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Questions & Answers about Annas bok er gammel.
What does Annas mean here, and why is there no apostrophe like in English?
Annas is the possessive form of Anna, equivalent to Anna’s in English. In Norwegian, possession is shown by adding -s to the noun without using an apostrophe.
Why is the noun bok not written as boken, since Annas bok refers to a specific book?
When a noun is preceded by a possessive -s (as in Annas), it is already definite. You therefore use the base form bok rather than adding the definite suffix -en. Saying Annas boken would be redundant and is not correct.
How does the adjective gammel agree with the noun, and why isn’t it gamle or gammelt?
In Norwegian, adjectives agree with the noun’s gender, number and definiteness:
- bok is singular common-gender and in an indefinite form here, so you use gammel.
- gammelt is used with neuter singular nouns (e.g. et gammelt hus).
- gamle is used with plural nouns or when the noun is definite (e.g. gamle bøker, den gamle boken).
What is the verb er, and what is its infinitive form?
Er is the present-tense form of the verb å være (“to be”). It functions like the English is, linking the subject (Annas bok) to the predicate adjective (gammel).
How can I tell what gender bok is in Norwegian?
Norwegian has two genders: common and neuter. Common-gender nouns use the article en (e.g. en bok), while neuter nouns use et (e.g. et hus). Even though you don’t see en in Annas bok, you learn noun gender from dictionaries or by memorizing that bok is a common-gender noun.
Could I instead say Anna sin bok er gammel, and what’s the difference?
Yes. Norwegian also allows a periphrastic possessive: Anna sin bok er gammel, literally “Anna her book is old.” This form is common in spoken Norwegian and in Nynorsk, but in standard written Bokmål the -s form (Annas bok) is more widely used.
Why is the verb er in second position, and what word-order rule applies here?
Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb (er) must be in the second position. With Annas bok as the first element, er appears immediately afterward, followed by the rest of the sentence (gammel).