En snøball ruller ned bakken.

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Breakdown of En snøball ruller ned bakken.

• ned: down
• bakken: the hill
• snøballen: the snowball

Questions & Answers about En snøball ruller ned bakken.

Why is bakken in the definite form?

Norwegian marks definiteness with a suffix on the noun. bakke = hill (indefinite), bakken = the hill (definite). The sentence refers to a specific/understood hill, so it uses bakken.

Can I say ned en bakke instead of ned bakken?

Yes. ned en bakke means down a hill (non-specific). ned bakken means down the hill (specific).

Why en snøball, not et snøball?

snøball is masculine in Bokmål, so its indefinite article is en, not et (neuter). Forms:

• singular: en snøball → snøballen
• plural: snøballer → snøballene

How do I say it with a definite subject, the snowball?

Use the suffixed definite on the noun: Snøballen ruller ned bakken.

Why does Norwegian use simple present ruller where English would say “is rolling”?

Norwegian uses the simple present for ongoing actions. You can add emphasis with expressions like holder på å rulle or er i ferd med å rulle, but ruller usually suffices.