Bildet på veggen gjør meg glad.

The picture on the wall makes me happy.

Breakdown of Bildet på veggen gjør meg glad.

• på: on
• meg: me
• glad: happy
• gjøre: to make
• veggen: the wall
• bildet: the photo

Questions & Answers about Bildet på veggen gjør meg glad.

Why is it bildet and not bilde at the start of the sentence?

Bilde is a neuter noun (an et-word).
Norwegian marks definiteness by adding an ending:

• et bilde = a picture (indefinite, neuter)
• bildet = the picture (definite, neuter)

In the sentence Bildet på veggen gjør meg glad, we are talking about a specific, known picture – the picture on the wall – so the definite form bildet is required.

If you said Et bilde på veggen gjør meg glad, that would mean A picture on the wall makes me happy (not a specific one, just some picture).

Why is it på veggen and not something like i veggen or ved veggen?

The preposition på is used for something being on a surface, including walls:

• på veggen = on the wall
• på bordet = on the table
• på taket = on the roof

I means in / inside and wouldn’t fit here:

• i veggen = in the wall (for example: Kontakten sitter i veggen – The socket is in the wall.)

Ved means by / beside / near:

• ved veggen = by the wall, next to the wall

Since a picture hangs directly on the surface of the wall, på veggen is the natural choice.

Why is it veggen and not vegg or en vegg?

Vegg is a masculine noun (an en-word):

• en vegg = a wall (indefinite)
• veggen = the wall (definite)

In Bildet på veggen, the phrase på veggen specifies which picture we’re talking about: the picture that is on the wall. Because this wall is understood as a specific wall in the context (for example, in a particular room), it’s definite, so Norwegian uses veggen, the wall, not en vegg, a wall.

Saying Bildet på en vegg gjør meg glad would sound like “The picture on a wall makes me happy”, which is unusual and vague in most situations.

What exactly is the role of på veggen in the sentence? Is it part of the subject?

Yes. Bildet på veggen is a noun phrase, and the whole phrase functions as the subject.

• Bildet = head noun (the picture)
• på veggen = prepositional phrase modifying bildet, telling us which picture

So structurally:

• Bildet på veggen (subject)
• gjør (verb)
• meg (object)
• glad (object complement / predicative adjective)

You can think of it as “The picture-on-the-wall makes me happy.”

Why is the word order gjør meg glad and not gjør glad meg?

Norwegian word order here is very similar to English:

• English: makes me happy (verb – object – adjective)
• Norwegian: gjør meg glad (verb – object – adjective)

The typical order is:

1. Verb (gjør)
2. Object pronoun (meg)
3. Predicative adjective/complement (glad)

Putting the adjective before the pronoun (gjør glad meg) is ungrammatical in standard Norwegian and sounds wrong to native speakers.

Why do we say gjør meg glad instead of just using glad? What does gjør add?

Gjøre (here gjør) literally means to make or to do.
Gjør meg glad means makes me happy.

• Jeg er glad. = I am happy.
• Bildet gjør meg glad. = The picture makes me happy. (the picture causes that feeling)

So:

• Without gjør: Jeg er glad. – a state: “I’m (currently) happy.”
• With gjør: Bildet gjør meg glad. – a cause: “The picture causes me to feel happy.”

You need the verb here to express that the picture is what brings about your happiness.

Could I say Bildet på veggen gleder meg instead? What’s the difference between gjør meg glad and gleder meg?

Yes, Bildet på veggen gleder meg is grammatically correct and natural.

Differences in nuance:

• gjøre (noen) glad = make (someone) happy

  • Slightly more colloquial and very common.
  • Focus on the resulting emotional state (glad).

• glede (noen) = to please / to delight / to bring joy to (someone)

  • Slightly more formal/literary or “elevated”.
  • Focus more on the act of giving joy, being a source of pleasure.

So:

• Bildet på veggen gjør meg glad. – The picture makes me feel happy.
• Bildet på veggen gleder meg. – The picture pleases me / brings me joy.

In everyday speech, gjør meg glad is probably a bit more frequent, but both are fine.

What is the difference between gjør meg glad and jeg blir glad?

These express similar feelings but from different angles:

• gjøre meg glad = make me happy

  • Emphasizes the cause (something external):
  • Bildet på veggen gjør meg glad. – The picture makes me happy.

• jeg blir glad = I become happy / I get happy

  • Emphasizes the change of state in me:
  • Jeg blir glad når jeg ser bildet på veggen. – I get happy when I see the picture on the wall.

So you typically use:

• X gjør meg glad when you want to state what causes your happiness.
• Jeg blir glad (når / av X) when you’re focusing on your own reaction or change in mood.

Is glad here the same as English “glad”, or does it mean something else in Norwegian?

Norwegian glad overlaps with English glad, but it’s often closer to “happy” in everyday use.

Rough guidelines:

• glad – happy, cheerful, pleased
  • Jeg er glad. – I’m happy.
  • Jeg er glad i deg. – I’m fond of you / I love you (non-parents/children/romantic nuance depending on context).

Related adjectives:

• lykkelig – “truly” happy, fortunate, deeply happy
  
  • Jeg er lykkelig. – I’m (deeply) happy / blissful.
• fornøyd – satisfied, content
  
  • Jeg er fornøyd. – I’m satisfied / content.

In your sentence, gjør meg glad is very natural and means “makes me happy” in a normal, everyday sense.

What are the grammatical genders and articles for bilde and vegg, and how do they show up in this sentence?

• bilde – neuter noun (et-word)

  • et bilde – a picture
  • bildet – the picture ← used in the sentence

• vegg – masculine noun (en-word)

  • en vegg – a wall
  • veggen – the wall ← used in the sentence

In Bildet på veggen gjør meg glad you see:

• Neuter definite singular ending -et on bildet
• Masculine definite singular ending -en on veggen

How would the sentence change if there were several pictures on the wall that make me happy?

You would make both bilde and possibly vegg plural (depending on meaning):

1. Several pictures on one specific wall:

• Bildene på veggen gjør meg glade.

Breaking it down:

• bildene – the pictures (plural definite)
• på veggen – on the (specific) wall
• gjør meg glade – make me happy (plural agreement with an implied plural “me and others”, or stylistic; many speakers just say gjør meg glad)

2. Several pictures on several (unspecified) walls:

• Bilder på vegger gjør meg glad. – Pictures on walls make me happy. (general statement)

For your original idea (several specific pictures on the wall you’re looking at), Bildene på veggen gjør meg glad is the most natural.