Fagforeningen prøver å forhandle fram en bedre tariffavtale.

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Breakdown of Fagforeningen prøver å forhandle fram en bedre tariffavtale.

• å: to
• bedre: better
• prøve: to try

Questions & Answers about Fagforeningen prøver å forhandle fram en bedre tariffavtale.

What does the ending -en in fagforeningen mean, and why isn’t it just fagforening?

In Norwegian, the definite article (the) is usually attached to the end of the noun:

• fagforening = a trade union
• fagforeningen = the trade union

So fagforeningen literally means “the trade union.”
Norwegian normally uses the definite form when talking about a specific, known entity – here, a particular union that both speaker and listener know about.

Is fagforening a common gender word, and could I also say ei fagforening?

Yes, fagforening is a common gender noun. In Bokmål you’ll most often see:

• en fagforening (indefinite singular)
• fagforeningen (definite singular)

In more Nynorsk-influenced or dialectal Bokmål, you might also see ei fagforening, because many speakers treat it as a feminine noun in speech. Standard written Bokmål, especially in formal contexts, tends to prefer en fagforening.

Why is the verb prøver used, and how does it relate to English “is trying”?