Breakdown of Postkortet ligger i postkassen.
i
in
ligge
to lie
postkassen
the mailbox
postkortet
the postcard
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Questions & Answers about Postkortet ligger i postkassen.
Why is there no separate word for the in this sentence?
In Norwegian, definiteness is shown by adding a suffix directly to the noun (for example -et, -en), rather than using a separate article like the in English.
Why does postkortet end with -et?
postkort is a neuter noun (et postkort). To make it definite singular you add -et, so postkortet means the postcard.
Why does postkassen end with -en instead of -et?
postkasse is a common-gender noun (en postkasse). Definite singular for common nouns takes -en, so postkassen means the mailbox.
Why do we use i here and not på?
i means in and is used when something is inside or enclosed by something.
på means on or at, and is used for surfaces or more abstract locations (e.g. på bordet = on the table).
Why is the verb ligger used instead of er (is)?
ligger is the present tense of ligge (‘to lie, to be located’) and describes the physical position of something.
You could say postkortet er i postkassen, but ligger gives extra nuance that it is lying or resting there.
What is the difference between ligge and legge? They look alike.
- ligge (intransitive): to lie, to be located (e.g. Boken ligger på bordet = The book lies on the table).
- legge (transitive): to lay, to place something (e.g. Jeg legger boka på bordet = I am putting the book on the table).
One describes where something already is, the other describes the action of placing it there.
How would I say “A postcard lies in a mailbox” using indefinite forms?
You would say: Et postkort ligger i en postkasse.
Why is postkasse one word? In English it’s two.
Norwegian forms compound nouns by joining the parts without spaces. Here post + kasse combine into postkasse.
How do I pronounce postkassen?
In IPA: [ˈpʊsˌkɑsn̩]
Approximation: poos-KAH-sen (stress on the first syllable, the second vowel is short).