Breakdown of Hun sier at problemet med smarttelefonen er batteriet.
være
to be
hun
she
med
with
at
that
si
to say
batteriet
the battery
smarttelefonen
the smartphone
problemet
the problem
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Questions & Answers about Hun sier at problemet med smarttelefonen er batteriet.
What does sier mean in this sentence?
sier is the present tense of å si (“to say”). So Hun sier … translates as She says …
What is the function of at here?
at is a subordinating conjunction meaning that in English. It introduces the clause at problemet med smarttelefonen er batteriet (“that the problem with the smartphone is the battery”).
Can you omit at in a sentence like this?
Yes. After verbs of communication (like sier, mener, tror), Norwegian speakers often drop at in casual speech and writing.
Example: Hun sier problemet med smarttelefonen er batteriet.
Why is er placed after problemet med smarttelefonen and not immediately after at?
In Norwegian subordinate clauses introduced by at, the finite verb follows the subject rather than the conjunction. Here the subject of the clause is problemet med smarttelefonen, so the verb er appears directly after that subject.
What does problemet mean, and why the -et ending?
problemet is the problem.
• problem is a neuter noun (indefinite et problem).
• To make it definite, you add the enclitic article -et, yielding problemet.
What role does med play in problemet med smarttelefonen?
med is the preposition with. It links problemet (“the problem”) to smarttelefonen (“the smartphone”), giving the problem with the smartphone.
Why is smarttelefonen one word, and why the -en ending?
smarttelefon is a compound noun (smart + telefon). It’s a common-gender noun (indefinite en smarttelefon). To form the definite singular, you add -en, giving smarttelefonen (“the smartphone”).
What does batteriet mean, and why the -et ending?
batteriet means the battery.
• batteri is a neuter noun (indefinite et batteri).
• Adding -et makes it definite: batteriet.
Could you swap the clause elements and say Hun sier at batteriet er problemet med smarttelefonen?
Yes, that is grammatically correct and means the same thing. You’re simply putting the battery first as the subject of the clause. The emphasis shifts slightly, but both word orders are acceptable.