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Questions & Answers about Han sitter mellom Anna og Tom.
Why is the verb sitter used without er? Doesn’t Norwegian have a continuous form?
Norwegian uses the simple present to cover both the English simple (‘I sit’) and the progressive (‘I am sitting’) aspects. You say Han sitter … and never Han er sitter.
What rule determines the position of sitter after han?
Norwegian main clauses follow the “V2” rule: the finite verb must be in the second position. Here han (he) is first, so sitter (sits) comes second.
What does mellom mean, and can I use blant instead?
mellom means between and is used for exactly two entities (“between Anna and Tom”). blant (among) is used for more than two (“among friends”).
If I replace Anna og Tom with pronouns, which forms do I use?
After a preposition you must use object pronouns. So you’d say Han sitter mellom dem (them), not de. For first/second person it’s Han sitter mellom deg og meg (you and me).
Are there other verbs for expressing how someone or something is located?
Yes. Norwegian often uses posture/location verbs:
• sitte (to sit) for seated position
• stå (to stand) for upright position
• ligge (to lie) for lying-down position
Choose the verb that matches the actual posture.