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”)?