In Norwegian, adjectives must always agree with the number and gender of the noun. The plural form of the adjective is the same across all genders. The adjective also has two declensions: indefinite and definite. Unfortunately, there are many irregulars.
Indefinite Form
When using the indefinite form (en/ei/et; i.e. “en bil,” “ei bok,” etc), the adjective does not change when the noun is masculine or feminine gender (en / ei) but gets a -t ending if the noun is neuter (et) and an -e ending in plural in all three genders.
Gender |
Singular |
English |
Plural |
English |
Masc. |
En stor bil |
A big car |
Store biler |
Big cars |
Fem. |
Ei stor hytte |
A big cabin |
Store hytter |
Big cabins |
Neut. |
Et stort hus |
A big house |
Store hus |
Big houses |
Most adjectives decline the same way as “stor” does, which there are only 3 forms.
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Stor - only used in the indefinite singular form for masc/fem nouns.
-
Stort - only used in the indefinite neuter singular form
-
Store - used in all other forms
Definite Form
In the definite form, the adjective almost always takes an -e ending:
| Gender | Singular | English | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Masc. |
Den store bilen |
The big car |
De store bilene |
The big cars |
Fem. |
Den store hytta |
The big cabin |
De store hyttene |
The big cabins |
Neut. |
Det store huset |
The big house |
De store husene |
The big houses |
The adjective declines the same as they do in the indefinite, when the adjective is predicative (i.e. after the noun).
| Gender | Singular | English | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Masc. |
Bilen er stor |
The car is big |
Bilene er store |
The cars are big |
Fem. |
Hytta er stor |
The cabin is big |
Hyttene er store |
The cabins are big |
Neut. |
Huset er stort |
The house is big |
Husene er store |
The houses are big |
The definite form of the adjective is used in a number of ways in Norwegian:
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After the definite article (den/det)
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After the demonstrative pronoun (den/denne/dette)
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After the possessive pronoun (min/mitt, etc)
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After the genitive -s
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After første, siste, neste, samme
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Certain prepositional phrases
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In some cases before a noun without a preceding article, usually when the adjective is part of a proper name or an expression of address.
| Rule | Norwegian | English |
|---|---|---|
After definite article |
Den fine bilen. |
The pretty car. |
After the demonstrative pronoun |
Den / denne fine bilen. |
That/this fine car. |
After the possessive pronoun* |
Min lille venn |
My little friend |
Mitt store eple |
My big apple |
|
After the genitive -s |
Pers nye hatt. |
Per’s new hat. |
After første, siste, neste, samme |
Neste offentlige møte. |
The next public meeting. |
Certain prepositional phrases |
Hele dagen |
The whole day |
Midt på lyse dagen |
In broad daylight |
|
Ut av løse luften |
Out of thin air |
|
Before a noun without a preceding article when the adjective is part of a proper name or an expression of address. |
Gamle Norge |
Old Norway |
Kjære barn |
Dear child |
*Note: exception to this rule: mitt eget hus; min egen bil
Irregular Rules
1. If an adjective has a short stressed vowel followed by a single consonant, the consonant is doubled when the noun is plural, in the indefinite form:
Gender |
Singular |
English |
Plural |
English |
Masc. |
En tom boks |
An empty box |
Tomme bokser |
Empty boxes |
Fem. |
Ei tom hytte |
An empty cabin |
Tomme hytter |
Empty cabins |
Neut. |
Et tomt hus |
An empty house |
Tomme hus |
Empty houses |
BUT it is doubled in the definite form in both singular and plural:
| Gender | Singular | English | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Masc. |
Den tomme boksen |
The empty box |
De tomme boksene |
The empty boxes |
Fem. |
Den tomme hytta |
The empty cabin |
De tomme hyttene |
The empty cabins |
Neut. |
Det tomme huset |
The empty house |
De tomme husene |
The empty houses |
2. If the adjective ends in an å, it takes a -tt ending if the noun is singular neuter (et), and the -e ending is optional if the noun is plural, in the indefinite form:
Gender |
Singular |
English |
Plural |
English |
Masc. |
En grå bil |
A grey car |
Grå(e) biler |
Grey cars |
Fem. |
Ei grå hytte |
A grey cabin |
Grå(e) hytter |
Grey cabins |
Neut. |
Et grått hus |
A grey house |
Grå(e) hus |
Grey houses |
AND it is also optional in the definite form
| Gender | Singular | English | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Masc. |
Den grå(e) bilen |
The grey car |
De grå(e) bilene |
The grey cars |
Fem. |
Den grå(e) hytta |
The grey cabin |
De grå(e) hyttene |
The grey cabins |
Neut. |
Det grå(e) huset |
The grey house |
De grå(e) husene |
The grey houses |
3. If the adjective ends in -el, -en, -er, then you drop the “e” that is in the stem before adding an -e at the end if the noun is plural in the indefinite form, and a double consonant will become single:
Gender |
Singular |
English |
Plural |
English |
Masc. |
En gammel mann |
An old man |
Gamle menn |
Old men |
En åpen dør |
An open door |
Åpne dører |
Open doors |
|
Fem. |
Ei gammel kvinne |
An old woman |
Gamle kvinner |
Old women |
Ei åpen hytte |
An open cabin |
Åpne hytter |
Open cabins |
|
Neut. |
Et gammelt hus |
An old house |
Gamle hus |
Old houses |
Et åpent hus |
An open house |
Åpne hus |
Open houses |
BUT In the definite form, the “e” is dropped from the stem, and an -e is added to the end in both singular and plural:
| Gender | Singular | English | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Masc. |
Den gamle mannen |
The old man |
De gamle mennene |
The old men |
Den åpne døren |
The open door |
De åpne dørene |
The open doors |
|
Fem. |
Den gamle kvinna |
The old woman |
De gamle kvinnene |
The old women |
Den åpne hytta |
The open cabin |
De åpne hyttene |
The open cabins |
|
Neut. |
Det gamle huset |
The old house |
De gamle husene |
The old houses |
Det åpne huset |
The open house |
De åpne husene |
The open houses |
4. A double consonant is reduced to a single consonant before the neuter -t in the indefinite form.
Gender |
Singular |
English |
Plural |
English |
Masc. |
En trygg bil |
A safe car |
Trygge biler |
Safe cars |
Fem. |
Ei trygg hytte |
A safe cabin |
Trygge hytter |
Safe cabins |
Neut. |
Et trygt hus |
A safe house |
Trygge hus |
Safe houses |
5. Adjectives ending in a stressed vowel usually take a -tt ending in neuter singular in the *indefinite form.
Gender |
Singular |
English |
Plural |
English |
Masc. |
En ny bil |
A new car |
Nye biler |
New cars |
Fem. |
Ei ny hytte |
A new cabin |
Nye hytter |
New cabins |
Neut. |
Et nytt hus |
A new house |
Nye hus |
New houses |
*Note: Some exceptions are: bra (good), sky (shy), sjalu (jealous), kry (proud)
BUT Only a single -t is added in neuter form when the adjective ends in a diphthong, in the indefinite form.
Gender |
Singular |
English |
Plural |
English |
Masc. |
En grei bil |
A decent car |
Greie biler |
Decent cars |
Fem. |
Ei grei hytte |
A decent cabin |
Greie hytter |
Decent cabins |
Neut. |
Et greit hus |
A decent house |
Greie hus |
Decent houses |
6. And then we have the adjective “little”….which kind of does its own thing.
Indefinite:
Gender |
Singular |
English |
Plural |
English |
Masc. |
En liten hund |
A little dog |
Små hunder |
Little dogs |
Fem. |
Ei lita jente |
A little girl |
Små jenter |
Little girls |
Neut. |
Et lite hus |
A little house |
Små hus |
Little houses |
Definite:
| Gender | Singular | English | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Masc. |
Den lille hunden |
The little dog |
De små hundene |
The little dogs |
Fem. |
Den lille jenta |
The little girl |
De små jentene |
The little girls |
Neut. |
Det lille huset |
The little house |
De små husene |
The little houses |
The following adjectives do not inflect for number or gender.
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Certain adjectives which end in a stressed vowel.
Norwegian |
English |
Norwegian |
English |
Norwegian |
English |
Bra |
Good |
Slu |
Sly |
Lilla |
Lilac |
Troende |
Faithful |
Ru* |
Rough |
Sky* |
Shy |
Sjalu* |
Jealous |
Sta* |
Stubborn |
Edru* |
Sober |
*Note: In the ordbok, the -e ending is optional for these words.
Ex: Den edru(e) mannen The sober man
Et bra bilde A good picture
Eslene er sta(e) The mules are stubborn
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Adjectives which end in an unstressed -e.
Norwegian |
English |
Norwegian |
English |
Norwegian |
English |
Øde |
Deserted |
Sovende |
Sleeping |
Bedre* |
Better |
Stille |
Quiet |
Syngende |
Singing |
Penere* |
Prettier |
Steinete |
Stony |
Gående |
Walking |
Mindre* |
Smaller |
*Note: These words are comparatives; most (if not all) comparatives end in an unstressed -e and therefore do not inflect.
Ex: Et øde område a deserted area
Et sovende barn a sleeping child
Mannen var stille the man was quiet
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Some adjectives ending in -s.
Norwegian |
English |
Norwegian |
English |
Norwegian |
English |
Stakkars |
Poor |
Gratis |
Free |
Nymotens |
Newfangled |
Avsides |
Remote |
Felles |
Mutual |
Forgjeves |
In vain |
Innvortes |
Internal |
Ex: Stakkars folk! poor people
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Resources:
Exercise 1: Fill in the blank
Copy/Paste into a separate document before answering.
En (grå) ___________ elefant spiste eplet.
Den (rask) __________ kvinnen løper mye.
Det (gammel) __________ huset er (stygg) ______.
De (brun) _______ kattene dine er (søt) ______.
De (ung) ________ hundene jager hverandre.
Bryllupet var (vakker) __________.
(Rød) _____ epler smaker bedre enn (grønn) _______ epler.
Min (stakkars) _______ kone er syk igjen.
Jeg fant et (trygg) ______ skjulested.
Det (dum) ______ barnet hadde på seg en (stor) _______ hatt.
Hannibal lager (fantastisk) __________ måltider.
Exercise 2: Write 5 sentences
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One indef. singular
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One def. singular
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One plural
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And at least 2 sentences with irregulars