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Questions & Answers about Vi fyller bordet med bøker.
What is the function of Vi in the sentence?
Vi is the first-person plural subject pronoun, meaning we. It tells you who is performing the action of the verb.
Why is the verb fyller used here, and what form is it?
Fyller is the present-tense form of fylle (to fill). In Norwegian, you use this form for “I/you/we/they fill.” Since Vi (we) is the subject, you keep the verb in the basic present form with no extra ending changes.
Does Norwegian have a separate continuous (–ing) tense like English?
No. Norwegian does not distinguish between simple present and present continuous. Fyller can mean both “we fill” and “we are filling,” depending on context.
Why does bordet end with –et?
The ending –et is the definite article for neuter nouns. The base word bord is “table,” and bordet is “the table.”
Why is bøker in the indefinite plural form?
Bøker is the plural of bok (book) in its indefinite form. Here it’s unspecified how many books, just “books.” If you had specific books in mind, you’d say bøkene (the books).
What role does med play in this sentence?
Med is a preposition meaning with. It introduces what you’re filling the table with (i.e., the contents or material used).
Could I use på instead of med here?
Using på (“on”) changes the meaning. Legge bøker på bordet means “to put books on the table,” focusing on placement. Fylle bordet med bøker emphasizes filling up the surface until it’s covered.
What’s the difference between fylle and legge?
- Fylle means “to fill” (make something full or cover it completely).
- Legge means “to lay” or “to put” (place something somewhere).
They overlap but convey different aspects: amount/fullness vs. simple placement.
How would you say this sentence in the past tense?
You change fyller to fylte (past of fylle):
Vi fylte bordet med bøker.
(We filled the table with books.)
Can you change the word order for emphasis?
Yes. The normal order is SVO (Subject-Verb-Object): Vi fyller bordet med bøker.
For emphasis you could front the prepositional phrase:
Med bøker fyller vi bordet.
That shifts focus onto with books.