Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Et plutselig strømbrudd gjør at trafikklyset slukker. - A sudden power outage makes the traffic light go out.

Et plutselig strømbrudd gjør at trafikklyset slukker.

A sudden power outage makes the traffic light go out.

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Questions & Answers about Et plutselig strømbrudd gjør at trafikklyset slukker.

Why is it et plutselig strømbrudd and not en plutselig strømbrudd? How do I know the correct gender and article for strømbrudd?

In Norwegian compounds, the gender comes from the last element (the “head” of the compound). Strømbrudd is made of strøm (en strøm, common gender) + brudd (et brudd, neuter). Because brudd is neuter, the whole compound is neuter: et strømbrudd. To learn genders, you usually consult a dictionary or memorize common patterns (many ‑else, ‑het, ‑ing words are feminine, etc.).

Why doesn’t plutselig get a -t ending in the neuter singular (i.e. why not plutseligt)?

Most Norwegian adjectives take -t in the neuter (en stor bil, et stort hus), but some adjectives are invariant and do not change. Plutselig is one of those. You’ll see it unchanged in all forms:
– en plutselig hendelse
– et plutselig øyeblikk
– mange plutselige forandringer

What does the phrase gjør at mean here, and could I use forårsaker instead?

Gjør at literally means “makes that…” or “causes that…”, and it’s very common in everyday speech. You can replace it with the more formal forårsaker:
– Et plutselig strømbrudd gjør at trafikklyset slukker.
– Et plutselig strømbrudd forårsaker at trafikklyset slukker.
Both are correct; forårsaker just sounds a bit more bookish.

What role does the word at play in this sentence?

It’s a subordinating conjunction (equivalent to English that) introducing the result clause trafikklyset slukker. Without at, you’d break the sentence into two main clauses, which changes the meaning or sounds odd.

Why do we use the verb slukker here, and what type of verb is it?

Slukke normally means to extinguish (a light, a fire). It can be transitive (someone slukker noe) or intransitive when lights or flames go out on their own:
– Lyset slukker. (The light goes out.)
It’s the standard choice for lights failing due to a power cut. You wouldn’t say lyset skrudde seg av without an agent.

Why is it trafikklyset (definite) and not et trafikklys (indefinite)?

In context, we’re talking about the traffic light at that intersection—one both speaker and listener know about or see. Norwegian uses the -et suffix on the noun (trafikklys + -et) to express the traffic light.

Is the word order always Subject–Verb–Object in Norwegian main clauses?

Yes, basic main‐clause order is Subject (S) – Verb (V) – Object (O):
– Et plutselig strømbrudd (S) gjør (V) at trafikklyset slukker (O).
If you start with something else (an adverb or time expression), the verb still stays in position 2 and the subject moves to position 3.

How do I pronounce strømbrudd, especially the ø and the double d?

– ø is pronounced like the vowel in English bird or burn, but with rounded lips.
– dd in Norwegian is usually a single d sound (as in English dog), but it can be a bit softer, almost like a light l followed by d. So strømbrudd sounds roughly like /ʃrøm-brʉd/ (where ʉ is close to the sound in book, but more central). Practice by saying brudd slowly: br–u–dd.