Language/Norwegian-bokmal/Grammar/Plurals

Norwegian Bokmål Grammar - Plurals

Hi Norwegian Bokmål learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on plurals in Norwegian Bokmål grammar. Plurals are an essential aspect of any language as they help us to communicate effectively. By understanding the rules of forming plurals, you can expand your vocabulary and improve your language skills. So, let's dive in!

Basic Rule

In Norwegian Bokmål, the basic rule for forming plurals is to add -er at the end of the noun. For example:

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
en bil (a car)	/en biːl/	cars
en bok (a book)	/en buk/	books
en katt (a cat)	/en kat/	cats
et hus (a house)	/et hʉs/	houses

As you can see, the indefinite article 'en' (a) changes to 'flere' (multiple) which is plural for definite article. The indefinite article 'et' (a) changes to 'flere' (multiple) and in the plural, the definite article becomes 'de'.

However, there are some irregular plurals that you will have to learn by heart.

Irregular Plurals

In Norwegian Bokmål, some nouns have irregular plurals. Memorizing the irregular plurals takes time and practice, but it is essential if you want to communicate effectively. Here are some examples:

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
en mann (a man)	/en man/	men
en fot (a foot)	/en fuːt/	feet
en tann (a tooth)	/en tan/	teeth
et egg (an egg)	/et ɛɡ/	eggs

There are no specific rules for forming irregular plurals. Therefore, memorizing them is the best way to learn them.

Compound Nouns

Compound nouns are a combination of two or more nouns. In Norwegian Bokmål, the final word determines the plural form. For example:

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
en vannflaske (a water bottle)	/en vanflaskə/	water bottles
en rødvin (a red wine)	/en røːdviːn/	red wines
en nattbord (a nightstand)	/en nøttbur/	nightstands

As you can see, the final word 'flaske', 'vin', and 'bord' all take -er at the end to form the plural.

Nouns ending in -ier

Nouns that end in -ier have an additional -e in the plural form. For example:

Norwegian Bokmål	Pronunciation	English
en bøker (a book)	/en bøkər/	books
en sko (a shoe)	/en sku/	shoes
et dyr (an animal)	/et dyːr/	animals

Dialogue

Person 1: Hvor er mine bøker? (Where are my books?) Person 2: De er på nattbordet. (They are on the nightstand.)

Person 1: Kan jeg låne en av dine sko? (Can I borrow one of your shoes?) Person 2: Ja, selvfølgelig. (Yes, of course.)

Person 1: Har du sett mine tenner? (Have you seen my teeth?) Person 2: Nei, jeg har ikke det. (No, I haven't.)

Person 1: Hva slags vin ønsker du å drikke? (What kind of wine do you want to drink?) Person 2: En hvitvin, takk. (A white wine, please.)

Practice Exercise

Now, let's practice what you learned. Choose the correct plural form for the following words:

1. En hund (a dog) - hunder / hunds 2. En tannbørste (a toothbrush) - tannbørster / tannbørste 3. Et hus (a house) - husene / huser 4. En mann (a man) - menner / menn 5. En elefant (an elephant) - elefanter / elefant

Check your answers at the question section on Polyglot Club.

Conclusion

Congratulations, you made it to the end of this lesson on Norwegian Bokmål plurals! Remember that irregular plurals can be challenging to learn, but practice makes perfect. By expanding your vocabulary with plural forms, you can effectively communicate with native speakers. Don't forget to check out the native speakers on Polyglot Club to practice your language skills.

➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Sources

• Norwegian Language
• Plural
• Compound Noun