Breakdown of Luen er rød, og den holder meg varm selv om vinden er sterk.
være
to be
og
and
den
it
varm
warm
meg
me
selv om
even though
holde
to keep
sterk
strong
rød
red
vinden
the wind
luen
the cap
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Questions & Answers about Luen er rød, og den holder meg varm selv om vinden er sterk.
Why is luen used instead of lue?
In Norwegian you make a noun definite by adding a suffix. The indefinite form “a hat” is lue, and the definite form “the hat” is luen.
Why is the adjective rød not inflected as røde?
Adjectives stay in their base form when used predicatively (after a form of å være). You say Luen er rød (“The hat is red”). If you put the adjective before a definite noun (attributive), you add -e: den røde luen.
What does den refer to in og den holder meg varm?
Den is a pronoun meaning “it,” and it refers back to luen (a common-gender noun). In English you’d also say “and it keeps me warm.”
How does holder meg varm break down?
- holder = third-person singular of å holde (“to hold,” “to keep”)
- meg = “me” (object pronoun)
- varm = “warm” (adjective)
Together it literally means “keeps me warm.”
What does selv om mean, and how is it used?
Selv om is a subordinating conjunction meaning “even though”. It introduces a concession clause: selv om vinden er sterk = even though the wind is strong.
Why doesn’t the word order change after selv om (no inversion)?
In Norwegian subordinate clauses introduced by words like selv om, the finite verb stays in its normal position after the subject (SVO). Only main clauses or some adverbial starters cause inversion.
Why is it vinden instead of vind?
Just like lue → luen, the noun vind (“wind”) becomes vinden when you refer to the wind (definite form).
Why is the adjective sterk not sterkt or sterke after er?
After å være the adjective is predicative and takes the base form regardless of gender: vinden er sterk (“the wind is strong”). The form sterkt is used as an adverb or with neuter nouns, and sterke is used attributively before a definite noun.