Vi låser datamaskinen med et langt passord.

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Breakdown of Vi låser datamaskinen med et langt passord.

• et: a
• med: with
• lang: long

Questions & Answers about Vi låser datamaskinen med et langt passord.

Why is datamaskinen in the definite form here, instead of just datamaskin?

We use the definite form because we’re referring to a specific computer that’s already understood in the context. In Norwegian you make a common‐gender noun definite by adding -en. So datamaskin (a computer) becomes datamaskinen (the computer).

Why do we use et with passord, and not en?

Passord is a neuter (intetkjønn) noun in Norwegian. Neuter nouns take et as their indefinite article. Thus et passord means “a password.”

Why does the adjective langt have a -t ending?

In Norwegian, adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. For a neuter singular noun in the indefinite form, you add -t to the adjective. Here passord is neuter, so lang becomes langt to agree: et langt passord.

Why is the preposition med used before et langt passord? Could we use another preposition?

Med expresses the instrument or means by which something is done—just like English “with.” We lock the computer with a password. Other prepositions like på or i wouldn’t convey the idea of “using an instrument.”