Behovet er stort.

to be

Breakdown of Behovet er stort.

• stor: big
• behovet: the need

Questions & Answers about Behovet er stort.

What does behovet mean, and why does it end in -et?

Behovet is the definite singular form of behov, which means need.

• et behov = a need
• behovet = the need

The ending -et is the usual definite ending for many neuter nouns in Norwegian.

What gender is behov, and why does that matter here?

Behov is a neuter noun, so its basic form is:

• et behov

This matters because adjectives often have to agree with the noun’s gender. In this sentence, that is why you get stort rather than stor.

Why is it stort and not stor?

Because behov is neuter singular.

The adjective stor changes depending on gender and number:

• stor = common gender singular
• stort = neuter singular
• store = plural or certain definite contexts

Since behovet refers to the need and the noun itself is neuter singular, the predicative adjective becomes stort:

• Behovet er stort.

Why isn’t it store if behovet is definite?