Question 1

What is the function of å in å fotografere?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 4

Why is hus unchanged in singular and plural indefinite?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

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”).

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

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”).

Jeg liker å fotografere hus.

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Master Norwegian — from Jeg liker å fotografere hus to fluency