Jeg fyller badekaret med varmt vann.

I fill the bathtub with warm water.

Breakdown of Jeg fyller badekaret med varmt vann.

• jeg: I
• vannet: the water
• med: with
• varm: warm
• fylle: to fill
• badekaret: the bathtub

Questions & Answers about Jeg fyller badekaret med varmt vann.

Why is badekaret used here instead of badekar?

badekaret is the definite singular form of badekar (bathtub). In Norwegian Bokmål, you add a suffix to the noun to make it definite. Since badekar is a neuter noun, you add -et at the end to get badekaret, meaning “the bathtub.”

Why is there no article before varmt vann?

vann (water) is an uncountable (mass) noun in this context, so you don’t need an article when speaking about it generally. Saying varmt vann simply means “hot water” in an indefinite sense. If you wanted to make it definite, you could say det varme vannet (“the hot water”).

Why does the adjective varmt end with -t?

In Norwegian, adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. vann is neuter gender. In the indefinite singular neuter form, you add -t to the adjective stem, so varm becomes varmt before vann.

Why do we use the preposition med in this sentence?

The verb fylle (to fill) takes a direct object (the thing you fill) and then the content with med (with). So you fill badekaret (bathtub) med varmt vann (with hot water). Without med, the sentence would be incomplete: you need a marker to show what you’re filling the tub with.

What tense is fyller, and how is it formed?

fyller is the present tense of å fylle (to fill). Norwegian has only one present form, and it covers both the simple present (“I fill”) and the English progressive (“I am filling”). fylle is a regular (weak) verb, so you add -er to the stem for the present tense: fylle → fyller.

What is the basic word order in Jeg fyller badekaret med varmt vann?

This is a standard main clause in Bokmål following the SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) pattern plus any adverbials or prepositional phrases after the object. You have:

1. Subject: Jeg
2. Finite verb: fyller
3. Direct object: badekaret
4. Prepositional phrase: med varmt vann

Also note the V2 rule: the finite verb (fyller) stays in second position, right after the subject when the subject is first.

How would you say “I’m running a bath” in Norwegian? Is it the same as fylle badekaret?

Yes, å fylle badekaret literally means “to fill the bathtub,” and you can use Jeg fyller badekaret to mean “I’m running a bath.” Another common expression is å sette på badet (literally “to set on the bath”) or å tappe vann (“to tap water”). For example: Jeg setter på badet nå or Jeg tapper opp et bad.

What’s the difference between fylle badekaret and fylle opp badekaret?

Adding opp (up) in fylle opp emphasises filling something completely or to a certain level.

• fylle badekaret can simply mean “fill the bathtub.”
• fylle opp badekaret suggests “fill the bathtub up” (to the brim or to a set amount). In everyday speech, they’re often interchangeable, but opp adds that nuance of completion.