Adjectives: definite form
Definite adjective form with double determination in Norwegian.
I can use definite adjective phrases with double determination.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Den store bilen er dyr.
The big car is expensive.
Det gamle huset er vakkert.
The old house is beautiful.
De røde eplene er søte.
The red apples are sweet.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Norwegian uses double determination: definite article + adjective(-e) + definite noun.
| Gender | Article | Adjective | Noun (definite) |
|---|---|---|---|
| m./f. | den | store | bilen |
| neuter | det | store | huset |
| plural | de | store | bilene |
The adjective always ends in -e in definite form.
🇬🇧 Missing the definite article: ❌ store bilen → ✅ den store bilen. Adjective ending is always -e in definite form.
Common Error Patterns
Missing den/det/de before adjective in definite phrase
Always use den/det/de + adjective-e + definite noun
Wrong adjective ending in definite form
Definite adjective always ends in -e regardless of gender
Den store bilen er dyr.
The big car is expensive.
den (m/f article) + store (adj -e) + bilen (definite noun)
Det gamle huset er vakkert.
The old house is beautiful.
det (neuter article) + gamle (adj -e) + huset (definite neuter)
De røde eplene er søte.
The red apples are sweet.
de (plural article) + røde (adj -e) + eplene (definite plural)
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises