Hun åpner munnen.

She opens her mouth.

Breakdown of Hun åpner munnen.

• hun: she
• åpne: to open
• munnen: the mouth

Questions & Answers about Hun åpner munnen.

Why is it munnen and not just munn?

Because munnen is the definite singular form of munn.

• en munn = a mouth
• munnen = the mouth

In this sentence, Norwegian uses the definite form, so munnen means the mouth.

Why doesn’t Norwegian say her mouth here?

With body parts, Norwegian very often uses the definite noun instead of a possessive when it is obvious whose body part is meant.

So Norwegian prefers:

• Hun åpner munnen.

rather than:

• Hun åpner hennes munn.

This sounds more natural in Norwegian. English usually says her mouth, but Norwegian often just says the mouth in these situations.

What is the base form of åpner?