Jeg dekker bordet til middag.

I set the table for dinner.

Breakdown of Jeg dekker bordet til middag.

• jeg: I
• bordet: the table
• middagen: the dinner
• til: for
• dekke: to set

Questions & Answers about Jeg dekker bordet til middag.

What does dekker mean here, and is it the same verb as “to cover”?

Yes, it is the same verb.

• The basic meaning of å dekke is to cover.
• In the context of a table, å dekke (bordet) is an idiomatic expression that means to set the table (to put plates, cutlery, glasses, etc. on it).

So:

• Snøen dekker bakken = The snow covers the ground.
• Jeg dekker bordet til middag = I set the table for dinner.

Same verb, different common usage.

Why is it bordet and not et bord or just bord?

Norwegian usually marks “the” by adding a suffix to the noun.

• et bord = a table (indefinite, neuter)
• bordet = the table (definite, neuter)

In this sentence, you’re talking about a specific, known table (for example, the dining table at home), so you use the definite form bordet.

Using et bord here would sound like “I set a table for dinner”, which is unusual unless you’re in a place with many tables and you’re only setting one of them.

What gender is bord, and how does that affect its forms?

Bord is neuter in Norwegian.

The basic forms are:

• Indefinite singular: et bord (a table)
• Definite singular: bordet (the table)
• Indefinite plural: bord (tables)
• Definite plural: bordene (the tables)

Because it’s neuter, its indefinite article is et, and the definite singular ending is -et.

Why is til used in til middag instead of for, like in English “for dinner”?

In this expression, til shows purpose / occasion and often corresponds to English “for”:

• Jeg dekker bordet til middag ≈ I set the table for dinner.
• Jeg baker kake til bursdagen din = I’m baking a cake for your birthday.

In Norwegian, for isn’t used in this context. You need til to express “for (the occasion of) dinner” or “for (the purpose of) dinner”.

Does til middag mean “until dinner”?

Not in this sentence.

Til can mean until, but here it clearly means for / for the occasion of.

• Jeg jobber til middag = I work until dinner.
• Jeg dekker bordet til middag = I set the table for dinner.

The verb and context decide whether til is understood as for or until. With dekke bordet, it’s naturally read as for.

Can I move til middag earlier in the sentence, like Til middag dekker jeg bordet?

Yes, that word order is grammatically correct, but the emphasis changes.

• Jeg dekker bordet til middag.
  Neutral, everyday order. Focus is on the action: “I set the table for dinner.”

• Til middag dekker jeg bordet.
  Sounds more like you’re contrasting or emphasizing the time/occasion:

  • “For dinner I’ll set the table (and maybe for breakfast someone else will).”

In normal, neutral speech, the original order (Jeg dekker bordet til middag) is the most natural.

Can Jeg dekker bordet til middag also mean “I will set the table for dinner” (future)?

Yes, it can.

Norwegian often uses the present tense to talk about near future, especially when the future event is planned or obvious from context:

• Jeg dekker bordet til middag.
  Can be:
  • “I am setting the table for dinner (now).”
  • “I will set the table for dinner (later today).”

If you want to clearly mark the future, you can say:

• Jeg skal dekke bordet til middag. = I will/shall set the table for dinner.
• Jeg skal dekke bordet før middag. = I will set the table before dinner.

Could I also say Jeg dekker bordet til lunsj or til frokost?

Yes, the pattern is the same:

• Jeg dekker bordet til frokost. = I set the table for breakfast.
• Jeg dekker bordet til lunsj. = I set the table for lunch.
• Jeg dekker bordet til middag. = I set the table for dinner.

You just change the meal word at the end.

What exactly does middag mean in Norwegian? Is it lunch, dinner, or “midday”?

In modern Norwegian everyday speech, middag usually means the main hot meal of the day, which for many people is around 4–6 p.m. In English this is usually translated as “dinner”.

So:

• frokost = breakfast
• lunsj = lunch (often lighter)
• middag = main meal / dinner

Historically middag is related to “midday”, but in current usage it’s not “noon”; it’s the main meal, usually in the late afternoon / early evening.

Is there a difference between å dekke bordet, å dekke bord, and å dekke på bordet?

Yes, small differences in usage:

• å dekke bordet
  Very common in Bokmål. Means to set the table. This is what your sentence uses.

• å dekke bord
  More general/less specific; can be used, especially in plural or in professional contexts:

  • Jeg dekker bord i restauranten. = I’m setting tables in the restaurant.

• å dekke på (bordet)
  Also means to set the table, often heard in speech:

  • Jeg dekker på nå. = I’m setting the table now.
  • Jeg dekker på bordet.

All three can be understood as “set the table”, but dekke (bordet) and dekke på (bordet) are the most typical ways to say it at home.

Can I drop jeg and just say Dekker bordet til middag?

Not in standard Norwegian.

Norwegian normally requires the subject pronoun, unlike some languages that happily drop it:

• Jeg dekker bordet til middag. ✅
• Dekker bordet til middag. ❌ (sounds like something is missing)

If you give an order, you use the imperative and drop the subject, but the verb form changes:

• Dekk bordet til middag! = Set the table for dinner! (command)

How is dekker pronounced?

Key points for standard Eastern Norwegian pronunciation:

• de: like “deh”, with a short e (as in “bed”).
• kk: a long / strong k-sound. Double consonants mean the preceding vowel is short.
• er: the e is again like “bed”, and r is usually a tap or light roll with the tip of the tongue.

Roughly: DEH-ker, with a short first syllable and a slightly longer k.