Questions & Answers about Jeg liker huset ditt.
Why is there no separate word for the before huset, like in English the house?
Norwegian usually shows definiteness by putting an ending on the noun instead of using a separate word.
- hus = house
- huset = the house
For neuter nouns like hus, the definite ending is -et.
So instead of det hus or the hus, Norwegian simply says huset.
What exactly is the difference between hus and huset?
They differ in definiteness:
- hus = a house / (a) house (indefinite, general)
- Jeg liker hus. = I like houses (in general).
- huset = the house (definite, a specific one both speakers know about)
- Jeg liker huset ditt. = I like your house (that particular one).
So in Jeg liker huset ditt, you are clearly talking about one specific house that belongs to the person you’re speaking to.
Why is the possessive ditt used here, and not din, di, or dine?