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Kjøpesenteret stenger ved midnatt, men rabatten gjelder hele dagen.

Kjøpesenteret stenger ved midnatt, men rabatten gjelder hele dagen.
The shopping mall closes at midnight, but the discount applies all day.
FromLesson 15inHardcore Norwegian
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Questions & Answers about Kjøpesenteret stenger ved midnatt, men rabatten gjelder hele dagen.

Why does kjøpesenteret have an -et ending?

kjøpesenter is a neuter noun in Norwegian. To form the definite singular (“the shopping centre”) you append -et.

  • Indefinite: et kjøpesenter (“a shopping centre”)
  • Definite: kjøpesenteret (“the shopping centre”)
What does stenger mean here, and why not use lukker?

Both stenger and lukker can translate as “close,” but they’re used differently:

  • stenger is commonly used intransitively for places or businesses closing for the day:
    • Kjøpesenteret stenger klokka 22 (“The mall closes at 10 PM”)
  • lukker is more about physically closing something (transitive):
    • Hun lukker døra (“She closes the door”)
    Here, stenger describes the mall ending its operating hours.
Why is it ved midnatt instead of på midnatt?

In Norwegian prepositions with time follow these patterns:

  • ved with precise points: ved midnatt, ved middag, ved lunsj
  • på with days/dates: på mandag, på 17. mai
    You can also say klokka midnatt or kl. 24.00, but ved midnatt is the most idiomatic for “at midnight.”
Does the conjunction men change the word order in the second clause?

No. Coordinating conjunctions like men (but), og (and), eller (or) do not trigger inversion. You keep the normal Subject–Verb–Object order:
“Kjøpesenteret stenger ved midnatt, men rabatten gjelder hele dagen.”
(Inversion happens after subordinate conjunctions like fordi, når, or when you front an adverbial.)

What does gjelder mean in rabatten gjelder hele dagen?

Here å gjelde means “to apply” or “to be valid.” In this context it’s best translated as “is valid”:
“Rabatten gjelder hele dagen” = “The discount is valid all day.”

Why is it hele dagen and not hele dag?

When hele (“whole/entire”) modifies a singular count noun, that noun must be in the definite form:

  • hele dagen (“the whole day”)
  • hele uka (“the whole week”)
    You never say hele dag.
Why is rabatten in the definite form?

Because you’re talking about a specific discount already mentioned or known in context.

  • Indefinite: en rabatt (“a discount”)
  • Definite: rabatten (“the discount”)
Could I say rabatten er gyldig hele dagen instead of rabatten gjelder hele dagen?
Yes. Rabatten er gyldig (“the discount is valid”) is perfectly correct. In ads and notices, though, gjelder is the more idiomatic verb for offers, prices and rules.