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Questions & Answers about Vi kjøper nye bøker hvert år.
Why is nye inflected as nye and not ny?
In Norwegian adjectives agree in number and definiteness. After an indefinite plural noun the adjective takes an -e ending. Since bøker is the indefinite plural of bok, ny becomes nye.
Why is there no article before nye bøker?
Indefinite plural nouns in Norwegian never take an article. You simply use the plural form. If you need the definite plural you add -ene to the noun and use the definite article de: de nye bøkene (“the new books”).
Why does the verb kjøper stay the same for all persons?
Norwegian verbs do not change form for different subjects. The present tense form is identical for jeg kjøper, du kjøper, vi kjøper and so on.
What does hvert år mean and why is it at the end of the sentence?
hvert år means every year and functions as a time adverbial. Norwegian typically places time adverbials after the object in a main clause, following the SVO (subject–verb–object) plus adverbial pattern.
Why is it hvert år and not hver år?
år is a neuter noun. The word hver (‘each/every’) must agree in gender, so it becomes hvert before a neuter singular noun: hvert år. In contrast you say hver dag (‘every day’) because dag is masculine.
Can I move hvert år to the beginning of the sentence?
Yes. Norwegian follows the V2 (verb-second) rule. If you put hvert år first, the verb still comes second:
Hvert år kjøper vi nye bøker.
Why don’t we use a progressive form like “are buying” in Norwegian?
Norwegian doesn’t have a separate progressive tense. The simple present (kjøper) covers both habitual actions (we buy every year) and ongoing actions (we are buying right now), with context clarifying the meaning.
How do I make this sentence into a question: “Do we buy new books every year?”
Invert the subject and verb to form a yes/no question:
Kjøper vi nye bøker hvert år?