Stuen ser støvete ut.

The living room looks dusty.

Breakdown of Stuen ser støvete ut.

• se ut: to look
• stuen: the living room
• støvete: dusty

Questions & Answers about Stuen ser støvete ut.

Why do we need ut after ser?

Because se ut is a phrasal verb meaning “to look/appear.” With adjectives, the pattern is ser + adjective + ut: ser fin ut, ser gammel ut, ser støvete ut. Without ut, se means “to see,” not “to look (appear).” Note that se ut av (vinduet) means “to look out of (the window)”—different use of ut.

Can I say Stuen er støvete instead?

Yes. Er støvete states it as a fact (“is dusty”), while ser støvete ut describes the appearance (“looks dusty,” maybe without having checked). Both are common; choose based on what you want to convey.

Why does støvete end with -e? Does it agree with stuen?

Støvete is an e‑stem adjective; it keeps the same form in masculine/feminine, neuter, and plural, both attributively and predicatively. Examples:

• en støvete stue / ei støvete stue
• et støvete rom
• to støvete rom
• Stuen/rommet er støvete. Definiteness doesn’t change the predicative form.

Is stue masculine or feminine? Why stuen and not stua?

In Bokmål, stue can be masculine or feminine. You can use:

• masculine: en stue – stuen
• feminine: ei stue – stua Both are correct; stua is very common in speech, stuen can feel a bit more formal/traditional.

Where does ut go? Could I say Stuen ser ut støvete?

No. The fixed order is adjective before ut: Stuen ser støvete ut. In a yes/no question: Ser stuen støvete ut? In a subordinate clause: … at stuen ser støvete ut.

How do I make it negative or add degree words?

• Negation (main clause): Stuen ser ikke støvete ut.
• Degree words before the adjective: Stuen ser veldig/ganske/litt støvete ut. In a subordinate clause, negation comes before the verb: … at stuen ikke ser støvete ut.

How do I say it in the past or present perfect?

• Preterite: I går så stuen støvete ut.
• Present perfect: Stuen har sett støvete ut i det siste. The particle ut stays at the end.

What’s the difference between ser … ut, ser ut som, and ser ut til å?

• ser + adj + ut: looks [adjective]. Example: Stuen ser støvete ut.
• ser ut som + noun/clause: looks like. Example: Stuen ser ut som et lager.
• ser ut til å + infinitive: seems to. Example: Det ser ut til å bli regn. / Stuen ser ut til å være støvete.

Can I say Det ser støvete ut i stuen?

Yes. Det ser støvete ut i stuen/stua focuses on the general look/atmosphere in the living room, rather than making the room itself the grammatical subject. Both versions are natural.

Is støvet different from støvete?

Yes. Støvet is the definite form of the noun støv (“the dust”). Støvet is also an adjective meaning “dusty,” often with a figurative sense like “stuffy/old‑fashioned.” For literal dust on surfaces, støvete is the default: Stuen ser støvete ut. Using støvet as an adjective can sound more figurative.

How do I pronounce the tricky vowels in stuen, støvete, and ut?

• u (in stuen, ut) is a front‑rounded vowel (like French u or German ü). Try saying “ee” while rounding your lips.
• ø (in støvete) is like the vowel in British “bird” but rounded. Approximate syllables: STU‑en [STYOO-en], STØ‑ve‑te [STUR-veh-teh], ut [yoot], with a fronted “u.”

Why is the article attached to the end of stue (as -en)?

Norwegian has a suffixed definite article: stue → stuen/stua (“the living room”). With an adjective placed before a definite noun, you use the “double definite”: den støvete stuen / den støvete stua. In the given sentence the adjective is predicative, so you just use stuen/stua.

Are there synonyms for støvete?

• støvfylt (“dust‑filled”) is stronger/more literal: Stuen ser støvfylt ut.
• møkkete/skitten means “dirty” more generally. For everyday “dusty,” støvete is the most neutral choice.

How do I place time expressions?

Time adverbs typically go first (V2 word order): I dag ser stuen støvete ut. You can also put them later: Stuen ser støvete ut i dag.

Can I use other verbs like virker or fremstår?

Yes:

• Stuen virker støvete. (seems/comes across as; not restricted to visual impression)
• Stuen fremstår som støvete. (more formal) For purely visual appearance, ser … ut is the most idiomatic.