Questions & Answers about Hun er allerede gift, men han er fortsatt singel.
What does allerede mean exactly, and why is it placed between er and gift?
Allerede means already.
In main clauses, Norwegian normally keeps the verb in second position (the V2 rule). After the verb, common adverbs like allerede, ikke, ofte, snart often come next.
So:
- Hun er allerede gift. = She is already married.
- Hun (subject)
- er (verb – second position)
- allerede (adverb)
- gift (adjective / predicate)
You can also say Hun er gift allerede, which is correct but puts a bit more emphasis on allerede (“she’s married already, wow / so soon / earlier than expected”).
Why is gift used for “married”? Does it change form for gender or plural?
Here gift is an adjective meaning married. It is indeclinable in this meaning: it keeps the same form for masculine, feminine, neuter, and plural.
Examples:
- Han er gift. – He is married.
- Hun er gift. – She is married.
- De er gift. – They are married. (as a couple or as people, depending on context)
- Disse menneskene er gift. – These people are married.
You do not add endings like -t or -e here (gifts, gifte etc. are wrong for “married”).
Does gift really also mean “poison”? How do I know which meaning is intended?