B1 Norwegian GrammarParticipial Adjectives
Learn to use present and past participles as adjectives in Norwegian. These forms allow you to create sophisticated descriptions by turning verbs into modifiers, such as 'a sleeping child' (et sovende barn) or 'a broken window' (et knust vindu). Master agreement rules and common patterns.
1Present Participle as Adjective
The present participle is formed by adding '-ende' to the verb stem. It describes an ongoing action or state: sove (sleep) → sovende (sleeping), synge (sing) → syngende (singing). Unlike regular adjectives, present participles do NOT change for gender or number.
Present Participle Formation
| Verb | Meaning | Participle | As Adjective |
|---|---|---|---|
| å sove | to sleep | sovende | et sovende barn |
| å smile | to smile | smilende | en smilende jente |
| å brenne | to burn | brennende | et brennende hus |
| å løpe | to run | løpende | en løpende mann |
Examples
Det sovende barnet våknet.
The sleeping child woke up.
sovende (sleeping) - no change for neuter
En smilende servitør kom bort.
A smiling waiter came over.
smilende describes ongoing action
De så på de dansende parene.
They watched the dancing couples.
dansende - same form for plural
Hun har en sjarmerende personlighet.
She has a charming personality.
sjarmerende = charming
2Past Participle as Adjective
Past participles used as adjectives describe completed actions or resulting states. They follow regular adjective agreement: masculine/feminine: -t/-d, neuter: add -t, plural: add -e. The participle form depends on the verb group: Group 1 (-et), Group 2 (-t), strong verbs (various).
Past Participle Agreement
| Verb | Participle | Masc/Fem | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| å knuse | knust | knust | knust | knuste |
| å lukke | lukket | lukket | lukket | lukkede |
| å skrive | skrevet | skrevet | skrevet | skrevne |
| å bryte | brutt | brutt | brutt | brutte |
Examples
Et knust vindu måtte repareres.
A broken window had to be repaired.
knust (broken) - neuter form
Den lukkede døren var låst.
The closed door was locked.
lukket → lukkede before definite noun
De stjålne pengene ble funnet.
The stolen money was found.
stjålet → stjålne (plural/definite)
En skrevet rapport ligger på bordet.
A written report is on the table.
skrevet = written
3Present vs. Past Participle Meaning
Present participles describe active, ongoing states (the thing doing the action), while past participles describe passive, completed states (the thing affected by the action). Compare: 'a boring movie' (en kjedelig film) vs. 'a bored audience' (et kjedet publikum).
Active vs. Passive Meaning
| Present (Active) | English | Past (Passive) | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| spennende | exciting | spent | excited |
| overraskende | surprising | overrasket | surprised |
| interesserende | interesting | interessert | interested |
| sjokkerende | shocking | sjokkert | shocked |
Examples
Filmen var spennende.
The movie was exciting.
spennende (present) - the film causes excitement
Publikum var spent.
The audience was excited.
spent (past) - they feel excitement
Det var en overraskende nyhet.
It was surprising news.
overraskende - the news causes surprise
Jeg er veldig interessert i kunst.
I am very interested in art.
interessert - I feel interest
4Common Participial Adjectives
Many participles are used so frequently as adjectives that they function as regular vocabulary. These include: åpen/åpent (open), lukket (closed), gift (married), fornøyd (satisfied), forberedt (prepared). Some have become fixed adjectives and no longer feel like verb forms.
Common Participial Adjectives
| Norwegian | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| åpen | open | en åpen dør |
| lukket | closed | et lukket vindu |
| gift | married | en gift kvinne |
| fornøyd | satisfied | et fornøyd barn |
| forberedt | prepared | en forberedt student |
Examples
Butikken er åpen til klokken åtte.
The store is open until eight o'clock.
Ã¥pen = open (common adjective)
Hun er gift med en lege.
She is married to a doctor.
gift = married
Barna var fornøyde med gavene.
The children were satisfied with the gifts.
fornøyd → fornøyde (plural)
En velkommen gjest kom inn.
A welcome guest came in.
velkommen = welcome (past participle origin)