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Questions & Answers about Siden er nede.
What exactly does siden refer to here—one web page or the whole website?
In everyday Norwegian, siden can refer to either the current web page or, more loosely, the website. For clarity:
- nettside = a web page (definite: nettsiden)
- nettsted = a website (definite: nettstedet) If you want to avoid ambiguity, say Nettstedet er nede for “the website is down.” In many contexts, Siden er nede will still be understood correctly from context.
Where is the word the? Why is it siden and not side?
Norwegian usually marks definiteness with a suffix, not a separate word. side = “page,” siden = “the page.” So siden already contains the meaning of the.
Why siden and not sida?
In Bokmål, many feminine nouns can be used with either feminine or “masculine-style” endings:
- Feminine: ei side (indef.), sida (def.)
- Common/masculine form: en side (indef.), siden (def.) Both are correct in Bokmål. siden is very common in writing; sida is also common, especially in speech and in dialects. In Nynorsk, you must use the feminine forms (ei side / sida).
Could siden also mean since?
Yes, siden can mean since (as a conjunction or preposition), but then it must introduce or relate to a clause or time expression, e.g., Siden det regnet, dro vi hjem (Since it rained…). The standalone Siden er nede cannot mean “Since is down,” so here siden clearly means “the page.”
Why is it nede and not ned?
Norwegian distinguishes state vs. movement:
- nede = in a down/low state or position (static). Use with er (to be): er nede = “is down.”
- ned = movement downwards. Use with motion verbs: går ned (goes down), faller ned (falls down). So Siden er nede describes a state, which is why nede is correct.
Is ligger nede more idiomatic than er nede?
Both are idiomatic. For systems and services, ligger nede is very common: Tjenesten ligger nede. er nede is also natural and perhaps a bit more neutral. You can use either.
How do I pronounce the sentence?
A simple approximation: SEE-den air NAY-deh.
More precisely (one common pronunciation): [ˈsiːdən ær ˈneːdə].
Notes:
- si in siden is a long “ee” sound.
- r in er is tapped or trilled depending on dialect.
- Final -e in nede is a schwa-like sound.
How do I turn it into a yes/no question?
Invert subject and verb: Er siden nede?
Short answer examples: Ja, den er nede. / Nei, den er oppe.
Use den for siden (common gender).
Which pronoun do I use if I refer back to siden?
Use den (common gender): Siden er nede. Den kommer opp igjen snart.
If you used nettstedet (neuter), then use det: Nettstedet er nede. Det kommer opp igjen snart.
How do I say “the pages are down”?
Plural of side is sider (indef.) and sidene (def.).
So: Sidene er nede. = “The pages are down.”
How do I talk about other tenses/aspect, like “has been down,” “was down,” or “went down”?
- Has been down: har vært nede (e.g., Siden har vært nede i to timer.)
- Was down: var nede (e.g., Siden var nede i går.)
- Went down: gikk ned or krasjet (e.g., Siden gikk ned klokka to. / Siden krasjet.)
How do I say it’s back up?
- Siden er oppe (igjen).
- More colloquial: Siden er oppe og går igjen.
Note the pair nede (down) vs. oppe (up).
Are there more formal or alternative ways to say “down”?
Yes:
- ute av drift = out of service
- utilgjengelig = unavailable/inaccessible
- nede for vedlikehold = down for maintenance Example: Nettstedet er ute av drift på grunn av vedlikehold.
Could nede mean “downstairs” and cause confusion?
nede can mean “downstairs” for people/places (e.g., Jeg er nede = I’m downstairs). With a website/page, context makes it clear it means “down/unavailable,” not “downstairs.”
Do I need any preposition like på or i here?
No. You simply say Siden er nede. Prepositions appear in other contexts, e.g., på siden = “on the page,” but not in this down/up status expression.
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