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Breakdown of Etter prøven får hun karakteren sin i appen.
hun
she
i
in
etter
after
få
to get
appen
the app
sin
her
karakteren
the grade
prøven
the test
Questions & Answers about Etter prøven får hun karakteren sin i appen.
Why is the verb before the subject in Etter prøven får hun ...?
Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb is always in second position. When you front an adverbial like Etter prøven, it occupies the first slot, so the verb får must come next, then the subject hun.
- Hun får karakteren sin i appen etter prøven. (subject first)
- Etter prøven får hun karakteren sin i appen. (adverbial first; verb still 2nd)
Why is present tense (får) used for a future event?
Norwegian often uses the present for scheduled or expected future events when a time expression makes the timing clear: Etter prøven får hun ... You could also say skal få (plan/arrangement) or vil få (prediction), but plain present is natural and neutral here.
What’s the difference between sin and hennes here?
Sin/sitt/sine is the reflexive possessive that refers back to the subject of the same clause. Since the subject is hun, karakteren sin = her own grade. Hennes is non‑reflexive and usually refers to some other woman’s thing, or it’s used for contrast.
- Etter prøven får Maria karakteren sin. = Maria gets her own grade.
- Etter prøven får Maria karakteren hennes. = Maria gets another woman’s grade.
Why karakteren sin and not sin karakter?
Postposed possessives (noun + definite suffix + possessive) are the most common with sin: karakteren sin. If you put the possessive before the noun (sin karakter), the noun becomes indefinite and the style can sound more formal/emphatic. Both are grammatically possible, but karakteren sin is the everyday, idiomatic choice here.
Why is karakteren in the definite form?
Two reasons:
- With a postposed possessive (noun + possessive), the noun must take the definite ending: karakteren sin.
- Pragmatically it’s one specific grade (the one from the test), so definite fits anyway.
Does sin agree with the possessor (hun) or with the thing owned (karakter)?
It agrees with the thing owned.
- Masculine/feminine singular: sin (e.g., karakteren sin, boka si)
- Neuter singular: sitt (e.g., brevet sitt)
- Plural: sine (e.g., karakterene sine) The possessor’s gender doesn’t matter.
Could I say Hun får karakteren hennes?
Grammatically yes, but it changes the meaning to “She gets her (another woman’s) grade.” To say it’s her own grade, use sin in the same clause as the subject: Hun får karakteren sin.
Why i appen and not på appen?
For software you usually use i (in): i appen, i programmet, i nettleseren. På is used for platforms and surfaces: på telefonen, på nettet, på skjermen. Some people say på appen colloquially, but i appen is the standard choice.
How is app inflected in Norwegian?
It’s treated as a masculine noun in Bokmål:
- en app
- appen
- apper
- appene You’ll also see the more formal synonym applikasjon(en).
Can I write Etter at prøven ...?
No. Use:
- Etter prøven ... when etter is followed by a noun phrase.
- Etter at ... when it’s followed by a clause: Etter at hun har tatt prøven, får hun karakteren sin i appen.
What’s the difference between prøve and eksamen?
Prøve is a test or quiz (often smaller, more frequent). Eksamen is an exam (usually larger, formal, end‑of‑course). Both inflect like masculine nouns: en prøve/eksamen – prøven/eksamenen.
Where does ikke go if I want to negate the sentence?
In a main clause, ikke comes after the finite verb (and the subject), before most objects:
- Etter prøven får hun ikke karakteren sin i appen. With subject first:
- Hun får ikke karakteren sin i appen etter prøven.
Can I change the word order and put the time expression at the end?
Yes. Both are fine and mean the same:
- Hun får karakteren sin i appen etter prøven.
- Etter prøven får hun karakteren sin i appen. Keep the V2 rule when you front something.
Could I drop sin and just say Hun får karakteren i appen?
You can, but it becomes ambiguous—it could mean “the grade” without specifying whose. In many contexts it would still be understood as hers, but sin makes the ownership explicit and is the most natural choice here.
What are the principal parts of få?
- Infinitive: få
- Present: får
- Preterite: fikk
- Past participle: fått It’s irregular.
Why hun and not henne?
Hun is the subject form (nominative). Henne is the object form, used after verbs and prepositions: Jeg så henne, til henne. Here, she is the subject of får, so it must be hun.
Does karakter always mean “grade”?
No. Karakter can also mean “character” (personality or a fictional character). In school contexts, it means a grade. Context and common collocations make it clear: få en karakter, karaktersnitt, standpunktkarakter all refer to grades.
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