Hun er flink til å gre håret rolig med den blå kammen.

She is good at combing the hair calmly with the blue comb.

Breakdown of Hun er flink til å gre håret rolig med den blå kammen.

• være: to be
• hun: she
• til: to
• å: to
• med: with
• blå: blue
• håret: the hair
• gre: to comb
• kammen: the comb
• flink: good
• rolig: calmly

Questions & Answers about Hun er flink til å gre håret rolig med den blå kammen.

Why is it flink til å and not just flink å?

In standard Bokmål, after adjectives that describe ability/aptitude you use til å + infinitive:

• flink til å synge = good at singing
• vant til å jobbe natt = used to working nights

Saying flink å is common in some dialects and informal speech, but neutral written Norwegian prefers flink til å.

Tip on prepositions with flink:

• flink til å + verb: skill at doing something (flink til å danse)
• flink til + noun: skill with an activity (flink til matematikk)
• flink i + school subject/field: good in/at a subject (flink i matte)
• flink med + noun: good with something/someone (flink med barn)

What is the function of å here, and how is it different from og?

Å is the infinitive marker (the “to” in English): til å gre = “to comb.”
Og means “and.” Never write til og gre—that’s wrong. It must be til å gre.

Why is it håret and not hennes hår?

With body parts, Norwegian usually uses the definite form instead of a possessive when the owner is obvious from context:

• Hun gre håret = She brushes/combs her hair.

If you add hennes, it typically means someone else’s hair:

• Hun gre håret hennes = She is combing another woman’s hair.

So in your sentence, håret naturally means “her own hair.”

Could I say håret sitt instead? What’s the nuance?

Yes: Hun er flink til å gre håret sitt is grammatical. Sin/sitt/sine is the reflexive possessive and can be used to make it explicit that the hair belongs to the subject. With body parts it’s often omitted (definite noun alone is normal), but håret sitt can add clarity or emphasis if there’s potential ambiguity.

Does rolig need a -t to be an adverb (like English “calmly”)?

No. Many adjectives in Norwegian double as adverbs without any ending. In particular, adjectives ending in -ig/-lig do not take a neuter or adverbial -t:

• rolig (calm) → snakker rolig (speaks calmly) Compare: høy (high) → snakker høyt (speaks loudly).

Can I move rolig to other positions?

Yes, but some placements sound more natural than others.

• Most natural here: …til å gre håret rolig (med den blå kammen).
• Also possible: …til å gre håret med den blå kammen rolig (slightly heavier at the end).
• Before the verb: …til å rolig gre håret is possible, but less common in writing.
• Avoid: …til rolig å gre håret (feels awkward).

Adverbs like rolig are flexible; place them where the rhythm and emphasis work best, but prefer after the object in infinitive phrases.

Why do we have both den and -en in den blå kammen?

This is the “double definiteness” rule. When a definite noun is modified by an adjective, you must use:

• the fronted definite article (den/det/de),
• the adjective,
• and the noun with the definite suffix.

So: den blå kammen, det store huset, de gamle bøkene.
Without an adjective, you just use the suffix: kammen (the comb).
Don’t say blå kammen (missing the fronted article).

Could I say med en blå kam or med blå kam instead of med den blå kammen?

• med den blå kammen = with the specific blue comb (already known in context).
• med en blå kam = with a blue comb (any blue comb; indefinite).
• med blå kam = with a comb (generic instrument). This zero-article form is less common here; Norwegian usually prefers an article with count nouns, but you may see bare-instrument uses in set expressions.

What forms does the adjective blå take?

• Masculine/feminine singular: blå (en blå kam, ei blå jakke)
• Neuter singular: blått (et blått hus)
• Definite singular with adjective: den/det
  • blå
    • definite noun (den blå kammen, det blå huset)
• Plural: blå (blå kammer, de blå kamene)

Note: blå does not add an extra -e in the definite; it stays blå.

How do you conjugate å gre (to comb)?

• Infinitive: å gre
• Present: grer (Hun grer håret.)
• Preterite (past): gredde (Hun gredde håret.)
• Past participle: gredd (Hun har gredd håret.)
• Imperative: Gre!

Common learner error: writing greide/har greid for this verb. That’s the verb å greie (“to manage/handle/explain”), which is different.

Is å gre the same as å greie?

No.

• å gre = to comb (hair)
• å greie = to manage/handle; also “to explain” or “sort out” in some contexts.
  Be careful with the past: gredd/gredde belongs to gre, while greid/greide belongs to greie.

What’s the difference between å gre håret and å børste håret?

• å gre håret: to comb hair (with a kam/comb), typically to detangle or part it.
• å børste håret: to brush hair (with a børste/brush), typically for smoothing.
  Both are common; choose the verb that matches the tool and action.

Does rolig here mean “slowly” or “quietly”?

Rolig primarily means “calm(ly), gentle(ly).” In the context of hair, it’s best read as “gently/calmly,” which often implies not rushing and being careful. If you want to emphasize speed, sakte = “slowly.” For “quietly” (in terms of sound), use stille.

Is the sentence implying she’s especially good with that particular blue comb?

Yes, using the definite phrase med den blå kammen suggests a specific comb known to the speaker and listener. If you want to state a general skill without tying it to that comb, you could say:

• Hun er flink til å gre håret rolig.
  If you want to mention the tool generically:
• Hun er flink til å gre håret rolig med en kam.