Tom lurer på om lommeboken min alltid er så rotete.

to be

Breakdown of Tom lurer på om lommeboken min alltid er så rotete.

• Tom: Tom
• min: my
• så: so

Questions & Answers about Tom lurer på om lommeboken min alltid er så rotete.

What does lurer på mean, and how is it used in this sentence?

lurer på is the present tense of the verb å lure på, which literally means “to wonder on/about.” In English we’d simply say “to wonder.” Here, Tom lurer på translates as “Tom wonders” or “Tom is wondering.”

Why is there an om after lurer på, and what role does it play?

The word om introduces a subordinate clause meaning “whether” or “if.” When you use å lure på to express “wondering whether…,” you follow it with om. So Tom lurer på om … = “Tom wonders whether…”

Why is the possessive min placed after lommeboken, instead of before it?

In Norwegian you normally put possessive pronouns after the noun: lommeboken min literally “the wallet my,” which is equivalent to English “my wallet.” You can say min lommebok if you want to emphasize “my” over “wallet,” but the unmarked, everyday order is lommeboken min.

Why does lommeboken already have a definite ending -en if min also marks possession?