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Hvilken kam er best, og hvilke skåler passer til kjøkkenet?

Hvilken kam er best, og hvilke skåler passer til kjøkkenet?
Which comb is best, and which bowls fit the kitchen?
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Questions & Answers about Hvilken kam er best, og hvilke skåler passer til kjøkkenet?

Why is it hvilken in the first clause but hvilke in the second?

Because Norwegian distinguishes number (and sometimes gender) in the word for which:

  • hvilken = which (singular, common gender: masculine/feminine)
  • hvilket = which (singular, neuter)
  • hvilke = which (plural, all genders)

Here, kam is singular, so hvilken kam, and skåler is plural, so hvilke skåler. Examples:

  • Hvilken kam liker du? (singular)
  • Hvilket glass er ditt? (neuter singular)
  • Hvilke skåler er nye? (plural)
Why is the word order Subject–Verb in these questions instead of Verb–Subject?

In Norwegian wh-questions, if the wh-phrase is the subject, you do not invert; you keep Subject–Verb:

  • Hvilken kam er best? (subject = hvilken kam)
  • Hvilke skåler passer til kjøkkenet? (subject = hvilke skåler)

If the wh-phrase is not the subject, you get Verb–Subject after the wh-word:

  • Hvilke skåler liker du? (wh-object) → liker (V) + du (S)
Why is it best and not beste?

Norwegian superlatives have two common forms:

  • Predicative (after a verb like “to be”): use the short form: best.
    • Denne kammen er best.
  • Attributive (before a noun): use the e-form with a definite article: beste.
    • den beste kammen (the best comb)

So Hvilken kam er best? is correct.

Why is it skåler and not skålene after hvilke?

With hvilke, the noun stays in the indefinite plural. You don’t combine hvilke with the definite ending -ene.

  • Correct: hvilke skåler
  • Incorrect: hvilke skålene

Quick forms for the noun:

  • en/ei skål (a bowl)
  • skålen/skåla (the bowl)
  • skåler (bowls)
  • skålene (the bowls)
What does passer til mean, and how is it different from passer for or passe på?
  • passe til = go with/match/suit something (as a combination or purpose)
    • Disse skålene passer til kjøkkenet.
  • passe for = be suitable/appropriate for (often a person or target group/time)
    • Filmen passer for barn.
  • passe på = look after, take care of, pay attention to
    • Kan du passe på hunden?

In the sentence, passer til expresses “match/go well with (the kitchen).”

Why is it til “to/for” the kitchen, not for, på, or i?

Because the verb collocation is passe til. Preposition choices:

  • til with passe means “go/match with” or “be for (a purpose).”
  • for with passe usually means “suitable for” a person/group/time: passer for barn.
  • på kjøkkenet = “in/at the kitchen” (location), not matching: Vi er på kjøkkenet.
  • i kjøkkenet is uncommon for location; på kjøkkenet is idiomatic for “in the kitchen.”
Why is it kjøkkenet (definite) here?

You’re talking about a specific, known kitchen (likely “our/the kitchen”), so the definite form kjøkkenet is natural. Compare:

  • til kjøkkenet = for the (specific) kitchen
  • til et kjøkken = for a kitchen (any kitchen, not specific)

Base forms of the noun:

  • et kjøkken (a kitchen)
  • kjøkkenet (the kitchen)
  • kjøkken (kitchens, plural ind.)
  • kjøkkenene (the kitchens)
Is the comma before og necessary or correct?
It’s acceptable here to separate two full questions: Hvilken kam er best, og hvilke skåler passer til kjøkkenet? Norwegian typically doesn’t require a comma before og when linking clauses, but writers often add one to mark a clear pause or to keep the two questions visually distinct. You could also write it without the comma.
How do I pronounce the tricky bits like hvilken, skåler, and kjøkkenet?
  • hv-: the h is silent; hvilken sounds like “VIL-ken.”
  • kj-: a soft, hissy sound like German ich; kjøkkenet ≈ “HYU-kken-eh(t)” (with a short, weak final -e).
  • å: like the vowel in English “law”; skål ≈ “skawl,” skåler ≈ “SKAW-ler.”
  • ø: rounded vowel like French eu; kjøkken has that vowel in the first syllable.
  • og is often pronounced like å in casual speech, but it’s always written og.
Do verbs change form for plural subjects in Norwegian?

No. Verbs don’t agree with number. Present tense is the same for singular and plural:

  • Skålen passer.
  • Skålene passer. Likewise, er (“is/are”) is the same for all persons and numbers.
Could I say this in other natural ways?

Yes, for example:

  • Hvilken kam er den beste?
  • Hvilken er den beste kammen?
  • Hvilke skåler passer best til kjøkkenet?
  • Hvilke skåler passer til dette kjøkkenet? (this kitchen)

Using den beste emphasizes “the best one” among the set; adding best in the second clause makes the two halves more parallel in style.

Can I use hva slags or hvilken type instead of hvilke?
  • hva slags skåler = what kind of bowls (asking about type/category, open-ended)
  • hvilken type skåler = which type of bowls (a bit more formal/explicit)
  • hvilke skåler = which bowls (selecting from a known set) Choose based on whether you want type vs. a specific selection.
What genders are the nouns here, and why does that matter?
  • kam is masculine: en kam, kammen.
  • skål is feminine (often used as common gender in Bokmål): ei/en skål, skåla/skålen.
  • kjøkken is neuter: et kjøkken, kjøkkenet.

This matters for determiners like hvilken/hvilket/hvilke:

  • hvilken kam (singular common)
  • hvilket kjøkken (singular neuter)
  • hvilke skåler (plural)
Why not say Hvilke skåler som passer til kjøkkenet?

In a direct question you don’t insert som like that. You either ask:

  • Hvilke skåler passer til kjøkkenet? (direct) or use a cleft construction:
  • Hvilke skåler er det som passer til kjøkkenet? The version with som but without er det is ungrammatical as a direct question.