Breakdown of Tom sitter på stolen til venstre for Anna.
Anna
Anna
Tom
Tom
på
on
sitte
to sit
for
of
stolen
the chair
til venstre
to the left
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Questions & Answers about Tom sitter på stolen til venstre for Anna.
Why is stolen used instead of stol?
Stolen is the definite singular form of stol. In Norwegian, you indicate "the X" by adding a suffix to the noun:
- stol = a chair
- stolen = the chair
Since Tom is sitting on a specific chair, you need the definite form.
Why do we say på stolen for "on the chair"?
The verb sitte ("to sit") typically pairs with på when referring to seating furniture:
- på stolen (on the chair)
- på en benk (on a bench)
If you enter an enclosed space, like a car or a boat, you use i (e.g. i bilen, i båten).
What does til venstre for mean and how is it constructed?
Til venstre for is a set phrase meaning to the left of. Literally:
- til = to
- venstre = left
- for = of
Together they locate something relative to another object: X til venstre for Y = X is to the left of Y.
Why isn't there a continuous tense like "is sitting"?
Norwegian does not have a separate continuous aspect. The simple present sitter covers both:
- habitual actions: jeg sitter ofte her (I often sit here)
- ongoing actions: jeg sitter nå (I am sitting now)
Context tells you which meaning applies.
Why is there no article before Anna?
Proper names in Norwegian are used without articles, just like in English. You simply say Anna, never en Anna or den Anna.
Could you rearrange to Tom sitter til venstre for Anna på stolen? Does it still work?
You can move the entire location phrase around, but keeping på stolen til venstre for Anna together sounds most natural. Splitting it might cause momentary confusion:
- Preferred: Tom sitter på stolen til venstre for Anna
- Less natural: Tom sitter til venstre for Anna på stolen
Can we omit til and say venstre for Anna?
Yes. In informal contexts, Norwegians sometimes say venstre for Anna, but the full idiomatic form is til venstre for Anna.
How do you know the gender of stol to form stolen?
In Bokmål, most nouns ending in a consonant are masculine and take -en in the definite singular. A dictionary will list stol as masculine, or you can practice common noun endings:
- Masculine → -en
- Feminine → -a or -en
- Neuter → -et