Jeg merker effekten av medisinen.

I notice the effect of the medicine.

Breakdown of Jeg merker effekten av medisinen.

• jeg: I
• av: of
• medisinen: the medicine
• effekten: the effect
• merke: to notice

Questions & Answers about Jeg merker effekten av medisinen.

What does merker mean in this sentence?

Merker is the present‐tense form of the verb merke, which here means “to notice,” “to sense,” or “to feel.” It is a transitive verb, so it takes a direct object—in this case effekten.

Why is effekten in the definite form (with -en)?

The suffix -en marks effekten as definite (“the effect”). You use the definite form when you and your listener both know which effect you’re talking about. If you spoke more generally you could say:
• en effekt av medisinen (“an effect of the medicine”)

Why do we say effekten av medisinen instead of medisinens effekt?

Both constructions are correct and mean the same thing, but Norwegian often prefers the av-phrase for clarity and flow in spoken language.
• effekten av medisinen = “the effect of the medicine”
• medisinens effekt = “the medicine’s effect”

Could I use føler or kjenner instead of merker here?

Yes, but each verb changes the nuance slightly:
• føler emphasises the raw sensation (“I feel the effect”), often bodily or emotional.
• kjenner can mean “to experience” or “to know by feeling,” and is similar to merker but a bit more general.
• merker focuses on the act of noticing that something has started or changed.

Why is the sentence word order Jeg merker effekten av medisinen? Could I start with Av medisinen?

The basic word order is Subject–Verb–Object (SVO). You can front an adverbial or prepositional phrase for emphasis, but then you must invert the subject and verb:
• Standard: Jeg merker effekten av medisinen.
• Emphasised: Av medisinen merker jeg effekten. (less common, more formal or poetic)

Why is there no separate word for “the” before medisinen?

In Norwegian, the definite article can be a suffix on the noun.
• medisin = “medicine”
• medisinen = “the medicine”
You don’t need an extra word like den here, though you could say den medisinen for extra emphasis (“that medicine”).