Breakdown of Kryssordet spør om hovedstaden, og bibliotekaren hvisker «Oslo».
om
about
og
and
Oslo
Oslo
spørre
to ask
bibliotekaren
the librarian
kryssordet
the crossword
hovedstaden
the capital
hviske
to whisper
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Questions & Answers about Kryssordet spør om hovedstaden, og bibliotekaren hvisker «Oslo».
What is the word kryssordet, and how is it constructed?
Kryssordet is the definite singular form of the neuter noun kryssord (crossword puzzle). Norwegian neuter nouns in indefinite form take et (e.g., et kryssord), and to make them definite you add -et, giving kryssordet (“the crossword puzzle”).
What does spør om mean, and why is it used here?
Spør om literally means “ask about.” In Norwegian, when you ask about a thing or topic, you use the verb spørre plus the preposition om. So kryssordet spør om hovedstaden means “the crossword puzzle asks about the capital.”
Why is there a comma before og in this sentence?
Norwegian style recommends a comma between two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (like og). Here, each clause has its own subject and verb (kryssordet spør …, bibliotekaren hvisker …), so you put a comma before og.
Why is hovedstaden in the definite form?
The puzzle specifically asks for “the capital,” i.e., a unique, known entity. In Norwegian, you make common‐gender nouns definite by adding -en, so indefinite en hovedstad (a capital) becomes hovedstaden (the capital).
How do you form definite singular forms for the nouns in this sentence?
You’ve got three nouns:
• Neuter: kryssord → indefinite et kryssord, definite kryssordet
• Common gender: hovedstad → indefinite en hovedstad, definite hovedstaden
• Common (masculine): bibliotekar → indefinite en bibliotekar, definite bibliotekaren
What does bibliotekaren mean, and why is it definite here?
Bibliotekaren is “the librarian.” It’s the definite form of bibliotekar (a librarian). We use the definite form because we’re referring to a specific person (the librarian in question).
What is the meaning and pronunciation of hvisker?
Hvisker is the present tense of å hviske (“to whisper”). It’s pronounced roughly “HVEES-ker” (IPA: [hʋiskɛr]). The hv cluster sounds like a slight /h/ followed by /v/.
What kind of quotation marks are «…» in Norwegian?
Norwegian often uses angle quotation marks called guillemets: « and ». They serve the same purpose as English “double quotes” for direct speech or citations.
Is it normal for an inanimate object like kryssordet to “ask” a question?
Yes. It’s a common personification. In Norwegian (as in English) you can say a puzzle “asks” for something—here, the crossword puzzle “asks about the capital.”