicates that the action of missing started in the past and continues into the present.

What does deg mean, and why is it used instead of du?

Deg is the object form of the pronoun du (“you”). It is used in the sentence because it functions as the object of the verb savnet (“has missed”).

How does lenge function in the sentence?

Lenge is an adverb that modifies the verb phrase har savnet. It specifies the duration of the action, meaning “for a long time.”

How should we understand the clause “men nå er hun glad”?

This clause uses a simple, present construction. Men means “but,” nå means “now,” er is the present form of “to be” (“is”), and glad means “happy.” It tells us that although she had been missing you, her state has now changed, and she is currently happy.

Why is the subject hun repeated in both parts of the sentence?