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Gulvet støvsuges hver helg for å fjerne støv.

Gulvet støvsuges hver helg for å fjerne støv.
The floor is vacuumed every weekend to remove dust.
FromLesson 20inHardcore Norwegian
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Questions & Answers about Gulvet støvsuges hver helg for å fjerne støv.

Why is støvsuges used instead of støvsuger?

støvsuges is the present passive form of the verb støvsuge (“to vacuum”). In Norwegian you can form the passive in two main ways:

  • By adding -s to the infinitive or present tense:
    • active: hun støvsuger gulvet (she vacuums the floor)
    • passive: gulvet støvsuges (the floor is vacuumed)
  • Or with bli
    • past participle:
      • gulvet blir støvsugd hver helg
Where does the time expression hver helg go, and can it move?

In the default main‐clause word order (Subject–Verb–Adverbial–Object), you place a time adverbial like hver helg right after the verb:
• gulvet støvsuges hver helg …
You can also front the time expression for emphasis (Verb second still applies):
• Hver helg støvsuges gulvet …

How does for å fjerne støv express purpose, and why for å?

When the subject of the main clause and the purpose clause is the same, Norwegian uses for å + infinitive:
• gulvet støvsuges hver helg for å fjerne støv
Here for signals “in order to” and å marks the infinitive fjerne.
If the subjects differ, you switch to for at + subjunctive:
• Han jobber for at familien skal ha det bra.

Why is gulvet in the definite form?
Gulvet means “the floor” – a specific floor you have in mind. Norwegian makes a noun definite by adding a suffix (here -et). If you said et gulv, it would mean “a floor” in general, not “the floor.”
Why isn’t there any article before støv?
Støv is an uncountable or mass noun (“dust”). Just like in English (“dust” without “a”), you talk about it in general without an article. If you wanted to single out specific dust, you could say det støvet, but here it’s dust in general.
Could I rephrase the sentence actively, for example using man?

Yes. To avoid the passive you can use the impersonal pronoun man or a clear subject:
• Man støvsuger gulvet hver helg for å fjerne støv.
• Vi støvsuger gulvet hver helg for å fjerne støv.

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