Min niese liker naturfag, mens nevøen min foretrekker samfunnsfag og matte.

and

Breakdown of Min niese liker naturfag, mens nevøen min foretrekker samfunnsfag og matte.

• like: to like
• min: my
• mens: while

Questions & Answers about Min niese liker naturfag, mens nevøen min foretrekker samfunnsfag og matte.

Why is it min niese but nevøen min? Can I also say niesen min or min nevø?

Norwegian has two normal ways to express possession:

1. Possessive before the noun (indefinite noun)

   • min niese = my niece
   • Pattern: min / mi / mitt / mine + indefinite noun
     
     • min bil (my car)
     • mitt hus (my house)
     • mine bøker (my books)

2. Possessive after the noun (definite noun)

   • nevøen min = my nephew
   • Pattern: definite noun + min / mi / mitt / mine
     
     • bilen min (my car)
     • huset mitt (my house)
     • bøkene mine (my books)

So yes, all of these are grammatically correct:

• min niese / niesen min
• min nevø / nevøen min

They all mean “my niece / my nephew”. The sentence could also have been:

• Min niese liker naturfag, mens min nevø foretrekker samfunnsfag og matte.
• Niesen min liker naturfag, mens nevøen min foretrekker samfunnsfag og matte.

The choice is mainly about style and rhythm, not meaning.

Is there a difference in meaning or emphasis between min niese and niesen min?