Badet er større enn kjøkkenet, men dusjen er den beste delen.

The bathroom is bigger than the kitchen, but the shower is the best part.

Breakdown of Badet er større enn kjøkkenet, men dusjen er den beste delen.

• være: to be
• stor: big
• men: but
• kjøkkenet: the kitchen
• dusjen: the shower
• badet: the bathroom
• enn: than
• den: the
• best: best
• delen: the part

Questions & Answers about Badet er større enn kjøkkenet, men dusjen er den beste delen.

Why do badet and kjøkkenet both end with -et?

Because bad (bathroom) and kjøkken (kitchen) are neuter nouns in Norwegian (et bad, et kjøkken). In Bokmål you form the definite singular of neuter nouns by adding the suffix -et instead of a separate article.

Why is dusjen spelled with -en and not -et like badet?

Dusj is a common-gender noun (en dusj). Definite singular common-gender (masculine/feminine) nouns take -en (or sometimes -a in feminine variants), so you get dusjen (“the shower”).

How is the comparative større enn formed?

• The positive adjective is stor (“big”).
• Its comparative is irregular: større (“bigger”).
• You connect the two items being compared with enn (“than”).
  Hence større enn = bigger than.

When do you use mer instead of adding -re for comparatives?

• One-syllable adjectives (and some two-syllable ones) usually add -re: lang → lengre.
• Longer adjectives (typically three syllables or more) use mer
  • adjective: interessant → mer interessant.

What’s the structure behind den beste delen (“the best part”)?

Attributive superlatives in Norwegian follow this pattern:

1. Definite article den/det/de (matching the noun’s gender/number).
2. Adjective in superlative form with -e (here beste, from best).
3. Noun in its definite form (delen, from en del).
   So den beste delen literally means “the best part.”

Could you just say dusjen er best instead?

Yes. Dusjen er best is a perfectly natural, more concise way to say “The shower is the best.” You simply use the predicative superlative best and drop both den and delen.

Why is there a comma before men?

In Norwegian it’s common (though not absolutely mandatory) to place a comma before men when joining two independent clauses:
Badet er større enn kjøkkenet, men dusjen er den beste delen.
It enhances readability, similar to English comma usage before “but.”

Can you reverse the clauses without changing meaning?

Yes. You can say:
Dusjen er den beste delen, men badet er større enn kjøkkenet.
The overall meaning stays the same, though the emphasis shifts to the shower first.