Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Hun vasker ansiktet.

It is the normal third-person singular pronoun for a female person in Norwegian. In a simple sentence like this, it is the subject: the person doing the action.

What form is vasker, and what is the infinitive?

Vasker is the present tense of å vaske, which means to wash.

So:

å vaske = to wash
vasker = wash / washes / is washing, depending on context

Norwegian verbs do not change for person the way English verbs do. So you get:

jeg vasker = I wash
du vasker = you wash
hun vasker = she washes

The verb stays vasker for all of them.

Can Hun vasker ansiktet mean both She washes her face and She is washing her face?

Yes.

In Norwegian, the present tense often covers both:

a general or habitual action: She washes her face
an action happening now: She is washing her face

Context tells you which meaning is intended.

If you want to make right now especially clear, Norwegian often adds a time expression, such as:

Hun vasker ansiktet nå. = She is washing her face now.

Why is it ansiktet and not just ?

Hun vasker ansiktet.

Breakdown of Hun vasker ansiktet.

Questions & Answers about Hun vasker ansiktet.

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