Luen er rød, og den holder meg varm selv om vinden er sterk.

The cap is red, and it keeps me warm even though the wind is strong.

Breakdown of Luen er rød, og den holder meg varm selv om vinden er sterk.

• være: to be
• og: and
• den: it
• varm: warm

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?