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Min datter liker å tegne etter skolen.

Min datter liker å tegne etter skolen.
My daughter likes to draw after school.

Breakdown of Min datter liker å tegne etter skolen.

skolen
the school
å
to
like
to like
min
my
etter
after
datteren
the daughter
tegne
to draw
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Questions & Answers about Min datter liker å tegne etter skolen.

Why is it Min datter and not Datter min?

Norwegian possessives normally go before the noun:

  • min datter = my daughter

However, Norwegian also allows possessives after the noun:

  • datteren min = literally the daughter my

Both are correct, but:

  • min datter sounds a bit more neutral/formal/written
  • datteren min is very common in everyday speech

You cannot say datter min (without the -en ending). If the possessive is after the noun, the noun must be definite: datterEN min.

What’s the difference between min datter and datteren min?

They both mean my daughter.

  • min datter

    • Possessive before the noun
    • Noun is indefinite (datter)
    • Slightly more formal / typical in written Norwegian

  • datteren min

    • Possessive after the noun
    • Noun is definite (datteren = the daughter)
    • Very common in spoken language

Semantically they’re almost the same; the difference is mostly style and word order.

Why is it min and not mi for datter?

In Bokmål, datter is grammatically feminine, so in theory you could use:

  • mi datter (feminine form of my)

But in standard Bokmål you are also allowed to treat many feminine nouns as masculine and use:

  • min datter

Both mi datter and min datter are correct, but min datter is more common and sounds more neutral, especially in writing.

What does liker mean exactly, and how is it used?

liker is the present tense of å like = to like.

Pattern:

  • Jeg liker kaffe. – I like coffee.
  • Min datter liker å tegne. – My daughter likes to draw.

You use liker for general preferences, similar to English like.
Stronger emotions use å elske (to love): Jeg elsker deg – I love you.

Why do we need å in liker å tegne?

å is the infinitive marker, similar to English to before a verb.

  • å tegne = to draw

After verbs like like, hate, want, etc., you normally say:

  • Jeg liker å lese. – I like to read.
  • Hun vil å gå. is wrong → Hun vil gå. (She wants to go. – note: vil doesn’t take å)

So here, liker å tegne is exactly like likes to draw in English.

Why is it å tegne and not å tegner?

After å, the verb must be in the infinitive form:

  • å tegne – to draw (infinitive)
  • tegner – draw(s) (present tense)

So you say:

  • Min datter tegner. – My daughter draws / is drawing.
  • Min datter liker å tegne. – My daughter likes to draw.

Putting -r after å (å tegner) is always wrong.

Can I say Min datter liker tegne etter skolen without å?

No. You must have å before the infinitive verb in this structure:

  • ✅ Min datter liker å tegne etter skolen.
  • ❌ Min datter liker tegne etter skolen.

Without å, it sounds ungrammatical in Norwegian.

Why is it etter skolen and not etter skole?

In Norwegian, after time-related prepositions like etter, før, på, etc., you often use the definite form of the noun when talking about a known / typical activity:

  • etter skolen – after (the) school → idiomatically after school
  • på skolen – at (the) school → at school

etter skole is not idiomatic here. The natural way to say after school in Norwegian is etter skolen.

Why doesn’t skolen have a separate word for the in front of it?

Norwegian usually attaches the definite article to the end of the noun instead of using a separate word:

  • skole – school
  • skolen – the school
  • jente – girl → jenta – the girl

So etter skolen literally is after school-the, which corresponds to English after the school / after school depending on context.

Can etter skolen mean behind the school?

No, not in this sentence.

  • etter normally means after (in time or order)
  • bak means behind (in place)

So:

  • etter skolen – after school (time)
  • bak skolen – behind the school (place)
Can I put the time phrase at the beginning: Etter skolen liker min datter å tegne?

Yes, that is correct Norwegian and sounds natural, especially in writing:

  • Min datter liker å tegne etter skolen.
  • Etter skolen liker min datter å tegne.

When you move Etter skolen to the front, Norwegian applies verb-second word order, so the verb liker must stay as the second element in the sentence.

How do I make this sentence negative: My daughter doesn’t like to draw after school?

You add ikke after liker:

  • Min datter liker ikke å tegne etter skolen. – My daughter doesn’t like to draw after school.

Basic pattern:

  • Subjekt + verb + ikke + rest
  • Jeg liker ikke kaffe. – I don’t like coffee.
  • Han liker ikke å lese. – He doesn’t like to read.
How do I pronounce å, datter, and tegne?

Approximate Bokmål / East Norwegian pronunciation:

  • å – like the vowel in English “bought” or “law” (but shorter)
  • datter – roughly DAH-ter
  • tegne – roughly TAY-ne, with:
    • g silent
    • egn making a diphthong similar to English “eye” (Norwegian /æi/ sound)

So the whole sentence could roughly be:

  • “Min DAH-ter LEE-ker å TAY-ne etter SKOO-len.” (very approximate English-based guide)
Can I use this structure with other activities, like My daughter likes to read after school?

Yes, liker å + infinitive is a very common pattern. Examples:

  • Min datter liker å lese etter skolen. – My daughter likes to read after school.
  • Min sønn liker å spille fotball etter skolen. – My son likes to play football after school.
  • Jeg liker å lage mat. – I like to cook.

Just replace tegne with another infinitive verb.