Anna lager en deilig salat i kveld.

Anna

Breakdown of Anna lager en deilig salat i kveld.

• en: a
• lage: to make
• deilig: delicious

Questions & Answers about Anna lager en deilig salat i kveld.

What does lager mean, and which verb form is it?

lager is the present tense (third person singular) of å lage, meaning “to make” or “to prepare.” In this sentence, it literally means “Anna makes/prepares a delicious salad…”

Can the present tense lager express a future action like “will make” or “is going to make”?

Yes. In Norwegian, the simple present can often carry a near-future meaning, especially with a time adverbial like i kveld (“this evening”). So Anna lager en deilig salat i kveld can mean both “Anna is making a delicious salad this evening” and “Anna will make a delicious salad this evening.”

Why is en used before salat? Why not et?

en is the indefinite article for common gender nouns. Norwegian nouns have two genders: common (sometimes called masculine/feminine) and neuter. salat is common gender, so you pair it with en.

• en salat = “a salad” (common gender)
• If it were neuter, you’d use et, e.g. et eple (“an apple”).

Why is the adjective deilig placed before salat, and why doesn’t it change its ending to agree with the noun?