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Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Denne filmen er utenlandsk. - This movie is foreign.

Hardcore Norwegian
/Lesson 55
/Denne filmen er utenlandsk.

Denne filmen er utenlandsk.

Denne filmen er utenlandsk.

This movie is foreign.

Breakdown of Denne filmen er utenlandsk.

Questions & Answers about Denne filmen er utenlandsk.

What does denne mean here, and how is it different from dette and den?

Denne means this (for a specific thing that is close, in time or space).

denne = this (masculine / feminine, singular)
dette = this (neuter, singular)
disse = these (all genders, plural)

Examples:

denne filmen = this movie (because film is masculine)
dette huset = this house (because hus is neuter)
disse filmene = these movies

den / det / de usually mean that / those (or sometimes “the” with emphasis), when used with a noun:

den filmen = that movie (or the movie with emphasis)
det huset = that house
de filmene = those movies

So:

denne filmen = this movie
den filmen = that movie (or the movie with stress on that)

Why is it filmen and not film after denne?

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Norwegian usually uses “double definiteness” with demonstratives and adjectives in front of nouns.

Pattern:

denne / den / det / de + [adjective] + definite noun

So you normally say:

denne filmen (this movie)
den nye bilen (that/the new car)
det store huset (that/the big house)

You do not say:

✗ denne film
✗ den nye bil
✗ det store hus

So denne filmen is the natural, correct form; denne film sounds wrong in standard Bokmål.

What is the gender of film, and what are its main forms?

In Bokmål, film is masculine.

Key forms:

Indefinite singular: en film – a movie / a film
Definite singular: filmen – the movie / the film
Indefinite plural: filmer – movies / films
Definite plural: filmene – the movies / the films

With denne in the sentence:

Denne filmen = This movie / This film

Why is there no article before utenlandsk? Why not er en utenlandsk something?

In Denne filmen er utenlandsk, utenlandsk is a predicate adjective describing the subject filmen.

Structure:

[subject] + er + [adjective]

Examples:

Filmen er lang. – The movie is long.
Filmen er interessant. – The movie is interesting.
Filmen er utenlandsk. – The movie is foreign.

You only use an article when there is a noun after the adjective:

Det er en utenlandsk film. – That is a foreign movie.
- en (article) + utenlandsk (adjective) + film (noun)

So:

er utenlandsk – is foreign (adjective only, no article)
er en utenlandsk film – is a foreign film (full noun phrase with article)

Is Denne filmen er en utenlandsk film correct, and does it sound natural?

It is grammatically correct, but it usually sounds a bit redundant in everyday speech, because you repeat the idea of “film”:

Denne filmen er en utenlandsk film.
Literally: This movie is a foreign movie.

Norwegians would normally prefer the shorter versions:

Denne filmen er utenlandsk. – This movie is foreign.
Dette er en utenlandsk film. – This is a foreign film.

You’d only use the long version if you wanted to emphasize or contrast it strongly, and even then it can sound slightly clumsy.

What exactly does utenlandsk mean, and how is it different from similar expressions?

Utenlandsk is an adjective meaning foreign or from another country (not domestic).

Common uses:

utenlandsk film – foreign film
utenlandsk musikk – foreign music
utenlandske varer – foreign goods
utenlandsk bil – foreign car

Related expressions:

fra utlandet = “from abroad / from a foreign country”
- en film fra utlandet – a movie from abroad / from a foreign country
  (a bit longer and more descriptive)
internasjonal = international (involving many countries, worldwide)
- internasjonal filmfestival – international film festival
  (not the same as “foreign” from the point of view of one specific country)

So:

utenlandsk = foreign (not from here)
fra utlandet = from abroad
internasjonal = international

Why is the adjective utenlandsk not placed in front of filmen here, like Denne utenlandske filmen?

There are two different structures:

Attributive adjective (before the noun):
- Denne utenlandske filmen – this foreign movie
  Structure: denne + [adjective] + definite noun
Predicate adjective (after the verb er):
- Denne filmen er utenlandsk – this movie is foreign
  Structure: [subject] + er + [adjective]

Both are correct, but they are used differently:

Denne utenlandske filmen is just a noun phrase. It’s like saying “this foreign movie” without making a full statement.
Denne filmen er utenlandsk is a complete sentence that tells you something about the movie.

Meaning is almost the same; it’s just different grammar and sentence structure.

Can I drop denne and just say Filmen er utenlandsk? How does the meaning change?

Yes, you can say:

Filmen er utenlandsk. – The movie is foreign.

Difference in nuance:

Denne filmen = this movie (very specific: the one we’re talking about right now, often one that is “close” in context)
Filmen = the movie (also specific, but without the extra “this” pointing feeling)

In many contexts, Denne filmen er utenlandsk and Filmen er utenlandsk will refer to the same movie; denne just makes it more explicitly “this one” rather than “the movie (we know about)”.

How would this sentence look in the plural, and how does the adjective change?

Plural of the whole sentence:

Disse filmene er utenlandske. – These movies are foreign.

Changes:

Demonstrative:
- denne (this, singular) → disse (these, plural)
Noun:
- filmen (the movie, definite singular) → filmene (the movies, definite plural)
Adjective in predicative position:
- utenlandsk (singular) → utenlandske (plural)

So:

Singular: Denne filmen er utenlandsk.
Plural: Disse filmene er utenlandske.

Are there other common ways to say “foreign film” in Norwegian?

Yes. Common options include:

As a noun phrase:
- en utenlandsk film – a foreign film
- utenlandske filmer – foreign films
As a full sentence:
- Det er en utenlandsk film. – It’s a foreign film.
- Filmen er utenlandsk. – The film is foreign.
More descriptive:
- en film fra utlandet – a film from abroad
- en film fra [land] – a film from [country]
  e.g. en film fra Frankrike – a film from France

In everyday talk, utenlandsk film and utenlandske filmer are the most straightforward ways to say foreign film(s).

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