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Questions & Answers about Frimerket er på brevet.
Why does frimerket end with -et, and why is there no separate word for “the”?
Frimerket is the definite singular form of the neuter noun frimerke. In Norwegian you don’t use a separate word for “the” in front of the noun; instead you add a suffix. Neuter nouns get -et (common gender get -en). So frimerket literally means the stamp.
Why is brevet also ending in -et?
Same rule: brev is a neuter noun meaning letter, and brevet is its definite form (the letter). The -et suffix marks it as definite singular.
Could I say et frimerke er på brevet instead?
You could say et frimerke er på brevet, but that shifts the meaning to “a stamp is on the letter” (indefinite). Which suggests you’re mentioning one among several possible stamps. In the original sentence the stamp is specific—hence the definite form frimerket.
What exactly does the preposition på mean here? Could I use i instead?
Here på means “on” in the sense of “lying on top of” (frimerket physically sits on the surface of brevet). You wouldn’t use i (“in”) because the stamp isn’t inside the letter; it’s on its outside.
Can I invert the sentence to På brevet er frimerket? Does that sound natural?
Yes, you can invert it to På brevet er frimerket for emphasis on location (“On the letter is the stamp”). It’s grammatically correct and used for stylistic or emphatic purposes, though the more neutral order is Frimerket er på brevet.
Are there other verbs I could use instead of er to say “the stamp is on the letter”?
You might hear frimerket sitter på brevet, using sitte (“sit”) metaphorically (“the stamp sits on the letter”). It’s more colloquial but still common when talking about objects attached or placed on something.
How do I know frimerke and brev are neuter nouns?
In many cases you can tell by looking at the indefinite form ending. Frimerke ends in -e, and brev ends in a consonant, but both take -et in the definite singular. A reliable way is to check a dictionary. Over time you’ll memorize which nouns are et-words (neuter) and which are en-words (common gender).
Could I also say Frimerket er på konvolutten? What’s the difference?
Yes—konvolutten (“the envelope”) is usually what a stamp is affixed to, whereas brevet (“the letter”) can mean the whole mailed item including envelope and contents. Both are correct; choosing one depends on whether you emphasize the envelope specifically.