Møtet blir kortere enn i går.

the meeting

Breakdown of Møtet blir kortere enn i går.

• bli: to become
• i går: yesterday
• enn: than

Questions & Answers about Møtet blir kortere enn i går.

Why is it blir and not er?

Blir means “becomes” or “will be” and often implies a change or a future outcome. Er states a current fact. So:

• Møtet blir kortere … = The meeting will be/ends up shorter …
• Møtet er kortere … = The meeting is (known to be) shorter … (e.g., you’re looking at the schedule right now)

Does the present tense blir really mean future “will be”?

Yes. Norwegian often uses the present for near-certain or scheduled future events. You can also say:

• skal bli = is going to be (plan/intention)
• kommer til å bli = will (likely) be (prediction)
• vil bli = will be (more formal or volitional nuance) All are possible; choose based on nuance.

What does the ending in Møtet tell me?

Møte is a neuter noun. In Bokmål:

• Indefinite singular: et møte (“a meeting”)
• Definite singular: møtet (“the meeting”) So the -et at the end marks definite singular neuter.

Why kortere and not just kort?

Kortere is the comparative of kort (“short”). Pattern: kort – kortere – kortest (short – shorter – shortest). You need the comparative because you’re making a comparison.