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Questions & Answers about Billetten er gyldig i dag.
What does the ending in Billetten mean?
The ending -en marks the definite singular of a masculine/common-gender noun. So:
- Indefinite: en billett (a ticket)
- Definite singular: billetten (the ticket)
- Indefinite plural: billetter (tickets)
- Definite plural: billettene (the tickets)
Why is it gyldig and not gyldige after er?
After a linking verb like er, adjectives used predicatively do not take the definite -e. They agree only in number (and sometimes gender), not definiteness.
- Singular: Billetten er gyldig.
- Neuter singular: Kortet er gyldig. (no -t because adjectives ending in -ig/-lig don’t add -t)
- Plural: Billettene er gyldige.
Can I write idag as one word?
In standard Bokmål, write it as two words: i dag. The one-word form idag is nonstandard/informal. The same goes for i morgen (tomorrow) and i går (yesterday).
Can I move i dag to the front of the sentence?
Yes. Norwegian is a V2 language, so the finite verb must be in second position:
- Neutral: Billetten er gyldig i dag.
- Fronted time adverbial: I dag er billetten gyldig. (not “I dag billetten er gyldig”)
How do I negate it?
Place ikke after the finite verb:
- Billetten er ikke gyldig i dag. If you front i dag: I dag er billetten ikke gyldig.
Can I say this with a verb instead of an adjective?
Yes, use å gjelde (to apply/be valid):
- Billetten gjelder i dag. Negative: Billetten gjelder ikke i dag. There’s little difference in meaning; gjelde is very common in official information.
How do I make it plural?
Use a plural subject and plural adjective:
- Billetter er gyldige i dag. (indefinite plural)
- Billettene er gyldige i dag. (definite plural)
What’s the difference between i dag and på dagen?
- i dag = today (this calendar day).
- på dagen can mean “during the day/daytime.” So say gyldig i dag, not “gyldig på dagen.” Another useful phrase: om dagen = “in the daytime/nowadays,” depending on context.
How would I say it was valid yesterday or will be valid tomorrow?
- Past: Billetten var gyldig i går.
- Future/becomes valid: Billetten blir gyldig i morgen. You can also use a more explicit future: Billetten vil være gyldig i morgen.
Any pronunciation tips?
- y in gyldig is the rounded front vowel, like German “ü.”
- The g in gy- is soft, approaching a “y”-like sound.
- i dag sounds roughly like “ee dahg,” and the final g in dag is pronounced.
- Double consonants (like -tt- in billetten) make the preceding vowel short.
Is billett masculine or feminine? Can I use ei?
In Bokmål, billett is common gender and normally takes en/-en: en billett / billetten. You would not use ei with this noun in standard Bokmål.
Does Norwegian capitalize nouns like German?
No. Only the first word of the sentence and proper names are capitalized. Billetten is capitalized here only because it starts the sentence.
What’s the opposite of gyldig?
ugyldig (invalid). For example: Billetten er ugyldig i dag.
How do I say “only today”?
Add bare or kun:
- Billetten er bare gyldig i dag.
- Billetten er kun gyldig i dag.
Is there a common spelling mistake to watch out for?
Yes—make sure to spell billett with double l and double t, and keep i dag as two words.