Breakdown of Hunden bjeffer når postmannen kommer.
hunden
the dog
komme
to come
når
when
postmannen
the mailman
Questions & Answers about Hunden bjeffer når postmannen kommer.
What does the ending -en in the words Hunden and postmannen mean?
It’s the definite article attached to the noun. Norwegian usually puts “the” at the end of the noun.
- en hund = a dog → hunden = the dog
- en postmann = a mailman → postmannen = the mailman Plural (for reference):
- hunder = dogs → hundene = the dogs
- postmenn = mailmen → postmennene = the mailmen
Why are both verbs in the present tense? Shouldn’t it be “is barking” in English?
Norwegian present tense covers both English “barks” and “is barking.” With når (when/whenever), the present here expresses a habitual action: the dog typically barks whenever the mailman comes.
- Right now emphasis: Hunden bjeffer nå (The dog is barking now).
- Ongoing activity construction exists but is less common: Hunden holder på å bjeffe (the dog is in the process of barking).
Can I put the when-clause first? What happens to word order?
Yes. If you front the subordinate clause, the main clause must invert (V2 rule):
- Når postmannen kommer, bjeffer hunden. In main clauses, the finite verb must be in the second position. The fronted clause counts as position 1, so bjeffer comes before hunden.