Læreren sier at svaret mitt er korrekt.

The teacher says that my answer is correct.

Breakdown of Læreren sier at svaret mitt er korrekt.

• være: to be
• at: that
• si: to say
• svaret: the answer
• læreren: the teacher
• mitt: my
• korrekt: correct

Questions & Answers about Læreren sier at svaret mitt er korrekt.

Why is it Læreren and not lærer?

Norwegian normally marks definiteness with an ending on the noun, not with a separate word like the.

• lærer = a teacher (indefinite)
• læreren = the teacher (definite, singular)

Since the English meaning here is the teacher, you need the definite form læreren. If you said lærer sier ..., it would sound incomplete or wrong in standard Norwegian, because it’s missing definiteness or an article. You could say En lærer sier at ... for A teacher says that ....

What does at do in this sentence? Is it like that in English?

Yes. at is a subordinating conjunction, like English that in sentences such as He says that my answer is correct.

It introduces a subordinate clause: at svaret mitt er korrekt. This whole clause is the object of sier (says). In many English sentences you can drop that, but in Norwegian you normally keep at in standard written language:

• Læreren sier at svaret mitt er korrekt.
• (Spoken, informal: Læreren sier svaret mitt er korrekt. – you may hear at dropped, but it’s less standard.)

Why is the word order svaret mitt er korrekt and not er svaret mitt korrekt?

In a subordinate clause (here, everything after at), Norwegian uses subject – verb – other elements word order, like basic English.

• Subject: svaret mitt
• Verb: er
• Other: korrekt

So it must be at svaret mitt er korrekt.

Word order like Er svaret mitt korrekt? is used for questions, not in the middle of a sentence after at. So:

• Er svaret mitt korrekt? = Is my answer correct? (question)
• Læreren sier at svaret mitt er korrekt. (statement with a subordinate clause)

What is the difference between svar and svaret?

Svar is a neuter noun meaning answer.

• et svar = an answer (indefinite, singular)
• svaret = the answer (definite, singular)

In the sentence, the meaning is the answer, so you use the definite form svaret. If you changed it:

• Læreren sier at et svar er korrekt. = The teacher says that an answer is correct. (This would sound odd in most contexts, unless you’re speaking very generally.)

Why is it mitt and not min for my?

Norwegian possessive pronouns agree with the gender and number of the noun, not with the person who owns it.

Basic singular forms:

• min – with masculine nouns (e.g., min bil – my car)
• mi – with feminine nouns (e.g., mi bok – my book)
• mitt – with neuter nouns (e.g., mitt hus – my house)

Since svar is a neuter noun, you must use the neuter possessive mitt:

• svaret mitt = my answer

Can I say mitt svar instead of svaret mitt? And what is the difference?

Yes, both word orders are possible, but they have slightly different usage and nuance:

1. svaret mitt – noun + definite ending + possessive after

   • Very common, often the default everyday pattern.
   • Tends to sound neutral or slightly more personal.

2. mitt svar – possessive before noun (no definite ending)

   • Feels a bit more emphatic, contrastive, or formal: my answer (as opposed to someone else’s).

So:

• Læreren sier at svaret mitt er korrekt. – neutral: The teacher says my answer is correct.
• Læreren sier at mitt svar er korrekt. – puts more focus on my answer in contrast to others.

Both are grammatically fine here.

Why is it er korrekt and not er riktig? What’s the difference between korrekt and riktig?

Both mean correct and are often interchangeable, but there are some tendencies:

• riktig is more common in everyday speech.
• korrekt can sound a bit more formal, technical, or “school-like” (it comes from Latin via other European languages).

In this sentence, because it’s about a teacher judging an answer, both feel natural:

• Læreren sier at svaret mitt er riktig.
• Læreren sier at svaret mitt er korrekt.

Same basic meaning; korrekt just has a slightly more formal or precise flavor.

Could I say Læreren sier svaret mitt er korrekt without at?

In informal spoken Norwegian, many people do omit at:

• Læreren sier svaret mitt er korrekt.

However:

• In standard written Norwegian, it is more correct and clearer to include at.
• In careful or formal speech, you also usually keep at.

So for learning purposes, it’s best to use:

• Læreren sier at svaret mitt er korrekt.

Why is the tense sier and er, not sa and var?

The sentence uses the present tense:

• sier = says / is saying
• er = is

This fits situations where the teacher is saying it now, or it is a generally true statement.

You could change the time frame:

• Læreren sa at svaret mitt var korrekt.
  
  • The teacher said that my answer was correct. (a past event)

Both tenses follow normal sequence of tenses in Norwegian: present–present, or past–past, depending on what you mean.

How do you pronounce Læreren and svaret mitt?

Approximate pronunciation (Bokmål, standard East Norwegian):

• Læreren: roughly [LAIR-uh-ren]

  • æ like the a in cat, but a bit longer.
  • First syllable is stressed: LÆR-e-ren.
  • Final -en is often quite weak/short.

• svaret mitt: roughly [SVAR-eh mitt]

  • svar: sv together, like sv in svelte; a like in father.
  • -et ending: the t is usually very soft or silent in normal speech in many accents.
  • mitt: short i, clearly pronounced t.

The exact sound can vary by dialect, but this gives you a workable standard pronunciation.