Trafikklyset blinker gult før det blir rødt.

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Breakdown of Trafikklyset blinker gult før det blir rødt.

• før: before
• bli: to become
• rød: red

Questions & Answers about Trafikklyset blinker gult før det blir rødt.

What is trafikklyset made of, and why is it in the definite form?

• trafikk = “traffic”
• lys = “light”
  Together they form the compound trafikklys (“traffic light”).
  To make it definite singular, Norwegian adds the suffix -et:
  • indefinite: et trafikklys (“a traffic light”)
  • definite: trafikklyset (“the traffic light”)

How is the verb blinker conjugated in Norwegian, and why is present tense used here?

The infinitive is å blinke (“to flash/blink”). Its main forms are:

• Present: blinker (jeg blinker, du blinker, han/hun blinker…)
• Past: blinket
• Perfect participle: har blinket
  Here, blinker is in the present tense to describe a general or habitual action: “the traffic light flashes yellow.”

Why does the sentence use gult instead of gul when describing the flashing color?

In Norwegian, many adjectives take -t when used adverbially (or with neuter nouns). Here gult functions as an adverb describing how the light blinks (“in a yellow way”). Color adjectives used this way always have the -t ending:
• blinker gult = “blinks yellow(ly)”
If you were attributively describing a neuter noun you’d also say et gult lys (“a yellow light”).