Håndkleet tørker på radiatoren.

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Breakdown of Håndkleet tørker på radiatoren.

• tørke: to dry
• radiatoren: the radiator
• håndkleet: the towel

Questions & Answers about Håndkleet tørker på radiatoren.

Why is it written as Håndkleet with two e’s?

Because the noun håndkle is neuter and the definite singular ending is -et. When you add -et to a word that already ends in -e, you often end up with two e’s: håndkle + et → håndkleet. Other examples with written “ee” are tre → treet and kne → kneet. The correct definite form here is håndkleet.

What gender are håndkle and radiator, and what are their forms?

• håndkle: neuter. Indefinite: et håndkle. Definite singular: håndkleet. Plural: håndklær. Definite plural: håndklærne.
• radiator: common gender. Indefinite: en radiator. Definite singular: radiatoren. Plural: radiatorer. Definite plural: radiatorene.

Does tørker mean “is drying” or “dries”? Do I need a special -ing form?

Both. Norwegian present tense covers both simple present and present progressive. Håndkleet tørker can mean “The towel is drying” or “The towel dries.” If you want to stress the ongoing process, you can add nå (now) or use phrases like holder på å tørke, but in most cases the plain present is enough.

Can tørke also mean “to wipe”? How do I say that?