Language/Norwegian-bokmal/Grammar/Adjective-Agreement

Norwegian Bokmål → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Adjectives and Adverbs → Adjective Agreement

Adjective Agreement

Adjectives are an important part of the Norwegian Bokmål language, allowing you to describe nouns and add more detail to your sentences. However, one of the tricky elements of using adjectives is understanding how to adjust their form to match the gender and number of the noun they are describing. In this lesson, we will cover the rules for adjective agreement in Norwegian Bokmål.

The Basics of Adjective Agreement

In Norwegian Bokmål, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. This means that if the noun is feminine, the adjective must also be feminine, and if the noun is plural, the adjective must also be plural.

The rules for forming adjectives in Norwegian Bokmål are relatively simple. Adjectives can generally be formed by adding -t to a masculine noun and -a to a feminine noun. For example:

Noun (Singular)	Masculine Adjective	Feminine Adjective
en stor stol (a big chair)	en stor mann (a big man)	en stor kvinne (a big woman)

In the example above, the adjective "stor" (big) changes its form depending on the gender of the noun it is describing. For example:

• "stor" becomes "stort" when describing a neuter noun, as in "et stort hus" (a big house)
• "stor" becomes "store" when describing a plural noun, as in "store stoler" (big chairs)

It's important to note that there are some irregular adjectives in Norwegian Bokmål that do not follow this pattern. Some examples include:

• "liten" (little/small)
• "god" (good)
• "dårlig" (bad)

These adjectives have their own unique forms in certain situations, which we will discuss in more detail later in this lesson.

Adjective Agreement with Definite Articles

When you use a definite article (such as "the" in English) with a noun in Norwegian Bokmål, the adjective must also agree in gender and number with the noun, as well as with the definite article.

The definite article in Norwegian Bokmål has different forms depending on the gender and number of the noun it is describing. For example:

Gender/Number	Indefinite Article	Definite Article
Singular masculine	en mann (a man)	mannen (the man)	Singular feminine	en kvinne (a woman)	kvinnen (the woman)	Neuter	et hus (a house)	huset (the house)	Plural	stoler (chairs)	stolene (the chairs)

Just like with adjectives, the definite article must also agree in gender and number with the noun it is describing. For example:

• "mannen" is masculine singular, so the adjective must also be masculine singular, as in "den store mannen" (the big man)
• "kvinnen" is feminine singular, so the adjective must also be feminine singular, as in "den store kvinnen" (the big woman)
• "huset" is neuter singular, so the adjective must also be neuter singular, as in "det store huset" (the big house)
• "stolene" is plural, so the adjective must also be plural, as in "de store stolene" (the big chairs)

It's important to note that when you have a noun with a definite article and an adjective in front of it, the adjective must come after the definite article. For example:

• "huset" (the house) becomes "det store huset" (the big house)

Irregular Adjective Forms

As mentioned earlier, there are several irregular adjectives in Norwegian Bokmål that do not follow the basic pattern of adding -t or -a to the noun. Below is a list of some common irregular adjectives, along with their different forms:

Adjective	Masculine Singular	Feminine Singular	Neuter Singular	Plural
liten (little)	liten	lita	lite	små	god (good)	god	god	godt	gode	dårlig (bad)	dårlig	dårlig	dårlig	dårlige

As you can see from the table, the adjective "liten" (little) has different forms depending on the gender and number of the noun it is describing. The adjective "god" (good) has the same form for masculine and feminine singular, but changes in neuter and plural. The adjective "dårlig" (bad) has the same form for all genders and numbers, except for plural.

In addition to these irregular adjectives, there are a handful of adjectives that are exceptions to the rule. For example, the adjective "ny" (new) changes its form in certain situations:

• When describing a masculine noun, "ny" becomes "nytt", as in "et nytt hus" (a new house)
• When describing a neuter noun, "ny" becomes "nye", as in "de nye husene" (the new houses)

Practice Exercises

Now that you understand the basics of adjective agreement in Norwegian Bokmål, it's time to put your knowledge to the test. Below are a few exercises to help reinforce your understanding:

1. Fill in the blank with the correct form of the adjective:
   • "Han har en _____ hund." (He has a big dog.)
   • "Jeg ser en _____ bok på bordet." (I see a red book on the table.)
   • "Vi spiser _____ gulrøtter til middag." (We are eating fresh carrots for dinner.)
   • "Jeg trenger en _____ jakke til vinteren." (I need a warm jacket for the winter.)
2. Create a sentence using the following nouns and adjectives, making sure to adjust the adjective form to match the gender and number of the noun:
   • norsk (Norwegian)
   • katt (cat)
   • bil (car)
   • liten (little)
3. Translate the following sentences into Norwegian Bokmål, adjusting the adjective form and definite article as necessary:
   • "The tall woman is wearing a blue dress."
   • "I want to buy the red car."
   • "The new houses are very expensive."

Good luck!

Table of Contents - Norwegian Bokmål Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Norwegian Bokmål

• Alphabet and Pronunciation
• Basic Sentence Structure

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Gender and Definite Articles
• Personal Pronouns

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Daily Activities

• Daily Routine
• Hobbies and Interests

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Agreement
• Comparatives and Superlatives

  ---

Food and Drink

• Common Foods
• Eating Out

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Coordinating Conjunctions

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Questions and Negation

• Question Words
• Negation

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Expressing Emotions

  ---

Norwegian Customs and Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Etiquette and Social Norms

Related Lessons

• Nouns and adjectives
• Formal writing and communication
• How to Use Be
• Questions
• Basic sentence structure
• Personal Pronouns
• Advanced sentence structure and syntax
• Comparatives and Superlatives
• Academic writing and research skills
• Alphabet and Pronunciation