Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Katten vasker seg om morgenen. - The cat washes itself in the morning.

katten is the definite singular form of katt. In Norwegian you mark definiteness by adding -en to masculine nouns (and -et to neuter nouns). So katt means “a cat,” while katten means “the cat.”

Why is vasker used here, and does it mean “is washing” or “washes”?

Norwegian has a single present-tense form. vasker can mean either “washes” (habitual action) or “is washing” (ongoing action) depending on context. In Katten vasker seg om morgenen, it describes a habitual action: “the cat washes itself in the morning.”

What is seg, and why is it needed in this sentence?

seg is the third-person reflexive pronoun in Norwegian. It refers back to the subject (katten) and indicates the cat is washing itself. Without seg, vasker would require an external object (e.g. vasker katten = “washes the cat,” implying someone else washes it).

How do you translate om morgenen, and why is morgenen in the definite form?