Breakdown of Jeg bestemmer meg for å kjøpe en ny jakke i butikken.
jeg
I
en
a
butikken
the store
i
in
kjøpe
to buy
ny
new
for å
in order to
jakken
the jacket
bestemme seg
to decide
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Questions & Answers about Jeg bestemmer meg for å kjøpe en ny jakke i butikken.
What is the role of the reflexive pronoun meg in bestemmer meg?
In Norwegian, the verb bestemme (to decide) is reflexive when you make a decision for yourself. That means you need seg (for third person) or meg (for first person) right after bestemme. Without meg, the verb phrase is incomplete and unidiomatic.
Why is for å used before kjøpe instead of just å?
The construction bestemme seg for å + infinitive is standard when expressing your intention to do something. for å literally means “in order to,” introducing purpose. You cannot drop for and say bestemme seg å kjøpe; it must be bestemme seg for å kjøpe.
How do I know which indefinite article (en or et) to use before jakke?
Norwegian nouns have two genders: common and neuter. jakke (jacket) is a common‐gender noun, so it takes en (e.g., en jakke). Neuter nouns take et (e.g., et hus for “a house”).
Why is the adjective ny not inflected with -t as in nytt?
Adjectives agree with the gender and definiteness of the noun. Since jakke is common gender and indefinite here, you use the strong form without an ending: en ny jakke. If the noun were neuter, you would add -t (e.g., et nytt hus).
Why does butikken appear in the definite form after i?
When you indicate location with i (“in”), you generally use the definite form to mean “in the [specific] store.” Adding -en to butikk makes it definite: i butikken = “in the store.”
Could I use a different preposition, like på butikken or til butikken, instead of i butikken?
It depends on nuance:
- i butikken = “inside the store” (where you buy the jacket).
- på butikken is less common with butikk, though in some dialects it can mean “at the store” more loosely.
- til butikken = “to the store” (movement toward it).
Here, i butikken is correct because the action takes place inside.
Why is i butikken placed at the end of the sentence instead of right after the verb?
Norwegian follows V2 (verb‐second) word order: the finite verb (bestemmer) is the second element after the subject (jeg). The infinitive clause (for å kjøpe en ny jakke) follows, and adverbials of place or time (like i butikken) typically come toward the end.