Breakdown of Ryktet sier at frakken var dyr, men han bestemte seg for å beholde den.
være
to be
han
he
å
to
men
but
den
it
at
that
si
to say
for
in order to
beholde
to keep
dyr
expensive
ryktet
the rumor
frakken
the coat
bestemme seg
to decide
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Questions & Answers about Ryktet sier at frakken var dyr, men han bestemte seg for å beholde den.
What does ryktet mean?
Ryktet is the definite form of rykte, meaning “rumor.” So ryktet = “the rumor.”
Why is sier in the present tense even though the coat was expensive?
In Norwegian, the present tense can be used for general statements or ongoing hearsay—similar to English “they say.” Hence sier = “(it) says” in a timeless, reporting sense.
What role does at play in this sentence?
At is a conjunction introducing the subordinate clause at frakken var dyr, equivalent to English “that.” It links “Ryktet sier” with what the rumor actually says.
Why is the noun frakken in its definite form rather than en frakk?
Because we’re talking about a specific coat, Norwegian marks definiteness with a suffix. Frakk (coat) + -en = frakken (“the coat”).
Why does the sentence use var instead of er?
Var is the past tense of å være (“to be”), indicating that at the time in question the coat was expensive.
What does dyr mean here? I thought dyr could mean “animal.”
As a noun, dyr means “animal,” but here it’s an adjective meaning “expensive.” Context tells you which meaning applies.
How does han bestemte seg for å beholde den translate to “he decided to keep it”?
- bestemte seg = past tense reflexive form of bestemme (“to decide”)
- for å = introduces purpose/to-infinitive
- beholde = “to keep”
- den = “it,” referring back to frakken
Put together: “he decided (himself) for to keep it” → “he decided to keep it.”
Why is the reflexive pronoun seg necessary with bestemte?
Some Norwegian verbs are reflexive, meaning they require seg (or meg/deg etc.) to reflect the action back on the subject. Bestemme seg is one of them.
Why is for å used before beholde, and can you omit it?
For å is a fixed construction to introduce an infinitive of purpose (“in order to”). You cannot omit for å if you want to express “decided to [do something].”
Why is den used for “it” instead of han or hun?
In Norwegian, den is the third-person pronoun for common-gender nouns (like frakk). Han and hun are reserved for people (and sometimes animals with natural gender).