Adjectives
Indefinite form - Generale rule
Adjectives agree in number and gender with the noun or pronoun they are describing. If the noun or pronoun is neuter, the adjective takes /t/. If the noun or pronoun is plural, the adjective takes /e/. In masculine and feminine forms, nothing is added.
Masculine:
Feminine:
Neuter:
Plural:
en dyr bil
ei dyr bok
et dyrt hus
mange dyre biler, bøker, hus
Masculine:
Feminine:
Neuter:
Plural:
han er varm
hun er varm
det er varmt
de er varme
(an expensive car)
(an expensive book)
(an expensive house)
(many expensive cars, books, houses)
(he is warm)
(she is warm)
(it is warm)
(they are warm)
Indefinite form - exceptional rules
There are many exceptions to the general rule. The most important ones are:
1. No /t/ in neuter form:
- adjectives ending in /ig/ (hyggelig, billig, vanskelig)
- long adjectives of Latin or Greek origin ending in /isk/ (praktisk, fantastisk)
- nationalities (norsk, svensk, tsjekkisk)
en hyggelig mann
ei hyggelig dame
et hyggelig møte
mange hyggelige mennesker
en praktisk mann
ei praktisk dame
et praktisk kurs
mange praktiske råd
en fransk bil
ei fransk bok
et fransk ord
mange franske filmer
2. Only one form:
- adjectives ending in /a/ or /e/ always stay the same.
en bra dag
ei bra uke
et bra år
mange bra dager
en moderne jakke
ei moderne veske
et moderne hus
mange moderne mennesker
3. Contraction in the plural form:
- adjectives ending in /en/, /el/ or /er/ will loose the /e/ before /n/, /l/ and/r/ in the
plural form.
en åpen butikk
ei åpen dør
et åpent hus
mange åpne dører
en diger ('huge') bil
ei diger bok
et digert hus
mange digre busser
en gammel mann
ei gammel dame
et gammelt hus
mange gamle mennesker
Note that the plural form, e.g., gamle, only has one /m/. This is due to the general spelling convention in Norwegian where geminates (i.e., two identical consonants) are avoided when clustered with a third consonant. This also affects the neuter form of words like grønn and snill (‘kind’), i.e., grønt and snilt.
4. Double /t/ in the neuter form:
- some adjectives take an extra /t/ in the neuter form. Typically, those adjectives
end in an open vowel (except /a/ and/e/ (see exceptional rule 2)). There are not
so many adjectives in this group, though, so maybe it is just as easy to remember
each case.
en ny dag
ei ny pute
et nytt bord
mange nye bøker
en fri ('free') mann
ei fri dame
et fritt land
mange frie mennesker
5. Annen and liten
- those are irregular adjectives conjugated as following:
en annen dag
ei annen uke
et annet bord
mange andre bøker
en liten mann
ei lita dame
et lite bord
mange små poteter
Comparison of adjectives
The majority of adjectives take /-ere/ in the comparative and /-est/ in the superlative degree.
Positive
høy
lett
kald
Comparative
høyere
lettere
kaldere
Superlative
høyest
lettest
kaldest
(high - higher - highest)
(easy - easier - easiest)
(cold - colder - coldest)
Adjectives ending in /-ig/ and /-som/ only take /-st/ in the superlative degree.
Positive
billig
morsom
Comparative
billigere
morsommere
Superlative
billigst
morsomst
(cheap - cheaper - cheapest)
(funny - funnier - funniest)
Adjectives ending in /-er/ and /-el/ contract in the comparative and superlative degree.
Positive
vakker
enkel
Comparative
vakrere
enklere
Superlative
vakrest
enklest
(beautiful - more beautiful - most beautiful)
(easy - easier - easiest)
A few adjectives, for example, many adjectives ending in /-isk/ plus all participles (that is, verbs used adjectivally) do not have a comparative and a superlative form. In these cases, mer (‘more’) and mest (‘most’) are used to express comparison.
Positive
praktisk
kjent
irriterende
Comparative
mer praktisk
mer kjent
mer irriterende
Superlative
mest praktisk
mest kjent
mest irriterende
(practical- more practical - most
practical)
(known - mor known - most known)
(irritating - more irritating - most
irritating)
Some of the most frequently used adjectives are irregular.
Positive
stor
liten
gammel
ung
tung
bra
ille
lang
Comparative
større
mindre
eldre
yngre
tyngre
bedre
verre
lengre
Superlative
størst
minst
eldst
yngst
tyngst
best
verst
lengst
(big)
(small)
(old)
(young)
(heavy)
(good)
(bad)
(long)
Definite form
When an adjective is placed before a noun in definite form, the adjective also takes definite form. The definite form is shaped by adding /e/ to the word stem, regardless of gender or number of the noun.
When we use an adjective in the definite form, we also need a definite article, i.e., den (m/f), det (n) or de (pl).
mask.:
fem.:
neut.:
plur.:
Indefinite form
en stor bil
ei stor kake
et stort hus
store biler/vekser/hus
Definite form
den store bilen
den store kaka
det store huset
de store bilene
de store kakene
de store husene
(the big car)
(the big cake)
(the big house)
(the big cars)
(the big cakes)
(the big houses)
Instead of definite article, we can use demonstratives before an adjective in definite form.
mask:
fem.:
neut.:
plur.:
denne store bilen
den store bilen
denne store kaka
den store kaka
dette store huset
det store huset
disse store bilene/kakene/husene
de store bilene/kakene/husene
(this big car)
(that big car)
(this big cake)
(that big cake)
(this big house)
(that big house)
(these big cars/cakes/houses)
(those big cars/cakes/houses)
This means that 'den store bilen' can be translated both as 'the big car' and 'that big car'. In oral speech, we distinguish between the two by putting stress on 'den/det/de' when is serves as a demonstrative, while it is unstressed when it serves as a definite article.
Definite form - exceptional rules
Some of the exceptional rules for adjectives in the indefinite form, also affect the definite form.
1. a/e-endring: only one form:
2. el/er/en-ending: contraction:
3. irregular form: annen:
liten:
den rosa bilen
den rosa veska
det rosa huset
de rosa husene
den gamle bilen
den gamle veska
det gamle huset
de gamle husene
den andre bilen
den andre veska
det andre huset
de andre husene
den lille bilen
den lille veska
det lille huset
de små husene
den moderne bilen
den moderne veska
det moderne huset
de moderne husene
den vakre bilen
den vakre veska
det vakre huset
de vakre husene
den åpne bilen
den åpne veska
det åpne huset
de åpne husene
Definite form + possessives
Here, you saw that possessives can be placed both before and after the noun. When used in combination with adjectives in the definite form, the easiest way is just to add the possessive at the end.
den gamle bilen min
den gamle veska mi
det gamle huset mitt
de gamle naboene mine
(my old car)
(my old handbag)
(my old house)
(my old neighbours)
It is quite common, though, that the possessive is placed before the adjective in definite form, especially in more formal or stylistic language, or if we are talking about abstract things. Then the possessive will replace the definite article.
Note that while the adjective will always take definite form when preceded by a possessive, the noun takes indefinite form.
min gamle bil
mi gamle veske
mitt gamle hus
mine gamle naboer
(my old car)
(my old handbag)
(my old house)
(my old neighbours)
Definite form - superlatives
Also superlatives take /e/ in the definite form. Study the examples.
fin - finere - finest
god - bedre - best
kjent - mer kjent - mest kjent
det fineste kjolen i byen
den fineste kjolen min
min fineste kjole
den beste bilen i Norge
den beste bilen min
min beste bil
den mest kjente boka
den mest kjente boka mi
mi mest kjente bok
(the nicest dress i town)
(my nicest dress)
(my nicest dress)
(the best car in Norway)
(my best car)
(my best car)
(the most known book)
(my most known book)
(my most known book)