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Alle trenger en venn.

Alle trenger en venn.
Everyone needs a friend.
FromLesson 12inHardcore Norwegian
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Breakdown of Alle trenger en venn.

en
a
trenge
to need
vennen
the friend
alle
everyone
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Questions & Answers about Alle trenger en venn.

What is the role of Alle in this sentence, and when do you use it?

Alle is an indefinite pronoun meaning everyone or all. Here, it’s the subject: Everyone needs a friend.

  • As everyone, it stands alone (no noun after it).
  • To say “all people,” you’d use alle
    • plural noun (e.g. alle mennesker = all people).
Why is there no å before trenger, unlike English “need to”?

In Norwegian, trenger can be a transitive verb taking a direct object, so you say trenger en venn (need a friend).

  • If you want “need to do something,” you add å before the infinitive: trenger å gjøre noe (need to do something).
Why is the object singular (en venn) and not plural (venner)?

Using the singular with an indefinite article makes a general statement about a type of person: Everyone needs a friend.

  • Alle trenger venner (plural) is also correct but implies friends in general, not the “one friend” idea.
What gender is venn, and which articles does it take?

venn is a common‐gender (historically masculine) noun in Bokmål.

  • Indefinite singular: en venn
  • Definite singular: vennen
  • Indefinite plural: venner
  • Definite plural: vennene
What is the basic word order here?

Norwegian follows Subject‐Verb‐Object (SVO) in main clauses.

  • Subject: Alle
  • Verb: trenger
  • Object: en venn
    So Alle trenger en venn is standard SVO.
What is the infinitive, present, and past tense of trenge?
  • Infinitive: å trenge (to need)
  • Present: trenger (need/needs)
  • Past: trengte (needed)
  • Perfect: har trengt (have/has needed)
How would you say “I need a friend” or “You need a friend” in Norwegian?
  • I need a friend: Jeg trenger en venn
  • You need a friend: Du trenger en venn
What’s the difference between trenger and mangler?
  • trenge: “to need” (active; you require something)
  • mangle: “to lack” or “to be missing” (focuses on absence)
    Example: Jeg trenger en venn (I need a friend) vs. Jeg mangler en venn (I’m missing a friend).
How do you pronounce Alle trenger en venn?

Roughly:

  • Alle: /ˈɑlːə/ (“AH-leh”)
  • trenger: /ˈtrɛŋːər/ (“TREN-ger,” with a hard g)
  • en venn: /ɛn ˈvɛn/ (“en VEN”)
Could you front another element and still keep correct word order?

Yes. Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb is always in second position. If you start with something other than the subject, the subject moves after the verb.
Example:

  • I dag trenger alle en venn. (Today everyone needs a friend.)
    – I dag (adverbial) – trenger (verb) – alle (subject) – en venn (object).