Breakdown of Plattformen er glatt etter regnet, så vi går forsiktig.
være
to be
vi
we
gå
to walk
så
so
etter
after
forsiktig
carefully
regnet
the rain
plattformen
the platform
glatt
slippery
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Questions & Answers about Plattformen er glatt etter regnet, så vi går forsiktig.
What does plattformen mean and why does it end with -en?
plattformen means “the platform.” In Norwegian you form the definite singular of a noun by adding a suffix:
- Masculine/neuter: -en (plattform → plattformen)
- Feminine: -a (bok → boka)
Here -en marks it as definite (“the platform”) rather than indefinite (“en plattform”).
Why is glatt unchanged after plattformen er?
Because glatt is used predicatively (after the verb er). Predicative adjectives in Norwegian remain in their base form:
- Correct: Plattformen er glatt (“The platform is slippery”)
Attributive adjectives (directly before a noun) do get an -e if the noun is definite, e.g. den glatte plattformen.
Why is it etter regnet instead of etter et regn or just etter regn?
With weather nouns after prepositions like etter, før, and under, Norwegian uses the definite form. You’re referring to a specific rainfall event:
- regn (rain, indefinite)
- regnet (the rain, definite)
Hence etter regnet = “after the rain.” Etter et regn would sound odd.
What role does så play in this sentence?
så is a coordinating conjunction meaning so or therefore, linking cause and effect:
- Cause: Plattformen er glatt etter regnet
- Effect: så vi går forsiktig
You could also use derfor (“therefore”) and invert word order: Plattformen er glatt etter regnet, derfor går vi forsiktig.
Why is vi placed before går, and can it be omitted?
Norwegian main clauses follow Subject–Verb–Object (SVO). Here vi = “we” (subject) and går = “walk/go” (verb). You could drop vi in very casual speech (Går forsiktig!), but then it becomes a general remark or instruction rather than “we are walking carefully.”
Is forsiktig an adjective or an adverb, and why doesn’t it change?
Many Norwegian words function as both adjectives and adverbs without changing form. In vi går forsiktig, forsiktig modifies the verb går, so it’s acting as an adverb. Adverbs in Norwegian typically match the adjective’s base form and take no extra endings.