Breakdown of Denne øvelsen er nødvendig for god helse.
være
to be
god
good
for
for
denne
this
helsen
the health
øvelsen
the exercise
nødvendig
necessary
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Questions & Answers about Denne øvelsen er nødvendig for god helse.
What is the function of Denne in this sentence, and why can’t we use Dette or Disse instead?
Denne is a demonstrative determiner meaning “this” for singular common-gender nouns. Øvelse (exercise) is common gender in Norwegian Bokmål, so you use Denne øvelsen (“this exercise”).
- Dette is for singular neuter nouns (e.g. dette huset “this house”).
- Disse is for all genders in the plural (e.g. disse bøkene “these books”).
Why is øvelsen spelled with -en at the end?
In Bokmål, you add -en to a common-gender noun to form the definite singular.
- øvelse = “exercise” (indefinite)
- øvelsen = “the exercise” (definite)
Why doesn’t nødvendig change form with gender or number here?
Here nødvendig is used predicatively after the linking verb er. Predicative adjectives in Norwegian remain in their base form (no -t or -e). If you used it attributively before a noun, it would still stay nødvendig in an indefinite common‐gender context (e.g. en nødvendig øvelse). Only definite forms or neuter indefinite attributive forms get extra endings.
Why is the preposition for used after nødvendig? Could we use til?
The fixed collocation is nødvendig for when expressing “necessary for” something. Til would not sound natural in this context. So you say nødvendig for god helse to mean “necessary for good health.”
Should there be an article before god helse, like en god helse?
No. Helse (“health”) is an uncountable, abstract noun here. In Norwegian you omit the article when speaking about health in general: god helse = “good health.” Adding en would imply a single, countable instance, which doesn’t fit this meaning.
Can we omit Denne and simply say Øvelsen er nødvendig for god helse?
Yes. Øvelsen er nødvendig for god helse means “The exercise is necessary for good health.” Using Denne emphasizes “this particular exercise,” perhaps one you’ve just demonstrated or discussed.
How do you pronounce øvelsen and nødvendig?
- øvelsen: The ø sounds like the vowel in English “bird” (without the r). Stress on the first syllable: ØV-el-sen.
- nødvendig: Same ø sound; the dd is like an English “d.” Stress on the first syllable: NØDV-en-dig.