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Bonden smiler når han ser at laksen sin allerede er solgt.

Bonden smiler når han ser at laksen sin allerede er solgt.
The farmer smiles when he sees that his salmon is already sold.
FromLesson 26inHardcore Norwegian
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Questions & Answers about Bonden smiler når han ser at laksen sin allerede er solgt.

Why is bonden used without a separate article like en or the?

In Norwegian, the definite form of a noun is marked by adding a suffix rather than using a separate word.

  • en bonde = “a farmer” (indefinite)
  • bonden = “the farmer” (definite)
    So bonden literally means the farmer.
What does når mean here, and could we use da instead?

når is a temporal conjunction meaning “when” in the sense of “whenever” or “as soon as.”

  • Use når for:
    • repeated or habitual actions (“Whenever he sees …”)
    • future events (“When he arrives tomorrow …”)
  • Use da only for a single past event (“Da han kom, begynte det å regne” = “When he came, it started to rain”).
    In our sentence, når signals the moment (or each time) the farmer notices that the salmon is sold.
What does the possessive sin refer to, and how is it different from hans?

sin is a reflexive possessive pronoun. It always refers back to the subject of its own clause (here bonden).

  • laksen sin = the farmer’s own salmon
    If you used hans, it would refer to someone else’s salmon:
  • laksen hans = “someone else’s salmon” (or “his salmon,” referring to another male).
Why is there an at after ser, and how does it affect word order?

When ser (to see) introduces what is seen, Norwegian uses the conjunction at (that) to start a subordinate clause.
Structure after at:

  1. Subject (laksen sin)
  2. Adverb (allerede)
  3. Verb (er)
  4. Complement (solgt)
    So ser at laksen sin allerede er solgt follows the standard subordinate‐clause order: Subject–Adverb–Verb–Object/Complement.
Why is allerede placed before er solgt, and could it go somewhere else?

allerede means “already.” In Norwegian subordinate clauses, adverbs of time usually come immediately after the subject and before the finite verb. That’s why it’s laksen sin allerede er solgt rather than laksen sin er allerede solgt. In a main clause you might see:

  • Han har allerede solgt laksen (“He has already sold the salmon”).
What tense and voice is er solgt, and how would you express “has sold” actively?

er solgt is the passive/resultative construction using present‐tense være (to be) + past participle. It conveys that the salmon is in the state of having been sold (i.e. “is sold” / “has been sold”).

  • Passive/resultative: er solgt = “is/has been sold”
    If you wanted the active present perfect, you’d use har
    • past participle:
  • han har solgt laksen = “he has sold the salmon.”