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Hun tørker opp sølet, og så henger hun kjøkkenhåndkleet på radiatoren.

Hun tørker opp sølet, og så henger hun kjøkkenhåndkleet på radiatoren.
She wipes up the mess, and then she hangs the kitchen towel on the radiator.

Breakdown of Hun tørker opp sølet, og så henger hun kjøkkenhåndkleet på radiatoren.

hun
she
og
and
på
on
så
then
radiatoren
the radiator
henge
to hang
sølet
the mess
tørke opp
to wipe up
kjøkkenhåndkleet
the kitchen towel
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Questions & Answers about Hun tørker opp sølet, og så henger hun kjøkkenhåndkleet på radiatoren.

Why is it tørker opp and not just tørker?

Tørke means to dry/wipe in general, but tørke opp is a very common verb phrase meaning to wipe up (i.e., remove liquid/food from a surface so it’s clean).

  • tørke: dry something (make it dry) or wipe (more general)
  • tørke opp: wipe up a spill/mess (focus on cleaning it up)
What does sølet mean, and why does it end in -et?

Søl means a spill / mess caused by spilling.
Sølet is the definite form: the spill / the mess. The ending -et is a common definite ending for neuter nouns in Norwegian.
So: søl = a spill, sølet = the spill.

Is søl always neuter, and how can I tell?

Yes, søl is typically treated as neuter: et søl. That’s why the definite form is sølet. Unfortunately, grammatical gender usually has to be learned with the noun (dictionary helps), though patterns exist.

Why is there a comma before og så?

Because you have two independent clauses (each could stand as its own sentence):
1) Hun tørker opp sølet
2) (og så) henger hun kjøkkenhåndkleet på radiatoren
In Norwegian it’s normal to use a comma before og when it connects two full clauses.

What is the role of og så here? Does it just mean and then?

Yes: og så is a very common, natural way to say and then when describing a sequence of actions. It often feels more conversational than just og. It signals “next step.”

Why does it say og så henger hun ... and not og så hun henger ...?

Norwegian follows the V2 word order rule in main clauses: the finite verb normally comes in the second position.
After og så, the sentence continues with the verb early: henger comes before hun.
So: ... og så henger hun ... is correct main-clause word order.

What does henger mean here—hangs or is hanging?

Henger is the present tense of å henge. In this context it means hangs / puts (it) up (to hang), i.e., she hangs the towel on the radiator.
Norwegian present tense often covers both English simple present and present continuous depending on context.

Why is kjøkkenhåndkleet one long word?

Norwegian commonly forms compound nouns by writing them as one word.
kjøkken (kitchen) + håndkle (towel) = kjøkkenhåndkle (kitchen towel)
And -et makes it definite: kjøkkenhåndkleet = the kitchen towel.

Why is it kjøkkenhåndkleet (definite) instead of et kjøkkenhåndkle (indefinite)?

Definite form (-et) is used when the speaker treats it as a specific, known item in the situation—often “the towel we’re using.” In everyday narratives, Norwegian often uses the definite where English might still say a if it’s contextually obvious.

Why is it på radiatoren and not i or til radiatoren?

På is used for something being on/onto a surface/object. A radiator is treated like a surface you hang something on.

  • på radiatoren = on the radiator
  • i radiatoren would mean “inside the radiator” (not intended)
  • til radiatoren would mean “to the radiator” (direction/recipient), not the final hanging position
What does radiatoren mean grammatically—why -en?

Radiator is a masculine (or common gender) noun: en radiator.
The definite ending for many masculine/common nouns is -en: radiatoren = the radiator.

Do I really need to repeat hun in the second clause?
In Norwegian, you normally include the subject in each full clause. Omitting hun would sound incomplete here because henger needs an explicit subject. So ..., og så henger hun ... is the natural structure.