Log inSign up

Jeg søler kaffe på gulvet, og det blir et stort søl.

Jeg søler kaffe på gulvet, og det blir et stort søl.
I spill coffee on the floor, and it becomes a big mess.

Breakdown of Jeg søler kaffe på gulvet, og det blir et stort søl.

jeg
I
stor
big
et
a
og
and
det
it
på
on
bli
to become
kaffen
the coffee
gulvet
the floor
søle
to spill
sølet
the mess
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Norwegian grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Norwegian now

Questions & Answers about Jeg søler kaffe på gulvet, og det blir et stort søl.

Why is kaffe used without an article (not en kaffe)?

Kaffe here means coffee as a substance (a mass noun), so Norwegian typically uses it with no article: Jeg søler kaffe… = I spill coffee (some coffee).
You can say en kaffe when you mean a coffee as a serving/order: Jeg bestiller en kaffe (I order a coffee).

What’s the difference between søler and søl?

They’re different parts of speech from the same root:

  • søler = present tense verb, from å søle (to spill)
  • søl = noun meaning a spill / a mess caused by spilling
    So the sentence plays on that: you spill and it becomes a spill/mess.
Why is it Jeg søler and not Jeg søle?

Norwegian verbs don’t change for person (no I spill vs he spills), but they do change for tense.

  • Infinitive: å søle
  • Present: søler
  • Past: sølte
    So Jeg søler is simply present tense: I am spilling / I spill.
Could Jeg søler kaffe på gulvet mean both “I spill coffee (right now)” and “I spill coffee (in general)”?

Yes. Present tense in Norwegian can cover:

  • Right now: I’m spilling coffee (at the moment)
  • Habit/general: I (often) spill coffee
    Context decides. If you want to clearly mark “right now,” you might add nå: Jeg søler kaffe nå…
Why is it på gulvet and not på gulv or på gulvetet?

gulv = floor (indefinite)
gulvet = the floor (definite singular)
Norwegian often prefers the definite form when referring to a specific, understood object in the situation (like the floor in this room): på gulvet = on the floor.

What does på mean here, and could it be i instead?

på is used for something landing on a surface: på gulvet (on the floor).
i would mean inside something (like a container/space): i koppen (in the cup), i veska (in the bag). For a floor, på is the normal choice.

Why do we say det blir in the second clause? What does det refer to?

det is a “dummy” or “it” subject, similar to English it becomes…
It doesn’t point to a single noun like kaffe; it refers to the whole situation/result: because coffee is spilled, it becomes a big mess/spill.

What’s the role of blir here, and how is it different from er?
  • blir (from å bli) focuses on change/result: becomes/turns into
  • er (from å være) states a condition: is
    So det blir et stort søl = it becomes a big mess (result of the action).
    If you said det er et stort søl, it would sound more like describing what you see as a fact right now rather than emphasizing the “becoming.”
Why is it et stort søl (neuter), not en stor søl?

Because søl is a neuter noun: et søl.
Adjectives agree with gender and number:

  • et stort søl (neuter singular → adjective gets -t)
  • en stor… would be for common gender nouns (e.g., en stor kopp = a big cup)
Is søl countable? Why is it et søl and not just stort søl?

In Norwegian, many “mess/substance-like” nouns can still be treated as an indefinite thing/event with an article: et søl = a spill / a mess.
You can also see article-less use in some styles, but det blir et stort søl is very natural and common.

Why is there a comma before og?

Because og is linking two independent clauses (each could stand as a full sentence): 1) Jeg søler kaffe på gulvet
2) det blir et stort søl
In Norwegian, it’s standard to use a comma before og when it connects two main clauses like this.

How would this sentence look in the past tense?

You’d change the verbs:

  • Jeg sølte kaffe på gulvet, og det ble et stort søl.
    (søler → sølte, blir → ble)