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Questions & Answers about Barna hopper i hagen.
What does each word express grammatically?
- Barna = definite plural of the neuter noun barn (child): et barn (a child), barn (children), barnet (the child), barna/barnene (the children).
- hopper = present tense of å hoppe (to jump).
- i = the preposition “in.”
- hagen = definite singular of the masculine noun hage (garden/yard): en hage, hagen, hager, hagene.
Why is there no “are” or “-ing” like in English “are jumping”?
Norwegian doesn’t use a separate progressive form. The simple present hopper covers both “jump” and “are jumping.” If you need to stress the ongoing nature, you can add words: Barna hopper nå, or periphrases like Barna holder på å hoppe / Barna står og hopper.
Why is it Barna and not Barnene?
Both are correct Bokmål definite plurals of barn. Barna is more common and stylistically neutral; barnene is also accepted. Meaning is the same.
Why is it i hagen and not på hagen?
With places that are enclosed or seen as “inside,” Norwegian typically uses i (in): i huset, i skogen, i hagen. På hagen is not standard in Bokmål (though some dialects might say it). På is used with many institutions/surfaces/areas: på skolen, på jobben, på bordet, på lekeplassen.
What’s the difference between i hagen and inn i hagen?
- i hagen = location (they are jumping in the garden).
- inn i hagen = movement into the garden (they jump into the garden). The adverb inn marks motion to the inside.
How do I say “in a garden” instead of “in the garden”?
Use the indefinite: i en hage. Your sentence becomes Barna hopper i en hage.
How do I make a yes/no question?
Invert subject and verb: Hopper barna i hagen? (Are the children jumping in the garden?)
Where does negation go?
Place ikke after the finite verb in main clauses: Barna hopper ikke i hagen. In a yes/no question: Hopper barna ikke i hagen? (less common; usually you’d ask for confirmation: Hopper ikke barna i hagen?)
Does the verb change with plural subjects?
No. Norwegian verbs don’t agree with person or number. Jeg hopper, du hopper, barna hopper—all use hopper.
How do I pronounce the sentence?
- Barna: in many dialects the rn becomes a retroflex nasal
- hopper: short o (double consonant gives a short vowel), often [ˈhɔpːeɾ].
- i: [i] (like English “ee”).
- hagen: long a and hard g: [ˈhɑːɡən]. Dialects vary, but this is a common Bokmål pronunciation.
What are the main forms of å hoppe I should know?
- Infinitive: å hoppe
- Present: hopper
- Past: hoppet (also hoppa in colloquial Bokmål)
- Present perfect: har hoppet (also har hoppa colloquially)
- Imperative: Hopp!
Is hage masculine, and what are its forms?
Yes, masculine in Bokmål:
- en hage (a garden)
- hagen (the garden)
- hager (gardens)
- hagene (the gardens)
Can I say “the little children” and how does definiteness work with adjectives?
With adjectives before a definite noun, Norwegian uses “double definiteness”: de små barna (the little children). Without an adjective, just barna (not de barna, unless de means “those” in a specific context, e.g., de barna som bor her = those children who live here).
Does hage mean “yard” or only “garden”?
Norwegian hage often covers what English calls a yard or garden around a house. Be careful with gård—that’s a farm. For “backyard,” you might hear bakgård (more like a back courtyard) or simply hage with context (bak i hagen = in the back of the garden/yard).
Where do time/place and frequency adverbs go?
A common neutral order is Subject – Verb – (frequency/negation) – Place – Time.
- Barna hopper ofte i hagen i dag.
- With “now”: Barna hopper i hagen nå (also Barna hopper nå i hagen is heard).