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Den voksne passer på barna i hagen.

Den voksne passer på barna i hagen.
The adult looks after the children in the garden.
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Questions & Answers about Den voksne passer på barna i hagen.

Why is it den voksne and not den voksen?

Voksen is an adjective meaning adult / grown-up.

In Norwegian, when an adjective is used with a definite noun, the adjective normally takes the -e ending (this is called the “weak” form):

  • en voksen mann – an adult man (indefinite, no -e)
  • den voksne mannen – the adult man (definite, adjective gets -e)

In your sentence, the noun person or mann/kvinne is understood and left out. So den voksne literally means the adult (person), where:

  • den = the (for common gender)
  • voksne = weak/definite form of voksen, used because the meaning is definite

So you get den voksne and not den voksen.

Could this also be Det voksne instead of Den voksne?

Normally, no.

You use:

  • den with common gender nouns (en-words)
  • det with neuter nouns (et-words)

Here den voksne means the adult person, and person / mann / kvinne are common gender nouns (en person, en mann, en kvinne). So you say den voksne.

You would use det voksne in front of a neuter noun, for example:

  • det voksne barnet – the grown-up child (because barn is neuter: et barn)

But when voksne stands alone and means the adult (person), you use den voksne.

Why is it passer på and not just passer?

Å passe på is a verb + preposition expression that means:

  • to look after, to watch, to take care of

Examples:

  • Jeg passer på barna. – I look after the children.
  • Kan du passe på vesken min? – Can you watch my bag?

Without på, å passe usually means things like:

  • to fit (clothes)
  • to suit / be suitable
  • to be convenient

Examples without på:

  • Buksen passer. – The trousers fit.
  • Det passer dårlig. – That is a bad time / that doesn’t suit me.

So in your sentence, you need på to get the meaning look after:

  • Den voksne passer på barna = The adult is looking after the children.
  • Den voksne passer barna would normally not mean that; it sounds more like the adult suits the children (or is simply odd).
What is the difference between barn and barna?

Barn is an irregular neuter noun:

  • et barn – a child (singular, indefinite)
  • barnet – the child (singular, definite)
  • barn – children (plural, indefinite)
  • barna – the children (plural, definite)

So:

  • barna absolutely means the children.
  • There is no -er ending in the plural; you don’t say barner.

In your sentence, barna is definite plural: the children the adult is responsible for.

Why is it i hagen and not just i hage?

Norwegian normally uses a definite form where English uses the:

  • i hagen = in the garden / in the yard

The noun hage (garden/yard) has:

  • en hage – a garden
  • hagen – the garden

Because we’re talking about a specific garden (the one both speaker and listener know about, e.g. their garden), Norwegian uses the definite form: hagen.

So:

  • i en hage – in a (random) garden
  • i hagen – in the (known) garden
Why do we say i hagen and not på hagen?

In Norwegian, i is used more for inside / within an area, while på is more on / on top of / at certain places.

A hage is thought of as an enclosed area, so you are in it:

  • i hagen – in the garden

Compare:

  • i huset – in the house
  • i byen – in the city

You do use på with some other place words:

  • på skolen – at school
  • på kontoret – at the office
  • på terrassen – on the terrace

But for a garden, the natural expression is i hagen.

What is the basic form of hagen, and how does its grammar work?

The basic form (indefinite singular) is hage:

  • en hage – a garden (common gender, en-word)
  • hagen – the garden (definite singular)
  • hager – gardens (indefinite plural)
  • hagene – the gardens (definite plural)

In your sentence:

  • i hagen = in the garden (definite singular).
Is the word order Den voksne passer på barna i hagen fixed, or can it change?

This is the most natural, neutral word order:

  1. Subject: Den voksne
  2. Verb: passer
  3. Object: på barna
  4. Adverbial / place: i hagen

Norwegian main clauses follow a verb-second (V2) rule: the finite verb (here: passer) must be in second position.

You can move i hagen to the front for emphasis, but then the verb still has to be second:

  • I hagen passer den voksne på barna. – In the garden, the adult is looking after the children.

You cannot do:

  • *I hagen den voksne passer på barna. (wrong, because the verb is not in second position)
In English we say “is looking after”. Why is it just passer på in Norwegian?

Norwegian has only one present tense form, used for both:

  • simple present (looks after)
  • present continuous / progressive (is looking after)

So passer på can mean both:

  • The adult looks after the children in the garden.
  • The adult is looking after the children in the garden.

Context usually makes it clear whether it is a habitual action or something happening right now; the verb form doesn’t change.

How do you pronounce voksne, barna, and hagen?

Approximate pronunciation (Central/Eastern Norwegian):

  • voksne: VOKS-neh
    • voks-: like vox in English, with a short o
    • -ne: like neh
  • barna: BAR-na
    • bar-: a bit like bar in English, but shorter vowel
    • -na: like nah
  • hagen: HAH-gen
    • ha-: like ha in haha, long a
    • -gen: gen with a hard g (like in go)

Stress is on the first syllable of each word: VOKS-ne, BAR-na, HA-gen.