Questions & Answers about Hun ber broren sin om hjelp til å logge inn på den nye kontoen.
Why is it broren sin and not broren hennes?
Norwegian distinguishes between own and someone else’s with possessives:
- broren sin = her own brother (reflexive possessive)
- broren hennes = another woman’s / some other female person’s brother (not the subject’s)
In the sentence Hun ber broren sin om hjelp..., the subject is hun, so sin refers back to that same subject: She asks *her own brother for help.*
If you said Hun ber broren hennes om hjelp, it would mean: She asks *some other woman’s brother for help.*
Can I just say Hun ber broren om hjelp and leave out sin?
You can, and it is grammatically correct, but it becomes less clear whose brother it is.
- Hun ber broren sin om hjelp → strongly suggests it is her own brother.
- Hun ber broren om hjelp → could be her brother, or just the brother (known from context); it is more neutral/ambiguous.
In practice, Norwegians often keep sin when they want to make the “her own” relationship explicit.
What is the difference between ber and spør? Why not Hun spør broren sin om hjelp?