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Questions & Answers about Gaffelen ligger på tallerkenen.
Why does gaffelen end with -en?
In Norwegian, the definite article for a common-gender noun (formerly called masculine/feminine) is suffixed to the noun. Gaffel means “fork,” and -en makes it definite: gaffelen = “the fork.” There’s no separate word for “the” in front of the noun in this case.
What gender is gaffel, and does it affect the ending?
Gaffel is a common-gender noun. Common gender uses -en for the singular definite form and -er/no ending for the indefinite singular (so “a fork” = en gaffel). If it were neuter, you’d see -et instead (e.g., et hus → huset).
Why is tallerkenen also ending in -en?
Tallerken (“plate”) is also a common-gender noun, so it follows the same rule: en tallerken = “a plate,” and tallerkenen = “the plate.” Every common-gender noun in the definite singular gets -en.
What part of speech is ligger, and why not use er (“is”)?
Ligger is the present tense of å ligge (“to lie,” “to be situated”). You use ligger to describe the location or posture of something lying somewhere. You could say Gaffelen er på tallerkenen and it would still be correct (“The fork is on the plate”), but ligger gives the sense that it’s lying there, not just existing there.
Can I use a different preposition than på for “on”?
In most cases for flat surfaces you use på (e.g., på bordet, “on the table”). If the object were inside something, you’d use i (e.g., i skuffen, “in the drawer”). For “on” in the sense of “in contact with a surface,” på is the right choice.
Why is the word order Gaffelen ligger på tallerkenen? Would På tallerkenen ligger gaffelen also work?
Norwegian is a V2 language: the finite verb (ligger) must be in second position. The usual neutral order is Subject-Verb-Object/Adverbial, so Gaffelen ligger på tallerkenen (S-V-Adverbial). You can start with the adverbial (På tallerkenen ligger gaffelen) to emphasize location, but you must keep ligger in the second slot, which is why the subject follows the verb then.
Do I need to repeat any article when I mention the fork or the plate again?
Once a noun is definite (with -en), you don’t add another “the.” If you refer back, you keep using gaffelen or tallerkenen. If you wanted to generalize to “a fork” or “a plate,” you’d switch back to the indefinite form (en gaffel, en tallerken).