Likheten mellom barna og foreldrene gjør meg glad.

The similarity between the children and the parents makes me happy.

Breakdown of Likheten mellom barna og foreldrene gjør meg glad.

• barnet: the child
• og: and
• meg: me
• glad: happy
• gjøre: to make
• mellom: between
• forelderen: the parent
• likheten: the similarity

Questions & Answers about Likheten mellom barna og foreldrene gjør meg glad.

Why is it likheten and not just likhet?

Likheten is the definite singular form of likhet (similarity).

• likhet = similarity (in general)
• likheten = the similarity

In this sentence we are talking about a specific similarity (the one between these children and these parents), so Norwegian uses the definite form: likheten.

Using likhet without -en would sound like you are talking about similarity in general, not this particular one.

What grammatical role does likheten have in the sentence?

Likheten is the grammatical subject of the sentence.

• Likheten mellom barna og foreldrene = subject
• gjør = verb
• meg = object
• glad = object complement (describing meg)

So the structure is:
[The similarity between the children and the parents] [makes] [me] [happy].

What does mellom mean here, and can I change the order of barna and foreldrene?

mellom means between.

The phrase mellom barna og foreldrene literally means between the children and the parents.

You can swap the order without changing the meaning:

• mellom barna og foreldrene
• mellom foreldrene og barna

Both are fine; it’s just a style choice.

Why is it barna and not barner or something similar?

Barn (child/children) is an irregular neuter noun that has the same form in singular and plural:

• et barn = a child
• barnet = the child
• barn = children
• barna = the children

So barna is the definite plural form: the children. There is no form barner in Norwegian.

Why is it foreldrene and not just foreldre?

Foreldre means parents in general (indefinite plural):

• foreldre = parents
• foreldrene = the parents

In the sentence, we are talking about specific parents (the ones belonging to these children), so Norwegian uses the definite plural: foreldrene, meaning the parents.

Is foreldre only plural, or is there a singular form?

Everyday Norwegian mostly uses foreldre in the plural, but there is a singular form:

• en forelder = a parent (more formal/administrative)
• foreldre = parents
• foreldrene = the parents

In normal conversation people often say mor (mother) and far (father) instead of forelder.

How does gjør meg glad work grammatically? Is it like English "makes me happy"?

Yes, gjør meg glad directly corresponds to makes me happy.

Structure: gjøre + object + adjective

• gjør = makes / does
• meg = me (object pronoun)
• glad = happy (adjective describing meg)

So:

• Det gjør meg trøtt. = That makes me tired.
• Musikk gjør meg rolig. = Music makes me calm.

Same pattern as English make someone + adjective.

Why is it glad and not something like glade?

Adjectives in Norwegian agree with the noun they describe when used directly with it:

• en glad gutt = a happy boy
• ei glad jente = a happy girl
• et glad barn = a happy child
• glade barn = happy children

But in this sentence, glad is a complement of the object pronoun meg, after the verb:

• gjør meg glad = makes me happy

In this position, you just use the base form glad, not a plural or definite form. The same happens with:

• De gjør oss sinte. = They make us angry.
• Filmen gjorde henne trist. = The movie made her sad.

Could I say Likheten mellom barna og foreldrene gjør meg lykkelig instead of glad?

You can say lykkelig, but the nuance changes slightly:

• glad = happy, pleased, glad (can be quite light and everyday)
• lykkelig = happy in a deeper, more emotional or long‑lasting way (often stronger)

Likheten ... gjør meg glad sounds very natural and everyday.
Likheten ... gjør meg lykkelig sounds more intense or emotional, like it truly warms your heart on a deeper level.

Can I drop meg and just say Likheten ... gjør glad?

Not in normal standard Norwegian. You need the object:

• gjør meg glad = makes me happy
• gjør oss glade = makes us happy

Without meg (or another object), gjør glad sounds incomplete or very odd. Norwegian does not omit the object the way some other languages might.

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

Both mean that you become happy, but the focus is different:

• Likheten ... gjør meg glad.
  Focus on the cause: The similarity is actively making me happy.

• Jeg blir glad av likheten mellom barna og foreldrene.
  Focus on my state changing: I become happy because of the similarity.

They’re often interchangeable in meaning, but:

• gjør meg glad highlights what causes the feeling.
• jeg blir glad highlights the change in your emotional state.

Could I use gleder meg instead of gjør meg glad?

You can, but the structure changes:

• Det gjør meg glad. = It makes me happy.
• Det gleder meg. = It delights me / It pleases me.

glede is a verb that directly takes an object:

• Likheten mellom barna og foreldrene gleder meg.

This sounds a bit more formal or written than gjør meg glad, which is very neutral and common in everyday speech.