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Hun er ung.

Hun er ung.
She is young.
FromLesson 13inHardcore Norwegian
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Breakdown of Hun er ung.

være
to be
hun
she
ung
young

Questions & Answers about Hun er ung.

Why is there no article before ung in Hun er ung?
Because ung here is a predicative adjective (it follows the verb er). In Norwegian, predicative adjectives never take an indefinite article. You only use an article when an adjective modifies a specific noun attributively, e.g. en ung kvinne (“a young woman”).
Why doesn’t ung change its form for feminine hun?

Adjectives only agree in gender and number when they’re attributive (in front of a noun). Predicative adjectives (after er) remain in the base form regardless of subject gender or number:

  • Attributive agreement: en ung mann (a young man) vs. et ungt barn (a young child)
  • Predicative (no agreement): Hun er ung (She is young), Barnet er ungt (The child is young)
How do you make the negative of Hun er ung?

Insert ikke (not) right after the verb:
Hun er ikke ung.
This means “She is not young.”

How do you turn Hun er ung into a question?

Apply V2 inversion by swapping the finite verb and the subject:
Er hun ung?
This literally translates to “Is she young?”

What is the pronunciation of hun?

In standard Eastern Norwegian (Bokmål) hun is pronounced [hʉːn].

  • The vowel ʉː is similar to the German ü or the French u in tu.
  • It does not rhyme with the English words “hun” or “fun.”
When do you use hun versus den or det?

• hun = 3rd person singular subject for a female person (“She …”).
• henne = object form for “her” (“I see her” = Jeg ser henne).
• den (common gender) / det (neuter) = “it” for animals, objects or ideas (“The book is old” = Den er gammel).

What is the V2 word-order rule illustrated by Hun er ung?

In Norwegian main clauses the finite verb must occupy the second position (V2):
1st position: subject (Hun)
2nd position: finite verb (er)
3rd+: the rest (ung)
If you start with an adverbial, the verb still stays second:
I dag er hun ung.

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