Håndkleet tørker på radiatoren.

The towel dries on the radiator.

Breakdown of Håndkleet tørker på radiatoren.

• på: on
• 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?

Yes. Å tørke is both:

• intransitive “to dry (become dry)”: Håndkleet tørker.
• transitive “to dry/wipe (something)”: Jeg tørker bordet. You’ll also hear phrasal forms like tørke av (wipe off) and tørke bort (wipe away). For drying yourself: tørke seg (e.g., Hun tørker seg med et håndkle.)

Should I use a reflexive, like Håndkleet tørker seg?

No. Use the reflexive tørke seg for people/animals drying themselves. Inanimate things just “dry”: Håndkleet tørker.

Why is the preposition på used? Could I use something else?

på is used for “on (top of) a surface.” Alternatives:

• oppå = on top of (more explicit emphasis on “on top”).
• over = above, not touching.
• ved = by/next to.
• i = in/inside (not appropriate for a radiator as a surface). So here, på radiatoren is the natural choice.

Where do I put ikke (not)?

After the verb in a simple present clause:

• Håndkleet tørker ikke på radiatoren. If you front something (like the place), keep the verb second and put ikke after the subject:
• På radiatoren tørker håndkleet ikke. More commonly, you’d keep the default order or say: På radiatoren tørker ikke håndkleet (also heard).

What happens if I start the sentence with På radiatoren?

Norwegian has the V2 rule (the finite verb is in second position). So you say:

• På radiatoren tørker håndkleet. Word order: [På radiatoren] (1st) + tørker (2nd) + [håndkleet] (3rd).

How do I pronounce the tricky bits?

• å in på sounds like the vowel in English “paw.”
• ø in tørker is a rounded vowel, similar to British “bird” but with rounded lips.
• The d in hånd is silent; it sounds like “hån-.”
• rk in tørker is a clear “rk.”
• Håndkleet is often pronounced in three syllables: roughly “hån-klee-et.”
• radiatoren: “ra-dee-a-TO-ren,” with a clear tapped/trilled r in many dialects.

Do I have to use the definite form radiatoren?

Use the definite when you mean a specific, known radiator (as in a typical room context). Indefinite options:

• på en radiator = on a radiator (not a particular one).
• på radiatorer = on radiators (in general). You don’t say “på radiator” without an article.

How do I say that the towel is lying or hanging there?

• Håndkleet ligger på radiatoren. (lying)
• Håndkleet henger på radiatoren. (hanging) You can combine with drying: Håndkleet henger på radiatoren og tørker.

How do I make it plural? “The towels are drying on the radiator.”

• Håndklærne tørker på radiatoren.
  If you also want a plural radiator:
• Håndklærne tørker på radiatorene.

How do I talk about past or completed action?

• Preterite (simple past): Håndkleet tørket på radiatoren.
• Present perfect: Håndkleet har tørket på radiatoren.

What’s the adjective “dry,” and how do I say the towel is dry or wet?

• “dry”: tørr (m/f), tørt (neuter), tørre (plural/with definite)
• “wet”: våt (m/f), vått (neuter), våte
  Examples: Håndkleet er tørt. / Håndkleet er vått.

Is there a difference between på and oppå here?

Both can work. På is the default “on (a surface).” Oppå emphasizes “on top of” and is a bit more explicit or emphatic:

• Håndkleet tørker på radiatoren. (neutral)
• Håndkleet tørker oppå radiatoren. (clearly on top)

How do I ask the yes/no question “Is the towel drying on the radiator?”

Invert subject and verb:

• Tørker håndkleet på radiatoren?

Is handkle (without the circle) or radiatorn ever correct?

• handkle is the Nynorsk form (and common in some dialect writing). In standard Bokmål you normally use håndkle.
• radiatorn is Swedish. In Norwegian it’s radiatoren.

Could I add an adverb like “quickly”?

Yes. Adverbs typically go after the verb (and before a place phrase), or at the end:

• Håndkleet tørker fort på radiatoren.
• Håndkleet tørker på radiatoren fort. (also possible, but the first is more common)