Jeg liker å fotografere hus.

I like to photograph houses.

Breakdown of Jeg liker å fotografere hus.

• jeg: I
• huset: the house
• å: to
• like: to like
• fotografere: to photograph

Questions & Answers about Jeg liker å fotografere hus.

What is the function of å in å fotografere?

å is the infinitive marker in Norwegian, equivalent to English to. It always precedes a verb in its basic (infinitive) form unless it follows a modal verb.

Why can å sometimes be omitted before the infinitive (e.g., after modal verbs)?

After modal verbs like kan, må, vil, skal, etc., Norwegian drops the infinitive marker:
– Jeg kan fotografere hus (“I can photograph houses”).
But with verbs such as liker, begynner, håper, you must keep å before the next verb.

Why is there no article before hus in Jeg liker å fotografere hus?

Because hus here is in the plural indefinite form. In Norwegian, plural indefinite nouns stand alone without et/ei/en or de—just like English “I like to photograph houses,” with no the or a.

Why is hus unchanged in singular and plural indefinite?

Hus is a neuter noun with a zero plural ending in the indefinite:
– Singular indefinite: et hus
– Plural indefinite: hus
Neuter nouns often have this zero ending pattern.

How would I say “I like to photograph a house” or “I like to photograph the houses”?

To specify singular indefinite, add et (neuter article):
– Jeg liker å fotografere et hus (“a house”).
To specify definite plural, add the suffix -ene:
– Jeg liker å fotografere husene (“the houses”).

Could I use ta bilder av hus instead of fotografere hus? How does that construction work?

Yes. Å ta bilder av hus literally means “to take pictures of houses.” Note the required preposition av:
– Jeg liker å ta bilder av hus.

Why doesn’t fotografere need a preposition but ta bilder does?

Fotografere is a transitive verb that directly takes its object (like eat in English). Ta bilder is a verb-noun combination (“take pictures”), so it needs av to link bilder to its object.

What is the gender of hus, and how does that affect other forms?

Hus is neuter. That means:
– Indefinite singular: et hus
– Definite singular: huset
– Indefinite plural: hus
– Definite plural: husene
Adjectives before a neuter noun also take a weak neuter ending: et lite hus (“a small house”).