Questions & Answers about Jeg heller vann i glasset.
In Jeg heller vann i glasset, what exactly does heller mean, and which verb is it?
Heller is the present tense of the verb å helle, which means to pour.
- å helle → jeg heller (I pour / I am pouring)
- It is not the same heller as the adverb heller meaning rather or either; they just look and sound the same, but are different words.
Why is vann used without an article? Why not et vann or vannet?
Here, vann is a mass noun, like water in English.
- Jeg heller vann i glasset = I pour (some) water into the glass.
No article, just the substance. - vannet = the water
- Jeg heller vannet i glasset = I pour the water into the glass (some specific water).
- et vann usually means a lake (a body of water), not a portion of drinkable water.
So for “pouring water (as a substance)”, you normally just use vann with no article.
Why is it i glasset and not i et glass?