Breakdown of Billettkontrolløren kontrollerer billetten min.
min
my
billetten
the ticket
kontrollere
to check
billettkontrolløren
the ticket inspector
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Questions & Answers about Billettkontrolløren kontrollerer billetten min.
Why is billettkontrolløren written as one long word instead of two separate words?
Norwegian frequently forms compound nouns by sticking two (or more) nouns together into a single word. Here you have billett + kontrollør, and then the definite article –en is suffixed at the end. The “head” of the compound is kontrollør, so the gender and the definite ending come from that part.
What does the “–en” at the end of billettkontrolløren and billetten mean?
In Norwegian Bokmål, the definite singular of masculine and feminine nouns is formed by adding –en (or sometimes –a for feminine). So billett (ticket) → billetten (the ticket). Likewise, billettkontrollør (ticket inspector) → billettkontrolløren (the ticket inspector).
Why do we say billetten min instead of min billett (my ticket)?
In Norwegian, when you want a specific (definite) thing you usually put the definite ending on the noun (billetten) and then place the possessive pronoun after it (min). Both min billett and billetten min translate to “my ticket,” but billetten min emphasizes that you’re talking about that particular ticket.
Do you ever need a separate word for “the” before nouns, like in English?
No, you don’t use a separate definite article + noun. The definiteness is shown by suffixes on the noun itself (–en, –et, –a). You could say den billetten min, but that’s redundant and not common.
Why does kontrollerer end in –er?
Most Norwegian verbs in the present tense add –er to the infinitive stem. The infinitive of this verb is kontrollere (to check/control), so in the present tense you get jeg kontrollerer (I check).
Could you use sjekker instead of kontrollerer here?
Yes. sjekke (to check) is more colloquial, while kontrollere is slightly more formal or official. Both are correct:
– Billettkontrolløren sjekker billetten min.
– Billettkontrolløren kontrollerer billetten min.
How do you pronounce the letter ø in kontrolløren?
The ø is similar to the vowel sound in the English word bird (in non-rhotic accents) or the French eu in peu. Lips are rounded, and your tongue is mid-high in the mouth. So kont-roll-Ø-ren.
Where does the main stress fall in Billettkontrolløren kontrollerer billetten min?
Primary stress is on the first element of the compound: BÍLlettkontrolløren. Secondary stress often falls on the verb: kontrollerer, and a slight stress on the possessive: billetten MÍN.
Why do we put min after the noun instead of using the object pronoun meg?
meg is the object pronoun for “me” (as in “he sees me”). To express possession you use the possessive pronoun min/min/-et (my). In Norwegian, possessive pronouns go after definite nouns: boken min (my book), billetten min (my ticket).