På soverommet har vi både en ny datamaskin og et stort skrivebord.

In the bedroom we have both a new computer and a large desk.

Breakdown of På soverommet har vi både en ny datamaskin og et stort skrivebord.

• ha: to have
• en: a
• vi: we
• et: a
• og: and
• ny: new
• på: in
• stor: large
• både: both
• datamaskinen: the computer
• soverommet: the bedroom
• skrivebordet: the desk

Questions & Answers about På soverommet har vi både en ny datamaskin og et stort skrivebord.

Why is har placed before vi in På soverommet har vi … instead of På soverommet vi har …?

Norwegian clauses follow the V2 (verb‐second) rule. That means the finite verb must occupy the second slot in a main clause. Here’s how it works in your sentence:

• Slot 1: På soverommet (adverbial/prepositional phrase)
• Slot 2: har (finite verb)
• Slot 3: vi (subject)

If you started with vi, you’d get Vi har på soverommet …, which is also correct but shifts the emphasis onto “we” rather than “the bedroom.”

Why do we use på soverommet to mean “in the bedroom” rather than i soverommet?

Although English uses in, Norwegian often uses på for rooms and certain enclosed places. Common idiomatic examples:

• på rommet mitt (“in my room”)
• på kjøkkenet (“in the kitchen”)

You can technically say i soverommet, but på soverommet is the far more natural way to express “in the bedroom.”

What exactly is soverommet, and why does it end in -et?

soverommet = the bedroom

• soverom is the indefinite form: “a bedroom.”
• To form the definite singular of a neuter noun in Bokmål, you add -et:
  soverom → soverommet

Neuter nouns attach their definite article as a suffix rather than using a separate word.

Why is the first noun phrase en ny datamaskin and not et ny datamaskin?

Norwegian nouns have grammatical gender: common (en) or neuter (et).

• datamaskin is a common‐gender noun, so it takes the indefinite article en.
• The adjective ny follows the agreement pattern for common‐gender indefinite singular (no ending).

Hence: en ny datamaskin (“a new computer”).

Why is the second noun phrase et stort skrivebord and not en stort skrivebord?

skrivebord (“desk”) is a neuter‐gender noun, so:

• Indefinite article: et
• Noun: skrivebord
• Adjective: when a neuter noun is modified in the indefinite singular, the adjective takes -t → stor → stort

Thus: et stort skrivebord (“a large desk”).

Why does ny not get a -t ending, while stor becomes stort?

Adjectives in Norwegian agree with the gender and definiteness of the noun they modify:

• Indefinite singular common gender → no ending
• Indefinite singular neuter gender → -t
• Indefinite plural & all definite forms → -e

In your sentence:

• ny modifies a common‐gender noun (datamaskin) → stays ny
• stort modifies a neuter noun (skrivebord) → takes -t

How does the både … og … construction work?

både … og … corresponds to English both … and …. Key points:

• Place både immediately before the first item.
• Place og immediately before the second item.
• Each item remains a full noun phrase with its own article and adjective.

Example:
både en ny datamaskin og et stort skrivebord

How would you change the sentence if I wanted to say there are two computers and two desks?

You need to:

1. Insert the numeral (to = “two”).
2. Use plural indefinite noun forms.
3. Use the -e ending on adjectives in the plural.

Result:
På soverommet har vi både to nye datamaskiner og to store skrivebord.

Any tips for remembering whether a noun is en or et?

Unfortunately gender is often arbitrary, but you can:

• Always learn the noun together with its article (e.g., en mus, et hus).
• Watch for patterns:
  
  • Many nouns ending in -e are en (en jente, en rolle).
  • A fair number of compound nouns (verb+noun) are et (et skrivebord, et vindu), but with exceptions.
• Keep a two‐column vocab list (en … / et …).
• Use a dictionary that marks gender (m/f = en, n = et).

Over time, frequent exposure will make gender feel more natural.