Det er lang kø foran billettautomaten i dag.

to be

Breakdown of Det er lang kø foran billettautomaten i dag.

• i dag: today
• lang: long
• køen: the queue

Questions & Answers about Det er lang kø foran billettautomaten i dag.

Why is there no en (indefinite article) before lang kø?

In existential clauses introduced by Det er (“there is/are”), Norwegian often omits the indefinite article when presenting something new or non-specific.

• You could say Det er en lang kø (“There is a long queue”), but dropping en gives you Det er lang kø, which is shorter and very common in everyday speech.

Why is the adjective lang not inflected as lange?

Because lang kø is an indefinite singular noun phrase with a common-gender noun (en kø). In the positive form:

• Indefinite singular (en-words) → no -e on the adjective: lang kø
• Definite singular or any plural → add -e: den lange køen, lange køer

What does billettautomaten consist of, and why the -en ending?

billettautomaten is the definite singular form of billettautomat (“ticket machine”). Break it down:

• billett = ticket
• automat = machine
  Put them together → billettautomat (“ticket machine”), then add the definite ending -en → billettautomaten = “the ticket machine.”
  Forms:
  • Indef. sg.: en billettautomat
  • Def. sg.: billettautomaten
  • Indef. pl.: billettautomater
  • Def. pl.: billettautomatene