Breakdown of Sølvringen ligger på bordet ved vinduet.
på
on
bordet
the table
vinduet
the window
ligge
to lie
Questions & Answers about Sølvringen ligger på bordet ved vinduet.
Why does sølvringen end in -en – is that the article?
In Norwegian you don’t use a separate word for “the.” Instead you add a suffix. The noun sølvring (a silver ring) becomes sølvringen (the silver ring) by attaching -en.
Why is sølvringen written as one word instead of two words like sølv ring?
Norwegian often makes compounds by joining nouns (or a noun + adjective) into a single word. Here sølv (silver) modifies ring, forming the compound sølvring. You then add the definite suffix -en to get sølvringen.
Why do bordet and vinduet end in -et and not -en like sølvringen?
bord and vindu are neuter nouns (indefinite et bord, et vindu). Neuter definite singular takes -et, hence bordet and vinduet. Masculine/feminine nouns (like ring) take -en in the definite.
Why is the verb ligger used here and how is it different from legger?
ligger is the present tense of å ligge, meaning to lie or to be located – it describes a static position. legger comes from å legge, meaning to lay or place something down – it describes an action of putting.