Jeg setter pris på hjelpen din.

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Breakdown of Jeg setter pris på hjelpen din.

• din: your
• hjelpen: the help
• sette pris på: to appreciate

Questions & Answers about Jeg setter pris på hjelpen din.

What does the phrase setter pris på literally mean, and why does it mean “appreciate”?

Literally, å sette pris på means “to set a price on.” By extension it came to mean “to value” something, i.e., “to appreciate.” It’s an idiom: you should learn sette pris på [something] as a fixed expression meaning “appreciate.” For actual pricing, Norwegians typically say sette prisen (på noe) (“set the price (of something)”).

Why is it på and not for after setter pris?

Because sette pris på is a fixed collocation. You must keep på. If you use for, it becomes a different expression: takk for [noe] (“thank you for [something]”). Both are correct in their own phrases:

• Jeg setter pris på hjelpen din.
• Takk for hjelpen.

Why is it hjelpen with the -en ending?

In Norwegian, when the possessive pronoun comes after the noun (postposed possessive), the noun is in the definite form. So you get:

• hjelpen din (the help your) = “your help” This is the standard pattern: boka mi, bilen min, planen deres, etc.

Can I say din hjelp instead of hjelpen din?