Breakdown of Jeg tar et bilde, men blitsen på kameraet er for sterk.
jeg
I
være
to be
et
a
men
but
på
on
ta
to take
kameraet
the camera
bildet
the picture
for sterk
too strong
blitsen
the flash
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Questions & Answers about Jeg tar et bilde, men blitsen på kameraet er for sterk.
What does tar mean here and what verb is it from?
tar is the present‐tense form of the verb å ta, which means “to take.” So jeg tar et bilde literally means “I take a picture.”
Why is it et bilde instead of en bilde?
Norwegian nouns have genders: common (often marked by en) and neuter (marked by et). bilde (“picture”) is neuter, so it takes the neuter indefinite article et.
What does blitsen mean and why does it end with -en?
The base noun is blits (“flash”). It’s a common‐gender noun, so the indefinite form is en blits. By adding -en you form the definite singular: blitsen = “the flash.”
Why is there a comma before men?
In Norwegian, you usually place a comma before coordinating conjunctions like men (“but”) when they introduce a new clause with its own verb, similar to English punctuation rules.
What does for sterk mean, and how does for function?
Here for means “too.” So for sterk = “too strong.” When for precedes an adjective, it expresses an excessive degree.
Why is the adjective sterk not marked with -e (i.e. not sterke)?
Because it is a predicate adjective (it comes after the copula er). Predicate adjectives remain uninflected. You only add -e (or -t) when the adjective is attributive (i.e. directly before a noun).
Could I say kameraets blits instead of blitsen på kameraet?
Yes. kameraets blits uses the possessive suffix -s (“the camera’s flash”) and is grammatically correct, though blitsen på kameraet (“the flash on the camera”) is more idiomatic for parts of an object.
Could I use til instead of på, as in blitsen til kameraet?
Yes. blitsen til kameraet (“the flash of the camera”) works too. på emphasizes physical placement (“on the camera”), while til is a more general possessive marker.
What are the basic rules for adjective endings in Norwegian?
• Indefinite common‐gender singular: no ending (en sterk bil)
• Indefinite neuter singular: add -t (et sterkt bilde)
• Definite singular & all plurals: add -e (den sterke bilen, de sterke bildene)