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Questions & Answers about Hun kutter potetene til suppen.
What tense is kutter in and how does it relate to English present tenses?
kutter is the present tense of å kutte. Norwegian has a single present tense that covers both the English simple present (she cuts) and present continuous (she is cutting).
Why is potetene used instead of poteter?
poteter is the plural indefinite form (potatoes), while potetene is the plural definite form (the potatoes). Norwegian expresses the definite article as a suffix on the noun rather than a separate word.
What does the preposition til indicate in til suppen? Could you use for instead?
Here til means “intended for” or “for the purpose of.” You use til to link something to its purpose (potatoes destined for soup). for suppen would not convey the same meaning in Norwegian.
Why is suppen written with a suffix rather than using a separate word for “the soup”?
In Norwegian, you attach the definite article to the noun as a suffix. So suppe is soup, en suppe is a soup, and suppen is the soup.
Can you drop the preposition and say Hun kutter potetene suppen?
No. You must include til to show the relationship between potetene and suppen. Without til, the sentence is ungrammatical.
Why is the pronoun hun used instead of henne?
hun is the subject pronoun (she). henne is the object pronoun (her). Since the pronoun is the subject of kutter, you must use hun.
Can kutter be replaced by skjærer, and what’s the difference?
Yes, you could say Hun skjærer potetene til suppen, but skjærer (from å skjære) usually means “to slice,” while kutter (from å kutte) often implies “to chop” into pieces.
How would you say sentence when you mean soup in general, not a specific soup?
Use indefinite forms: Hun kutter poteter til suppe.