Breakdown of Den unge forskeren er redd for å miste sine ressurser før prosjektet er ferdig.
være
to be
å
to
før
before
for
for
miste
to lose
prosjektet
the project
den
the
redd
afraid
forskeren
the researcher
ressursen
the resource
sin
his
ung
young
ferdig
finished
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Questions & Answers about Den unge forskeren er redd for å miste sine ressurser før prosjektet er ferdig.
Why is it den unge forskeren instead of en ung forsker?
Den unge forskeren is the definite form (“the young researcher”), pointing to a specific person already known or introduced. En ung forsker would be the indefinite form (“a young researcher”), used when you’re talking about any researcher, not a particular one.
Why does unge end with -e?
When an adjective comes before a definite noun introduced by den/det/de, it takes the -e ending. Here den makes forsker(en) definite, so ung becomes unge.
What does redd for mean? It looks like “red for.”
In Norwegian redd means “afraid” or “scared.” The combination redd for means “afraid of.” So er redd for å miste = “is afraid of losing.”
Why is there for before å miste? Wouldn’t å miste be enough?
Some verbs (like være redd) use for å before the infinitive to show what you’re afraid of. It’s not the same as the English “for”; it’s a fixed pattern meaning “of (doing something).” You need both: redd for å miste.
Why does it say sine ressurser instead of hans ressurser?
Sine is a reflexive possessive pronoun referring back to the subject of the sentence (the researcher). It means “his/her own.” You use sine when the possessor is the subject. Hans could refer to someone else’s resources, but sine makes it clear it’s the researcher’s own.
How does før prosjektet er ferdig fit into the word order rules?
Før is a subordinating conjunction (“before”). In subordinate clauses, Norwegian follows a subject–verb order, so you get prosjektet er rather than er prosjektet.
What does ferdig mean, and why not use a verb like “complete” directly?
Ferdig is an adjective meaning “finished” or “completed.” The construction er ferdig (“is finished”) is common for stating that something has reached completion. You could use a verb phrase like blir ferdig (“becomes finished”), but er ferdig simply describes its current state.
Could you say før prosjektet blir ferdig instead?
Yes. Blir ferdig focuses more on the process of becoming finished (“before the project becomes finished”), whereas er ferdig emphasizes the state of being finished. Both are correct, just a slight nuance difference.