Breakdown of Ryggsekken bæres på ryggen, ikke i hånden.
i
in
på
on
ikke
not
bære
to carry
ryggsekken
the backpack
ryggen
the back
hånden
the hand
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Questions & Answers about Ryggsekken bæres på ryggen, ikke i hånden.
How do you pronounce ryggsekken?
Ryggsekken is pronounced approximately /ˈrʏɡ.sɛk.kən/.
- r is rolled lightly or tapped.
- y is like the German “ü” (close front rounded vowel).
- Double kk gives a hard, long stop.
- The final -en is a reduced schwa + nasal: “kən.”
What does bæres mean, and why is it in the passive voice?
- The infinitive bære means “to carry.”
- bæres is the present passive form, literally “is carried.”
- In rules and instructions, Norwegian often uses passive (no subject) to sound more formal or general:
“Ryggsekken bæres på ryggen…” → “The backpack is carried on the back…”
Why is there no possessive like min or din before ryggen or hånden?
In Norwegian, when talking about body parts with prepositions, you normally omit a possessive pronoun because it’s understood.
- på ryggen = “on (one’s) back”
- i hånden = “in (one’s) hand”
Why are ryggen and hånden in the definite form (with -en)?
After most prepositions, Norwegian uses the definite form of nouns to indicate a specific, understood object. Here you’re referring to “the back” and “the hand” of whoever is carrying the backpack.
What is the function of ikke, and why is it placed before i hånden?
ikke is the negation particle (“not”). Placing it immediately before the phrase it negates makes it clear you’re forbidding that option.
- “ikke i hånden” = “not in the hand.”
Why is there a comma before ikke i hånden?
The comma sets off a contrasting instruction, similar to English “…, not ….” It signals that you should carry the backpack one way and not the other.
What type of sentence is this? Is it an instruction, description, or something else?
It’s an impersonal, passive instruction or rule. Norwegian often drops the subject (“you” or “man”) and uses passive to tell people what should be done.
How would you rewrite this in an active voice?
You could introduce a subject, for example:
- Du bærer ryggsekken på ryggen, ikke i hånden. (“You carry the backpack on your back, not in your hand.”)
- Or more generally: Man bærer ryggsekken på ryggen, ikke i hånden.
How are compound nouns formed in Norwegian, as in ryggsekken?
Norwegian commonly joins two (or more) nouns into one word and then adds a definite ending:
- rygg (back) + sekk (bag) → ryggsekk (backpack)
- Add -en for the definite singular: ryggsekken (the backpack)
That’s why you see rygg appear twice: once as part of the compound, and once as the separate noun in the phrase “på ryggen.”