Hun er enig, men han er uenig i detaljene.

Breakdown of Hun er enig, men han er uenig i detaljene.

han
he
hun
she
i
in
men
but
detaljen
the detail
være enig
to agree
være uenig
to disagree
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Norwegian grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Norwegian now

Questions & Answers about Hun er enig, men han er uenig i detaljene.

Why is it er enig instead of using a verb meaning “agree”?

Norwegian expresses “to agree” with the construction å være enig (“to be in agreement”), not with a standalone verb. So you say:

  • jeg er enig (I agree), past jeg var enig
  • To talk about reaching agreement: vi ble enige or å bli enige om noe (we came to agree on something)
How do the prepositions with enig/uenig work: med, i, and om?

They signal different relationships:

  • enig/uenig med [person] = agree/disagree with someone (a person)
  • enig/uenig i [påstand/argument/detaljer] = agree/disagree with a statement, argument, or parts/details of something
  • enig/uenig om [tema/sak/detaljer] = be in (dis)agreement about a topic/issue/details (the matter under discussion) All three are common; choose based on what you’re linking to: person, content, or topic.
Is i detaljene the only option, or can I say om detaljene?

Both i detaljene and om detaljene are idiomatic.

  • i detaljene highlights the disagreement “in the details themselves” (inside the finer points of a plan/argument).
  • om detaljene treats the details as the topic they disagree about. Many speakers default to om here, but your sentence with i is also fine.
Do enig/uenig change form for gender or number?

In the singular, enig/uenig do not change for gender or neuter: han/hun/barnet er enig/uenig.
In the plural they take -e: de er enige/uenige.
Note: No neuter -t form is used (*enigt is not used in modern Bokmål).

Why is it detaljene and not detaljer? What are the forms of “detalj”?

detaljene is the definite plural (“the details”), implying a specific, known set. Use detaljer (indefinite plural) for details in general. Forms:

  • en detalj (a detail)
  • detaljen (the detail)
  • detaljer (details)
  • detaljene (the details)
Why is there a comma before men?
men (“but”) is a coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses, and Norwegian convention places a comma before it: …, men …. Your comma is correct.
What’s the word order after men? Could it be “men er han uenig”?

After men, you start a new main clause with normal main-clause order: subject first, then the finite verb. Hence men han er uenig.
If you front an adverbial, the V2 rule still applies: Men i detaljene er han uenig (adverbial – verb – subject).

Can I use mens instead of men?

Yes, mens (“while/whereas”) is possible: Hun er enig, mens han er uenig i detaljene.

  • men = simple contrast (“but”)
  • mens = contrast with a “whereas/at the same time” nuance
Is there any difference between uenig and ikke enig?
Both are correct, but uenig is often felt as a bit stronger or more direct. ikke enig can sound slightly softer or non-committal. Word order with negation: Han er ikke enig i detaljene.
Are there alternative pronouns to hun and han?
  • hun (she) and han (he) are standard Bokmål.
  • hen is a gender‑neutral singular pronoun increasingly used in Norwegian.
  • ho is common in many dialects and in Nynorsk.
  • hu is a colloquial spoken variant of hun in some areas but not standard in writing.
Is uenig written with a hyphen (u-enig)?
No. The negative prefix u- attaches directly: uenig. No hyphen.
How do you pronounce the tricky words here?

Approximate guide:

  • hun: “hoon” (fronted u)
  • er: “air”
  • enig: “AY-nee” (g often silent)
  • uenig: “oo-AY-nee” (two syllables: u‑enig)
  • men: “men”
  • han: “hahn”
  • detaljene: “deh-TAHL-yeh-neh” (the j is a y-sound)