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Bilen er blå.

Bilen er blå.
The car is blue.
FromLesson 13inHardcore Norwegian
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Breakdown of Bilen er blå.

være
to be
bilen
the car
blå
blue
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Questions & Answers about Bilen er blå.

What is the function of -en in bilen?
-en is the definite singular suffix for common-gender nouns in Bokmål. Instead of a separate word for “the,” Norwegian tacks -en onto bil (car), giving bilen (“the car”).
How would you say a car instead of the car?

Use the indefinite article en before the noun:
en bil = “a car.”

What gender is bil, and why does it matter for the article?

In Bokmål, bil is a common-gender noun (often called masculine). That means:
• Indefinite singular: en bil (“a car”)
• Definite singular: bil + en → bilen (“the car”)

Why doesn’t blå have an ending like blått or blåe in bilen er blå?
Here blå is used predicatively (it follows the linking verb er/“is”). Predicative adjectives in Norwegian remain uninflected for gender, number or definiteness, so you just say blå.
How would you turn Bilen er blå into a yes/no question?

Invert the verb and subject:
Er bilen blå? = “Is the car blue?”

How do you refer back to bilen with “it”?

Use the common-gender pronoun den. For example:
Bilen er blå. Den er nyvasket.
= “The car is blue. It is freshly washed.”

How can you say “my car is blue”?

Attach the possessive after the noun in its definite form:
bilen min er blå = “my car is blue.”

How would you say “the cars are blue” (plural)?

Definite plural of bil is bilene, so:
Bilene er blå. = “The cars are blue.”
(General statement “Cars are blue” would be Biler er blå.)

How is blå pronounced in Norwegian?
blå is pronounced [blɔː], with the vowel similar to the “aw” in English “law” (but held shorter). So bilen er blå sounds roughly like BEE-len air blaw.
How do you say “the blue car” with the adjective before the noun?

Use the demonstrative den + adjective + definite noun suffix:
den blå bilen = “the blue car.”
(Note: attributive adjectives in a definite phrase normally take -e, but blå is one of the few adjectives that stays the same here.)