Breakdown of Jeg vasker med en myk svamp, og oppvasken blir ren.
jeg
I
en
a
med
with
og
and
bli
to become
vaske
to wash
ren
clean
myk
soft
svampen
the sponge
oppvasken
the dishes
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Questions & Answers about Jeg vasker med en myk svamp, og oppvasken blir ren.
Why is there a comma before the og?
In Norwegian you normally put a comma between two independent main clauses. Both Jeg vasker med en myk svamp and oppvasken blir ren are full clauses with their own subjects, so the comma is standard.
Why use blir ren instead of er ren?
blir means “becomes/gets” and signals a change of state or result. er would mean the dishes are already clean. So blir ren fits the cause–result relationship.
Should it be ren or rene after blir?
Use the base form in predicative position: Oppvasken blir ren. Agreement is:
- Masc/fem singular: ren (bilen/jenta er ren)
- Neuter singular: rent (huset er rent)
- Plural: rene (glassene er rene)
Why is it en myk svamp and not en myke svamp?
With indefinite singular nouns, adjectives use the base form: en myk svamp, ei myk jakke, et mykt håndkle. The -e form (myke) is used with plural and with definite nouns: de myke svampene, den myke svampen.
Can I drop the article and say Jeg vasker med myk svamp?
No. Svamp is a count noun, so you need an article: med en myk svamp. You can drop the article with mass nouns: med såpe, med varmt vann.
Is vasker the same as vasker opp?
No. å vaske = to wash (anything). å vaske opp = to wash the dishes specifically. You could say Jeg vasker opp med en myk svamp to stress you’re doing the dishes.
What exactly does oppvasken mean here?
Oppvask can mean the act of washing up or the (dirty) dishes. The definite form oppvasken usually refers to the specific set of dishes/washing up as a task: “the dishes.”
Why use the definite form oppvasken and not just oppvask?
You’re talking about a specific, identifiable set (the dishes from a meal), so Norwegian prefers the definite form: oppvasken. Bare oppvask tends to refer to the activity in general.
What’s the literal makeup of oppvask?
It’s a compound: opp (a particle marking completion) + vask (wash). As a noun, oppvask = washing up/the dishes. As a verb, vaske opp = to do the dishes.
Why is the verb second in each clause?
Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule (the finite verb is in second position).
- Jeg (1) vasker (2) med en myk svamp.
- Oppvasken (1) blir (2) ren. If you front something: Med en myk svamp (1) vasker (2) jeg (3) …
Does Jeg vasker mean “I am washing” or “I wash”?
Both. Norwegian present covers both simple present and present continuous. Context disambiguates.
Pronunciation tips for tricky parts?
- jeg: often [jæi] (some say [jæ]).
- myk: [myːk]; round your lips like for [u] while saying [i].
- oppvasken: long [p] (because pp). The sk here is [sk], not [ʃ], since the -en is a suffix.
- blir: long [iː]; tap or trill the r.
- ren: [reːn].
Could I say Oppvasken blir vasket instead of blir ren?
You could, but it emphasizes the action (“is being washed”) rather than the result. Blir ren foregrounds the outcome (clean), which fits better here.
What gender are svamp and oppvask, and how does that affect forms?
Both are masculine in Bokmål: en svamp – svampen; en oppvask – oppvasken. That’s why you see en and the definite ending -en, and why the predicate adjective is ren (masc/fem form).
Difference between myk and bløt?
Both can mean “soft,” but myk is the default for texture/softness. bløt often implies “soft because wet/soggy” or “moist/soaked.” For a sponge, myk svamp is neutral; bløt svamp highlights that it’s wet/soggy.
Difference between ren and ryddig?
ren = clean (free of dirt). ryddig = tidy/neat (things put in order). A kitchen can be ryddig but not ren, or vice versa.
Can I use så instead of og to show result?
Yes: Jeg vasker med en myk svamp, så blir oppvasken ren. After så (meaning “then/so”), keep V2: blir comes before oppvasken.