A1 Norwegian GrammarNoun Gender
Norwegian has three grammatical genders: masculine (en), feminine (ei), and neuter (et). Learn to identify noun genders and understand how they affect articles, adjectives, and other words. Most learners can treat feminine as masculine (the 'two-gender' system).
1The Three Genders
Norwegian nouns belong to one of three genders: masculine (en), feminine (ei), or neuter (et). The indefinite article matches the gender. In modern Norwegian, especially in urban areas, feminine nouns are often treated as masculine, using 'en' instead of 'ei'. This simplified two-gender system is acceptable.
Gender with Indefinite Articles
| Gender | Article | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | en | en mann | a man |
| feminine | ei | ei kvinne | a woman |
| feminine (alt) | en | en kvinne | a woman |
| neuter | et | et barn | a child |
Examples
Det er en hund.
That is a dog.
hund is masculine
Jeg ser ei jente.
I see a girl.
jente is feminine
Hun har et eple.
She has an apple.
eple is neuter
Vi bor i en by.
We live in a city.
by is masculine
2Definite Form (The)
Norwegian attaches the definite article to the end of the noun as a suffix. Masculine nouns add '-en', feminine nouns add '-a', and neuter nouns add '-et'. This is different from English, where 'the' comes before the noun.
Definite Suffixes
| Gender | Indefinite | Definite | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | en bil | bilen | the car |
| feminine | ei bok | boka | the book |
| neuter | et hus | huset | the house |
| neuter | et bord | bordet | the table |
Examples
Mannen er her.
The man is here.
mann → mannen
Jenta spiser.
The girl is eating.
jente → jenta
Barnet sover.
The child is sleeping.
barn → barnet
Døren er åpen.
The door is open.
dør → døren (masc)
3Common Gender Patterns
While gender must often be memorized, some patterns help. Many nouns ending in '-ing', '-het', '-else' are masculine. Female people and animals are often feminine. Many short, common words are neuter. Learning the article with each new noun is the best strategy.
Gender Patterns
| Pattern | Gender | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| words ending in -ing | masculine | en ting, en mening |
| words ending in -het | masculine | en mulighet, en sannhet |
| female beings | feminine | ei søster, ei ku |
| short common words | often neuter | et hus, et ord, et år |
Examples
En avis ligger på bordet.
A newspaper is on the table.
avis (masc), bord (neut)
Ei mor elsker barnet sitt.
A mother loves her child.
mor (fem), barn (neut)
Et glass vann, takk.
A glass of water, please.
glass and vann are neuter
En time er seksti minutter.
An hour is sixty minutes.
time (masc), minutt (neut)
4Gender with Adjectives
Adjectives must agree with the gender of the noun. Masculine and feminine use the base form, while neuter adds '-t'. In the definite form with an adjective, use 'den' (masc/fem) or 'det' (neuter) before the adjective, and the noun takes its definite ending.
Adjective Agreement
| Gender | Indefinite | Definite | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | en stor bil | den store bilen | a/the big car |
| feminine | ei stor bok | den store boka | a/the big book |
| neuter | et stort hus | det store huset | a/the big house |
Examples
Han har en ny jobb.
He has a new job.
ny (base form)
Det er et nytt bord.
It is a new table.
nytt (neuter form)
Den gamle mannen sitter der.
The old man sits there.
den + adjective + definite noun
Det lille barnet gråter.
The little child is crying.
det + lille + barnet