Questions & Answers about Han hoster hele natten.
How do you pronounce the sentence?
- IPA (one common accent): [hɑn ˈhʊstəɾ ˈheːlə ˈnɑtːən]
- Rough guide: hahn HOOS-ter HAY-leh NAHT-ten Notes:
- The o in hoster is like the vowel in English foot.
- The tt in natten is a long/double t.
- Final -er is typically pronounced with a schwa: -ə and a light tap r.
Why is natten definite when English says “all night” (no “the”)?
Norwegian uses hele + definite singular to mean “the whole [period]”:
- hele natten = the whole night (= “all night”) This is a pattern: hele dagen (all day), hele uken/uka (all week), etc.
Can I say hele natt?
No. You have two natural options:
- en hel natt = a whole night (indefinite)
- hele natten = the whole night / all night (definite)
What’s the difference between natten and natta?