Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Norwegian grammar and vocabulary.
Start learning Norwegian now
Questions & Answers about Kollegaen min drikker kaffe etter møtet.
What does kollegaen min mean and why is it not min kollegaen?
It means my colleague. In Norwegian, when you add a possessive pronoun to a definite noun, the definite article becomes a suffix on the noun (here -en on kollega) and the possessive pronoun comes after the noun. That’s why you say kollegaen min, not min kollegaen.
What are the genders of kollega and møte, and how do you form their indefinite and definite forms?
• kollega is a common-gender noun:
– Indefinite singular: en kollega
– Definite singular: kollegaen
– Indefinite plural: kollegaer
– Definite plural: kollegaene
• møte is a neuter-gender noun:
– Indefinite singular: et møte
– Definite singular: møtet
– Indefinite plural: møter
– Definite plural: møtene
Why is there no article before kaffe in drikker kaffe? Shouldn’t it be drikker en kaffe?
kaffe is an uncountable substance here, so you drop the article when speaking generally or habitually: drikker kaffe = “drinks coffee” in general. If you mean “drinks a (single) coffee,” you can say drikker en kaffe.
How do you form the present tense of å drikke?
Most Norwegian verbs form the present by adding -r to the infinitive. For drikke, you drop the final -e and add -r, giving drikker.
Why is møtet in the definite form and not indefinite?
Because the sentence refers to a specific meeting already known or mentioned in context. In Norwegian, use the definite form (møtet) to talk about “the meeting” rather than just “a meeting.”
Can you start the sentence with etter møtet? What happens to the word order?
Yes. Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the verb must come second. If you begin with Etter møtet, the verb drikker follows, then the subject kollegaen min:
Etter møtet drikker kollegaen min kaffe.
Is there a difference between kollegaen min drikker kaffe and min kollega drikker kaffe?
Both mean the same thing. kollegaen min is more colloquial and emphasizes “that colleague of mine,” while min kollega is slightly more formal or neutral. Functionally they’re interchangeable.
What is the V2 rule in Norwegian and how does it apply here?
The V2 rule says the finite verb must occupy the second position in a main clause. In Kollegaen min drikker kaffe etter møtet, the subject (kollegaen min) is first, the verb (drikker) is second, and then the object and adverbial follow.
What is the difference between etter and etterpå?
etter is a preposition used before a noun (etter møtet = “after the meeting”).
etterpå is an adverb meaning “afterwards” or “later” and stands alone: Kollegaen min drikker kaffe etterpå.
How would you say “My colleague drank coffee after the meeting” in Norwegian?
You change drikker (present) to the past tense drakk:
Kollegaen min drakk kaffe etter møtet.
