Barna løper ned bakken.

the child

Breakdown of Barna løper ned bakken.

• løpe: to run
• ned: down
• bakken: the hill

Questions & Answers about Barna løper ned bakken.

What does Barna mean? Why the -a ending?

Barna is the definite plural form of barn (child). In Norwegian Bokmål you mark the definite plural by adding -a (or sometimes -ene), so barna means the children.

How do you form the present tense of å løpe? Why is it løper?

The infinitive å løpe (to run) becomes løper in the present tense by adding -r. So løper can translate as runs or is running, depending on context.

What role does ned play in this sentence? Is it a preposition?

Ned is a directional adverb (particle) meaning down. It follows the verb to show movement downward. It’s not a preposition in the traditional sense and doesn’t require an object marker.

Why is bakken written with -en at the end? What does it mean?

The base word bakke means hill (indefinite singular). Adding -en marks the definite singular in Bokmål, so bakken means the hill.

Why is there no article like the before hill, as in English?