Læreren beskriver historien.

Breakdown of Læreren beskriver historien.

læreren
the teacher
historien
the history
beskrive
to describe
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Questions & Answers about Læreren beskriver historien.

What does the suffix -en on læreren and historien signify, and how do Norwegian definite forms work?

Norwegian often uses a postfix definite article rather than a separate word.
en lærer (a teacher) → læreren (the teacher)
ei/en historie (a story) → historien (the story)
You form the definite singular by adding -en (for masculine/feminine/common nouns) or -a (for some feminine nouns in Bokmål) to the noun’s end.

Is beskriver a simple present or a continuous tense? How does Norwegian express ongoing actions?
Beskriver is the simple present tense of å beskrive (“to describe”). Norwegian does not differentiate between simple and continuous forms in the verb itself; the same present tense serves both “describes” and “is describing.” Context or adverbs can clarify if needed (e.g., akkurat nå for “right now”).
How would you form the past tense of beskriver in this sentence?

The preterite (simple past) of å beskrive is beskrev.
• Present: Læreren beskriver historien. (The teacher describes the story.)
• Past: Læreren beskrev historien. (The teacher described the story.)
For perfect tense you use the auxiliary har + supine beskrevet: Læreren har beskrevet historien.

How do you turn Læreren beskriver historien into a yes–no question in Norwegian?

You invert the subject and the verb (the V2 rule in questions):
Beskriver læreren historien?
This literally reads “Describes the teacher the story?” but means “Does the teacher describe the story?”

Where does ikke (not) go if you want to negate the sentence?

In a main clause, ikke typically follows the finite verb:
Læreren beskriver ikke historien.
= “The teacher does not describe the story.”

What is the basic word order in Læreren beskriver historien, and does Norwegian always use SVO?
This is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), matching English. Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb appears in second position. If you start with another element (an adverb, object, etc.), the verb still stays second, pushing the subject to third.
How is Læreren beskriver historien pronounced, and where is the stress?

Approximate transcription: /ˈlæːrəɾən bəsˈkriːʋər hɪsˈtoːriɛn/
Stress falls on the first syllable of each content word:
• LÆ-re-ren
• be-SKRIV-er
• his-TOR-i-en

What’s the difference between en historie and ei historie in Bokmål?

Feminine nouns in Bokmål can take either ei or en as the indefinite article.
ei historie is the traditional feminine form.
en historie is common in speech.
Both forms share the same definite singular historien.