Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Personalet hjelper deg med bagasjen på flyplassen. - The staff helps you with the luggage at the airport.

Personalet means “the staff” or “the personnel.” The indefinite form is personale (staff/personnel). In Norwegian neuter nouns, adding -et to the indefinite form makes it definite (equivalent to “the …”).

Why isn’t there a separate article like en or et before personalet?

Because personalet already has the definite ending -et. In Norwegian, you don’t use a separate definite article (en/et) when the noun itself carries the -en/-et ending.

Why does personalet take the verb hjelper (third‐person singular) and not a plural form?

Norwegian verbs don’t change between singular and plural in the present tense. Hjelper is the present form for all persons (jeg hjelper, du hjelper, de hjelper). Also, personalet is treated as a collective singular (“the staff as one unit”), so hjelper fits naturally.

Why is deg used here instead of du?

Du is the subject form (“you” as the doer), while deg is the object form (“you” as the one receiving the action). Since personalet is helping you, you are the object, so we use deg.

Why do we say hjelper deg med bagasjen? Why is med needed?

In Norwegian, the verb hjelpe (“to help”) requires the preposition med when followed by the thing you’re being helped with. So it’s always hjelpe noen med noe (“help someone with something”).

Why is bagasjen in the definite form? What is its indefinite form?

Bagasjen means “the baggage.” The indefinite (general) form is bagasje (“baggage”). Here we use the definite because both speaker and listener know which baggage is meant (your baggage).

Can bagasje be plural in Norwegian?

Normally bagasje is an uncountable (mass) noun, so it doesn’t have a plural form. You wouldn’t say bagasjer; you’d refer to individual items as koffert(er) (“suitcase(s)”) if you need a countable form.

Why is it på flyplassen and not i flyplassen?

In Norwegian, på is used for being “at” or “on” many locations (including airports, stations, schools). So på flyplassen = “at the airport.” I flyplassen would imply being physically inside the building and isn’t the standard way to express “at the airport.”

Why is flyplassen in the definite form?

Flyplassen means “the airport.” Since the context is that you’re at a specific airport (the one you’re traveling through), you use the definite form with -en.

How does the word order work in this sentence?

Norwegian follows the V2 rule: the finite verb (hjelper) must be in the second position. Here, the subject (Personalet) is first, the verb (hjelper) is second, then object (deg), followed by adverbial phrases (med bagasjen på flyplassen).