Breakdown of Kjærlighet mellom søsken kan være både sterk og vanskelig.
Questions & Answers about Kjærlighet mellom søsken kan være både sterk og vanskelig.
In Norwegian, as in English, abstract and general concepts often appear without an article.
Here, kjærlighet is used in a general sense: “(In general) love between siblings can be both strong and difficult.”
- No article: Kjærlighet = love as a concept.
- Definite form: Kjærligheten mellom søsken would mean “the love between siblings” (a specific, known love).
- Indefinite form with article: En kjærlighet is possible, but then you are talking about one particular kind or instance of love, e.g. En kjærlighet mellom søsken kan vare livet ut – A love between siblings can last a lifetime.
So in your sentence, no article is natural because we’re talking about sibling love in general.
Mellom corresponds to both between and among, depending on context.
In this sentence, kjærlighet mellom søsken means “love between siblings” (or “among siblings”). Norwegian doesn’t distinguish as strictly between between and among as English does; mellom usually covers both.
Examples:
- Mellom to personer – between two people
- Mellom mange søsken – among many siblings
Søsken is a collective noun meaning siblings. It is used for one or more siblings and is grammatically singular, but it often refers to a group.
Some points:
- Ett søsken = one sibling
- To søsken = two siblings
- You do not add -er for the plural; søsken already works for “siblings”.
So mellom søsken is “between siblings / among siblings” in a general way, without saying how many.
Kan være literally means “can be / may be”, not simply “is”.
Using kan here expresses possibility or tendency, not a constant fact:
- Kjærlighet mellom søsken er både sterk og vanskelig.
= “Sibling love is both strong and difficult.” (sounds more absolute, like a general truth) - Kjærlighet mellom søsken kan være både sterk og vanskelig.
= “Sibling love can be both strong and difficult.” (it often is, or can turn out that way, but not always)
The original sentence is softer and more flexible, which is usually more natural when talking about human relationships.
Både … og … is a common Norwegian construction meaning “both … and …”.
In the sentence:
- både sterk og vanskelig = both strong and difficult
You can use it with:
- adjectives: både stor og tung – both big and heavy
- nouns: både barn og voksne – both children and adults
- verbs/clauses: Han både spiser og drikker – He both eats and drinks
Word order stays normal; både comes before the first item, og before the second.
Adjectives in Norwegian agree with the noun they describe, but the rules differ depending on position.
Here, sterk and vanskelig are predicate adjectives describing kjærlighet via the verb være:
- Kjærlighet … kan være både sterk og vanskelig.
For predicate adjectives with a singular, indefinite subject, you typically use the base form (same as masculine indefinite):
- Bilen er rød. – The car is red.
- Kjærlighet er sterk. – Love is strong.
If the subject were definite plural, you would see -e:
- Søsknene er sterke og vanskelige. – The siblings are strong and difficult.
So sterk and vanskelig are correct because kjærlighet here is treated as singular, indefinite and the adjectives are in predicate position.
Yes, that is grammatically correct.
- Kjærlighet mellom søsken …
= “Sibling love can be …” (speaking in general, about the concept) - Kjærligheten mellom søsken …
= “The love between siblings can be …” (more specific, like talking about a particular kind of love that we assume exists or is known)
The nuance is subtle:
- With kjærlighet (no article), it sounds like a broad, general statement.
- With kjærligheten, it sounds a bit more like you’re referring to “that particular love” which siblings have.
Both are natural; the original is slightly more abstract and general.
Yes, that is also grammatically correct and understandable:
- Kjærlighet kan være både sterk og vanskelig mellom søsken.
However, the original:
- Kjærlighet mellom søsken kan være …
puts mellom søsken directly after kjærlighet, clearly defining what kind of love we are talking about. This often sounds more natural and focused: first specify which love, then describe it.
The version with mellom søsken at the end shifts the emphasis slightly to where/with whom this love is strong and difficult. It’s more like: “Love can be strong and difficult when it’s between siblings.” Still correct, just a slightly different emphasis.
Kjærlighet is pronounced roughly like: “SHARE-li-het” (approximation for English speakers).
Key points:
- kj = a soft palatal fricative, somewhat like the “h” in “huge” or the “hy” in “hue”, but further forward in the mouth. It is not like English k.
- æ = similar to the “a” in “cat”.
- r = tapped or rolled (a quick single tap is common).
- Stress is on the first syllable: KJÆR-li-het.
It helps to smile slightly and raise the tongue towards the hard palate for kj.
Vanskelig usually means difficult / hard / challenging, both in:
- practical sense: En vanskelig oppgave – a difficult task
- emotional/relational sense: Et vanskelig forhold – a difficult relationship
In både sterk og vanskelig, it means that the relationship is emotionally complex, challenging, maybe full of conflicts or tensions, not just “hard to do” in a technical way.
So vanskelig is the default word for “difficult” in most contexts, including emotional ones.
Yes:
- Bror – brother
- Søster – sister
- Brødre – brothers (plural of bror)
- Søstre – sisters (plural of søster)
Søsken is gender‑neutral and doesn’t show number explicitly (it can be one or more). Use it when you mean “siblings” without specifying gender.
Compare:
- Kjærlighet mellom brødre kan være sterk. – Love between brothers can be strong.
- Kjærlighet mellom søsken kan være sterk. – Love between siblings can be strong. (brothers, sisters, or both)