Questions & Answers about Vi løfter bordet sammen.
What role does each word play in the sentence?
- Vi: subject pronoun meaning “we.”
- løfter: present tense of the verb å løfte (“to lift”); 3rd person and 1st/2nd persons all use the same present ending in Norwegian.
- bordet: direct object in the definite singular (“the table”). Base noun is bord (neuter).
- sammen: adverb meaning “together.”
Why is “the” attached to the noun in bordet instead of being a separate word?
Norwegian uses a suffixed definite article for most nouns.
- Indefinite singular: et bord (“a table”)
- Definite singular: bordet (“the table”)
- Indefinite plural: bord
- Definite plural: bordene (also accepted: borda) Because you’re referring to a specific table, you use the definite form bordet.
How do I pronounce the words, especially ø and the rd in bordet?
Approximate IPA and tips (dialects vary):
- Vi: /viː/ (“vee”).
- løfter: /ˈløf.tər/ or /ˈlœf.tər/. The ø is like German ö or French eu in “peu.”
- bordet: East Norwegian often has retroflex for rd: /ˈbuːɖə/; other dialects may say /ˈbuːɾe/. Think “BOOR-deh,” with a short final vowel.
- sammen: /ˈsɑmːən/. Double m makes the preceding vowel short: “SAH-men.” R can be a tapped/trilled [r] or a uvular [ʁ], depending on region.
Is the word order fixed? Where does usually go?