Questions & Answers about Det meste er allerede betalt.
What exactly is Det meste? Is det just a dummy “it”?
- Det meste is a fixed phrase meaning “most (of it), the bulk.”
- Grammatically, det is the neuter definite article/determiner, and meste is the definite superlative of mye (“much”).
- The whole phrase functions as a singular neuter pronoun-like noun phrase. It is not a dummy/expletive det here.
Why is it meste and not mest?
- Mest is an adverb/quantifier (“most”) and also the superlative used before adjectives, as in det mest interessante (“the most interesting”).
- Det meste is the definite, nominal form meaning “the most part/most of it.”
- So use:
- det meste = “most (of it)” as a noun phrase.
- mest + adjective/adverb = “the most X” (det mest sannsynlige).
When do I use det meste vs de fleste?
- Det meste refers to an amount/portion, often of something mass-like or of a whole: Det meste av regningen …, Det meste av arbeidet …, Det meste av maten …
- De fleste means “most (of the) [countable plural nouns/people]”: De fleste regningene …, De fleste studentene …
- For countable items (books, people, invoices), de fleste is usually the best choice.
Can I specify “most of what” with av?
Yes. Use av to name the whole you’re taking a “most” from:
- Det meste av regningen er allerede betalt.
- Det meste av arbeidet er gjort.
- Det meste av pengene er borte. Avoid using på here; av is the natural preposition for “of.”