Før eksamen slår jeg opp alle vanskelige ord i ordboken.

Before the exam I look up all difficult words in the dictionary.

Breakdown of Før eksamen slår jeg opp alle vanskelige ord i ordboken.

• jeg: I
• i: in
• før: before
• vanskelig: difficult
• alle: all
• slå opp: to look up
• ordboken: the dictionary
• ordet: the word
• eksamen: the exam

Questions & Answers about Før eksamen slår jeg opp alle vanskelige ord i ordboken.

Why is the verb slår in second position after Før eksamen? In English I would say Before the exam I look up... with the verb later.

Norwegian uses V2 word order in main clauses: the finite verb must be the second element in the sentence, no matter what comes first.

• Subject first:
  Jeg slår opp alle vanskelige ord i ordboken.
  (Subject = 1st element, verb = 2nd)

• Time expression first:
  Før eksamen slår jeg opp alle vanskelige ord i ordboken.
  (Time phrase = 1st element, verb slår = 2nd, subject jeg = 3rd)

So as soon as you move Før eksamen to the front, slår has to come next, because of the V2 rule.

What does slår opp literally mean, and is it always used for look up (in a dictionary)?

Slår opp is a phrasal verb: verb slå + particle opp.

• slå alone = to hit, beat, strike
• slå opp can mean several things depending on context:
  • to look up (e.g. words in a dictionary)
  • to break up (a relationship) – slå opp med kjæresten
  • to open (e.g. a book, a tent) – slå opp boka, slå opp teltet

In this sentence, slår opp ... i ordboken clearly means look up (in the dictionary).

Grammar forms:

• infinitive: å slå opp
• present: slår opp
• past: slo opp
• perfect: har slått opp

Could I say jeg slår alle vanskelige ord opp i ordboken instead of slår jeg opp alle vanskelige ord?

Yes, that is grammatically possible. In Norwegian, the particle opp can often be placed:

• after the verb:
  slår opp alle vanskelige ord (most natural here)
• after the object:
  slår alle vanskelige ord opp

Both are correct, but:

• With short objects, verb + particle (slår opp) is very common.
• With long or heavy objects, you often move the particle after the object.

In this particular sentence, slår opp alle vanskelige ord i ordboken sounds more natural and idiomatic.

Why is vanskelige used and not vanskelig? Isn’t vanskelig the basic form of the adjective?

The basic form is vanskelig (“difficult”), but adjectives in Norwegian agree with the noun in number, gender, and definiteness.

Here we have:

• alle ord = plural, indefinite
• With plural nouns (both genders) the adjective takes -e:
  • et vanskelig ord → one difficult word
  • vanskelige ord → difficult words

So:

• alle vanskelige ord = all difficult words (plural)
  That is why it is vanskelige, not vanskelig.

Why doesn’t ord get a plural ending? Why is it not ordene or something like order?

Ord (word) is a neuter noun with an irregular plural pattern:

• singular indefinite: et ord (a word)
• singular definite: ordet (the word)
• plural indefinite: ord (words)
• plural definite: ordene (the words)

So in plural indefinite, ord does not change form; it is the same as the singular indefinite.

In the sentence, alle vanskelige ord is indefinite plural, so we use just ord.

Why is it i ordboken and not i en ordbok?

Both are possible, but they mean slightly different things:

• i ordboken = in the dictionary (a specific one, known from context)
• i en ordbok = in a dictionary (any dictionary, not specified)

The definite form ordboken suggests:

• you have a particular dictionary (e.g. the one you usually use for this exam),
• or you and your listener both know which one you mean.

Forms of ordbok (dictionary):

• en ordbok (a dictionary)
• ordboken / ordboka (the dictionary) – two accepted definite forms in Bokmål
• ordbøker (dictionaries)
• ordbøkene (the dictionaries)

Why is i used before ordboken? Could it be på ordboken?

In Norwegian, the natural preposition for in a book / in a dictionary is i:

• i boka – in the book
• i avisa – in the newspaper
• i ordboken – in the dictionary

På is used with other nouns, for example:

• på bordet – on the table
• på skolen – at school
• på nettet – on the internet / online

So i ordboken is the idiomatic choice; på ordboken would sound wrong in this sense.

Why is it Før eksamen and not Før eksamenen (“before the exam”)?

In Norwegian, certain time expressions often drop the article, especially when talking about known, fixed events like school routines, work, etc.

Both are possible, but with a nuance:

• Før eksamen

  • more general / habitual: before (the) exam time, before exams in general, or before a specific exam that is already understood from context
  • very natural in school/university contexts

• Før eksamenen

  • more clearly one specific exam: before the (particular) exam
  • you might say this if there is one clearly defined exam you are focusing on.

In practice, Før eksamen is very common in talk about routines and habits.

What is the gender and forms of eksamen?

Eksamen is usually treated as a masculine noun in Bokmål (although feminine is also possible for many nouns; masculine is the standard here).

Typical masculine pattern:

• en eksamen – an exam
• eksamenen – the exam
• eksamener – exams
• eksamenene – the exams

In the sentence we have:

• før eksamen – before exam / before the exam (article dropped in this time-expression use)

How would I say Before the exam, I don’t look up all the difficult words in the dictionary? Where does ikke go?

Negation ikke normally comes right after the verb in V2 word order (or after the subject when using auxiliary + main verb). Here’s how it works:

• Basic:
  Jeg slår ikke opp alle vanskelige ord i ordboken.

• With Før eksamen first (V2 still applies):
  Før eksamen slår jeg ikke opp alle vanskelige ord i ordboken.

Structure:

1. Før eksamen (fronted adverbial)
2. slår (finite verb – 2nd element)
3. jeg (subject)
4. ikke (negation)
5. opp alle vanskelige ord i ordboken (rest of the verb phrase + objects)

The English meaning is future-like (“before the exam, I will look up…”). Why is the present tense slår opp used?

Norwegian often uses the present tense for future events, especially when:

• the event is planned, scheduled, or habitual.

In this sentence, it sounds like:

• a habit (“what I usually do before exams”), or
• a firm plan about what you will do before an upcoming exam.

English might prefer I will look up or I’m going to look up, but Norwegian can simply use:

• Før eksamen slår jeg opp ...

If you want to be clearly future-oriented, you could also say:

• Før eksamen skal jeg slå opp alle vanskelige ord i ordboken. (Before the exam, I am going to / will look up all the difficult words in the dictionary.)

Is the word order Før eksamen slår jeg opp alle vanskelige ord i ordboken the only correct one, or can I move elements around?

Several variations are grammatically correct, but they sound slightly different or emphasize different parts. All must still respect V2 (finite verb = 2nd element):

1. Jeg slår opp alle vanskelige ord i ordboken før eksamen.
   – Neutral order, time phrase at the end.

2. Før eksamen slår jeg opp alle vanskelige ord i ordboken.
   – Emphasis on before the exam.

3. Alle vanskelige ord slår jeg opp i ordboken før eksamen.
   – Emphasis on all the difficult words.

What you cannot do is:

• ✗ Før eksamen jeg slår opp alle vanskelige ord ... (verb is not in second position)
  That breaks the V2 rule and is ungrammatical.