Hun tar på seg hatten før hun går ut.

She puts on her hat before she goes out.

Breakdown of Hun tar på seg hatten før hun går ut.

• hun: she
• før: before
• gå ut: to go out
• hatten: the hat
• ta på seg: to put on

Questions & Answers about Hun tar på seg hatten før hun går ut.

What does tar på seg mean?

Tar på seg is the present-tense form of the reflexive verb å ta på seg, which literally breaks down as ta (take) + på (on) + seg (oneself). Together it means to put on (one’s own clothes or accessories).

Why do we need seg in this phrase?

Without seg, å ta på simply means “to put something onto something else.” Adding the reflexive pronoun seg specifies that the action is done to oneself—i.e. you’re putting the hat on your own head.

Why is hatten in the definite form (with –en ending) instead of en hatt?

Norwegian often uses the definite form when it’s clear whose item you’re talking about. Saying hatten (“the hat”) implies “her hat” in context. You don’t need a separate possessive pronoun if the ownership is obvious.

Why isn’t there a possessive pronoun (like “hennes”) before hatten?

In many situations, Norwegian drops explicit possessive pronouns when the context makes ownership clear. The definite ending –en on hatten shows it’s a specific hat (in this case, hers). Adding hennes would sound redundant.

What is før in this sentence and how does it affect word order?

Før is a subordinating conjunction meaning before. In subordinate clauses introduced by før, the normal order is subject + verb (SVO), not the V2 word order you see in main clauses.

Why is it før hun går ut and not før går hun ut?

Because in subordinate clauses (those introduced by words like før), Norwegian uses standard SVO order: før + subject + verb. The V2 rule (verb-second) applies only in main clauses.

What part of speech is ut and why does it come after går?

Ut is an adverb meaning out. In Norwegian, adverbial particles (like inn, ut, opp) usually follow the verb, just like English “go out.”

Can I say Hun tar hatten på seg instead of Hun tar på seg hatten?

Yes. Å ta på seg is a separable verb phrase, so you can place the object either after seg or between tar and på. Both
• Hun tar på seg hatten
• Hun tar hatten på seg
are grammatically correct and carry the same meaning.