Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Det er morsomt å forme snøballer.

In Norwegian, det often works as a “dummy” or impersonal subject—just like English it in “It’s fun to build snowballs.” It doesn’t point to anything specific but fills the grammatical subject slot before er morsomt.

What does morsomt mean, and why does it end with -t?

Morsomt means fun or amusing. The base adjective is morsom, and because det is neuter singular, the adjective takes the neuter ending -t (morsom → morsomt).

Why do we put å before forme?

Norwegian infinitives normally need the particle å, equivalent to English to. So å forme = to shape. Without å, it wouldn’t be recognized as an infinitive verb.

What exactly does forme snøballer mean?

Literally, forme = to shape, and snøballer = plural of snøball (“snowball”). Together they mean to shape/mold snowballs, i.e. making snowballs by hand.

Why is snøballer plural? Can I use the singular?

Plural implies you’re shaping more than one snowball. You could say å forme en snøball for “to shape one snowball,” but in practice people often make several, hence the plural.

Could I swap the order and say Å forme snøballer er morsomt?

Yes! That’s perfectly grammatical. You’re just fronting the infinitive clause. Both mean the same, though starting with det is more common in spoken and written Norwegian.

Can I replace morsomt with another word like gøy?

Absolutely. Gøy is a more colloquial word for “fun.” So you can say Det er gøy å forme snøballer.

Are there other verbs I could use instead of forme when talking about snowballs?

Yes. Lage snøballer (“make snowballs”) is very common and more general. Kaste snøballer means “to throw snowballs,” which comes after you’ve formed them.

How do I pronounce Det er morsomt å forme snøballer?

A rough phonetic:
DEH ehr MOHR-soomt oh FOR-meh SNER-bal-ler
– Stress on the first syllable of morsomt and forme, and remember the soft Norwegian r in snøballer.