Breakdown of Barnet finner helsekortet sitt.
barnet
the child
finne
to find
helsekortet
the health card
sitt
her
Questions & Answers about Barnet finner helsekortet sitt.
Why is it Barnet and not just Barn?
Barn is a neuter noun meaning child. In Norwegian, to say the child, you add the definite suffix:
- et barn = a child
- barnet = the child
For neuter nouns, -et marks the singular definite form. So Barnet finner … literally = The child finds …
How do I know that barn is neuter and not masculine or feminine?
You mostly have to learn the gender with each new noun. There’s no reliable rule that tells you barn is neuter; it’s just part of the word’s dictionary entry.
When you look up barn in a dictionary, it will usually say something like:
- barn (n) or barn (et)
The (n) or (et) tells you it’s neuter. That’s why you get:
- et barn (a child)
- barnet (the child)
Why is the verb finner used here, and does it change with the subject?
Finne is the infinitive (to find). The present tense is finner for all subjects:
- Jeg finner – I find
- Du finner – You find
- Barnet finner – The child finds
- Vi finner – We find
Norwegian doesn’t change the verb for person or number in the present tense, so it’s always finner.