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Tannkremen smaker mint når hun pusser med tannbørsten.

Tannkremen smaker mint når hun pusser med tannbørsten.
The toothpaste tastes like mint when she brushes with the toothbrush.
FromLesson 20inHardcore Norwegian
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Questions & Answers about Tannkremen smaker mint når hun pusser med tannbørsten.

What does the ending -en in tannkremen signify?

The -en suffix is the definite article in Norwegian for common-gender (masculine/feminine) nouns.
• tannkrem = “toothpaste” (indefinite)
• tannkremen = “the toothpaste” (definite)

Why is there no preposition before mint in smaker mint?

In Norwegian the verb å smake (to taste) can take its object directly. You say “smaker noe” (tastes something) without av.
• Correct: Tannkremen smaker mint (“The toothpaste tastes mint.”)
• You could also say smaker av mint, but it’s less common and more formal.

Why do we use når instead of da for “when” here?

• når is used for general, habitual or future time clauses (“whenever,” “when someone does something regularly”).
• da is used for a specific past event (“when she did X that one time”).

Since this sentence describes what generally happens whenever she brushes, we use når.

What’s the word order in the subordinate clause når hun pusser med tannbørsten?

In Norwegian subordinate clauses introduced by a conjunction (here når):

  1. Conjunction (når)
  2. Subject (hun)
  3. Verb (pusser)
  4. Remaining elements (med tannbørsten)

This differs from English, which often puts the verb after the subject but doesn’t always rigidly follow V2 or V3 rules.

Why is there a med before tannbørsten?

med means “with” and indicates the instrument used:
• pusse med tannbørsten = “brush with the toothbrush.”

In Norwegian you normally use med + [instrument] to show what tool you’re using.

Why isn’t there a possessive pronoun before tannbørsten? (“her toothbrush”)

The definite form tannbørsten (“the toothbrush”) plus context makes it clear it’s her own. Norwegians often drop sin/hennes when it’s obvious:
• hun pusser seg med tannbørsten implicitly means her toothbrush.

If you want to be explicit, you could say sin tannbørste.

What is the gender of tannkrem, and how do you form its indefinite/definite?

• tannkrem is a common-gender noun (sometimes called masculine).
• Indefinite singular: en tannkrem (rare in practice – you often just say tannkrem)
• Definite singular: tannkremen (adds -en)
• Indefinite plural: tannkremer
• Definite plural: tannkremene

Can we move the når clause to the front? (“When she brushes with the toothbrush, the toothpaste tastes mint.”)

Yes. In Norwegian you can front the time clause, but the main clause still follows V2 (verb‐second) order:
• Når hun pusser med tannbørsten, smaker tannkremen mint.
Here smaker stays in position 2, right after the comma-clause.