Questions & Answers about Hagen dufter av blomster om morgenen.
Why is hagen in the definite form rather than just hage?
In Norwegian you mark definiteness by adding a suffix. Hage means “a garden,” while hagen means “the garden.” Here the speaker refers to a specific garden, so the definite form hagen is used.
What does the phrase dufte av mean, and why do we use av?
Dufte av literally means “to smell of” or “to give off the scent of.” The verb dufte requires the preposition av to introduce the source of the fragrance. Thus hagen dufter av blomster = “the garden smells of flowers.”
What’s the difference between dufte and lukte when talking about smells?
Lukte focuses on the act of smelling something (or having an odor)—it can be good, bad or neutral. Dufte emphasises emitting a (usually pleasant) scent. For example:
- Hagen lukter godt? = “Does the garden smell good?” (you’re checking the odor)
- Hagen dufter godt. = “The garden smells nice.” (it gives off a pleasant fragrance)
Why is there no article before blomster, and why is it plural?