Vi sitter i skyggen i hagen.

We sit in the shade in the garden.

Breakdown of Vi sitter i skyggen i hagen.

• vi: we
• i: in
• hagen: the garden
• sitte: to sit
• skyggen: the shade

Questions & Answers about Vi sitter i skyggen i hagen.

Why does Norwegian use the simple present form sitter where English uses the progressive are sitting?

In Norwegian there is no separate continuous aspect. The present tense (e.g. sitter, from å sitte) covers both “sit” and “am/are sitting.” Context tells you whether it’s a one-off (“we sit once”) or ongoing (“we are sitting”).

Why is skyggen in the definite form without an article like en?

Norwegian marks definiteness with a suffix rather than a separate word. skygge means “shade,” and adding -en (→ skyggen) gives “the shade.” So i skyggen literally means “in the shade.”

Could we say i en skygge instead of i skyggen? How would the meaning change?

Yes. i en skygge means “in a shade,” focusing on one specific patch of shade among many. i skyggen (“in the shade”) refers to shade in general or the obvious shade you’re under.

Why do we use i for both skyggen and hagen? Are there other prepositions we could use?

i means “in.” You sit i skyggen (in the shade) and i hagen (in the garden). Other common location prepositions:

• under (“under”), e.g. under treet (“under the tree”)
• på (“on”), e.g. på benken (“on the bench”)

Why is hagen in the definite form? Could I say i en hage instead?

hage = “garden.” Adding -n → hagen = “the garden.” i hagen implies a specific garden (probably the speaker’s). i en hage would mean “in a garden,” i.e. any garden in general.

Is the word order flexible? Could we say I skyggen i hagen sitter vi?

Yes. Norwegian follows the V2 rule: whichever element you move into first position, the finite verb must come second. So I skyggen i hagen sitter vi is correct (and a bit poetic). The neutral order is Vi sitter i skyggen i hagen (Subject-Verb-Adverbials).

How do you pronounce skyggen?

In many dialects it’s [ˈʃʏɡən]:

• sk- before y often sounds like English “sh.”
• y is a close front rounded vowel (like French u in lune).
• -en is a quick unstressed “uh” (schwa).
  Some dialects keep a clear sk ([ˈskʏɡən]).