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Barna løper ned bakken.

Barna løper ned bakken.
The children run down the hill.
FromLesson 18inHardcore Norwegian
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Breakdown of Barna løper ned bakken.

barnet
the child
løpe
to run
ned
down
bakken
the hill
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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?
In Norwegian you don’t use a separate word for the. Instead, definiteness is shown by adding a suffix to the noun itself (-en, -a, -et, etc.).
Could you say nedover bakken instead of ned bakken?
Yes. Nedover also means downwards. Both Barna løper ned bakken and Barna løper nedover bakken are correct and essentially equivalent, though nedover places a bit more emphasis on the motion.
Is å løpe a transitive verb? Is bakken its object?
No. Å løpe is intransitive and doesn’t take a direct object. Ned bakken is an adverbial phrase indicating direction, not an object.
Why is the word order Subject – Verb – adverbial – noun here?
Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb appears in second position. So you get Subject (Barna), Verb (løper), then any adverbial (ned), and finally the noun phrase (bakken).
How would you say the children ran down the hill in the past tense?
Change løper to its past tense løp: Barna løp ned bakken. You still don’t need de (they) because barna is already the subject.