Oslo er størst.

to be

Breakdown of Oslo er størst.

• Oslo: Oslo
• størst: largest

Questions & Answers about Oslo er størst.

In English we say “Oslo is the biggest.” Why is there no “the” in Oslo er størst?

Norwegian normally does not use a separate word for “the” when a superlative adjective stands alone after er (or other linking verbs).

• Oslo er størst.
  = Oslo is (the) biggest.

The idea of “the” is simply understood from the context. You only add a definite form when the superlative comes with a noun:

• Oslo er den største byen i Norge.
  Oslo is the biggest city in Norway.

So:

• Oslo er størst. – No noun, no separate “the”.
• den største byen – With a noun, you show definiteness using den … -ste (the biggest city).

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What’s the difference between stor, større, and størst?

They’re the three degrees of the adjective stor (big):

• stor – positive: big
  
  • Oslo er stor. – Oslo is big.
• større – comparative: bigger
  
  • Oslo er større enn Bergen. – Oslo is bigger than Bergen.
• størst – superlative: biggest
  
  • Oslo er størst. – Oslo is the biggest.

So Oslo er størst is saying that, in some comparison (often “of the cities in Norway”), Oslo is at the very top: it’s the biggest one.

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When do I use størst and when do I use ?