Breakdown of Dynen er ikke så tung som den gamle, men den er varm.
være
to be
men
but
den
it
varm
warm
ikke
not
gammel
old
tung
heavy
som
as
så
as
dynen
the duvet
den
the one
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Questions & Answers about Dynen er ikke så tung som den gamle, men den er varm.
What does the -en at the end of Dynen mean?
It’s the definite singular ending for common/feminine nouns in Bokmål: en dyne (a duvet) → dynen (the duvet). Many feminine nouns also allow a feminine form: ei dyne → dyna. Both dynen and dyna are correct in Bokmål.
Is dyne masculine or feminine?
In Bokmål, many nouns can be treated as either masculine (common gender) or feminine. You’ll see:
- Masculine/common: en dyne – dynen
- Feminine: ei dyne – dyna The pronoun is den in either case (for common/feminine nouns).
Why is it den gamle and not den gammel?
Adjectives get the ending -e in the definite form (when used with den/det/de or with a definite noun). So:
- Indefinite: en gammel dyne
- Definite: den gamle dynen / dyna When the noun is omitted, den + adjective stands for “the old one”: den gamle.
Can I say den gamle dynen instead of just den gamle?
Yes. Som den gamle is a perfectly normal ellipsis (the noun is understood). If you want to be explicit, som den gamle dynen is also correct.
Why is it ikke så tung som and not ikke like tung som?
Both are acceptable. Så … som and like … som can both express “as … as.” With negation, ikke så … som is very common. Example: Den er ikke så tung som den gamle = “It’s not as heavy as the old one.”
Should I use som or enn in comparisons here?
Use som with equality comparisons (så/like … som). Use enn with comparatives (-ere/mer/mindre … enn). So:
- ikke så tung som (not as heavy as)
- tyngre enn (heavier than)
How would I say it using “lighter than”?
Use the comparative of lett:
- Den er lettere enn den gamle. (It is lighter than the old one.)
Why is it den er varm and not det er varm?
Because dyne is common/feminine gender, so the pronoun is den. Det is for neuter nouns or as a dummy subject. If the noun were neuter, you’d say det.
Why is it varm (not varmt or varme)?
Predicative adjectives (after er/blir) agree with the subject:
- Common/feminine singular: varm (e.g., Dynen er varm)
- Neuter singular: varmt (e.g., Teppet er varmt)
- Plural: varme (e.g., Dynene er varme)
Where does ikke go, and why is the order er ikke?
Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb is in second position. Here, Dynen is first, so the verb er is second, and ikke comes right after: Dynen er ikke … If you front something else, the verb still stays second: I dag er dynen ikke så tung …
Can I drop den er after men and just say …, men varm?
Yes, Norwegian often omits repeated parts: Dynen er ikke så tung som den gamle, men varm. Keeping den er is also fine and a bit more explicit.
Why is there a comma before men?
You normally place a comma before men when it links two main clauses: …, men … That’s standard Norwegian punctuation.
Is som here the same word that means “who/which”?
Same form, different function. Here som is the comparative particle meaning “as.” In relative clauses (mannen som bor her), som means “who/which/that.”
How would this change with a neuter noun or in the plural?
- Neuter noun (e.g., et teppe): Teppet er ikke så tungt som det gamle, men det er varmt.
- Plural: Dynene er ikke så tunge som de gamle, men de er varme.
Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts like dy- and ikke?
- dy- in dyne/dynen has the front rounded vowel y (like French u or German ü): try saying English “ee” while rounding your lips.
- ikke is typically [IK-ke], with a clear double consonant.
- så has a long vowel [soː]; som is [som] or [sɔm].
- Final consonants in tung, varm, gammle/gamle are clearly pronounced.