Fryseren tines en gang i året.

The freezer is defrosted once a year.

Breakdown of Fryseren tines en gang i året.

• fryseren: the freezer
• tine: to defrost
• en gang i året: once a year

Questions & Answers about Fryseren tines en gang i året.

Why is tines used instead of tine?

In Norwegian you form the passive voice by adding -s to the verb stem. So tine (to thaw/defrost) becomes tines (“is thawed/defrosted”). It’s equivalent to the English passive “is thawed.”

What type of passive is tines—definite or indefinite?

This is the indefinite passive (sometimes called the “s-passive”). There is no mention of who does the thawing; the action happens to the freezer.

Could I instead say Fryseren blir tint en gang i året?

Yes. Fryseren blir tint en gang i året is the ”bli-passive”, which also means “The freezer is thawed once a year.” Both forms are correct; the -s passive is more compact and very common in writing.

Why isn’t there an agent (like “by me” or “by someone”)?

Because it’s an indefinite passive. You omit the agent when it’s either unimportant or obvious from context. Here we focus on the event (“thawing the freezer yearly”), not who does it.

What exactly does en gang i året mean?

Literally it’s “one time in the year,” i.e. “once a year.” You can also say en gang per år or simply årlig, but en gang i året is very common in conversation.

Why is the time expression en gang i året placed at the end of the sentence?

In Norwegian main clauses, adverbials of time/place/manner usually go after the verb (and object, if there is one). Since the verb here is in passive and there’s no object, the time phrase naturally falls at the end.

What is the gender and form of fryseren?

Fryser is a masculine noun (en fryser). Adding -en makes it definite singular: fryseren = “the freezer.”

Could I make this sentence active, e.g. Jeg tiner fryseren en gang i året?

Yes, that’s perfectly grammatical: I thaw the freezer once a year. But if you don’t care who does it, the passive tines is more natural.

Is there a difference between tine and avrime?

Slightly. Tine means “thaw/defrost” (the ice melts). Avrime specifically means “remove ice,” often by scraping or wiping. In everyday speech both are used about defrosting a freezer.