Lesson goal
After the lesson, the student will understand that the definite singular form shows a specific object already known from the situation or context. The student will learn to form words with the endings -en, -a and -et, recognize them in speech, and use them in simple sentences: bilen, boka, huset, barnet. The student will also see how the form depends on the gender of the noun.
Topic explanation
In Norwegian, a noun can be indefinite or definite. The indefinite form names an object in general: en bil, ei bok, et hus. The definite form shows that we are talking about a specific object: not just “a car,” but “this car,” “that very car,” “the car we know about.” In Norwegian, definiteness is often expressed not by a separate word before the noun, but by an ending on the noun itself.
For common gender nouns with the article en, the ending -en is usually used: en stol → stolen, en bil → bilen. For feminine nouns with the article ei, the ending -a is often used: ei bok → boka, ei dør → døra, ei jente → jenta. For neuter nouns with the article et, the ending -et is used: et hus → huset, et bord → bordet, et barn → barnet.
This form is needed in very common phrases. If the object is already clear from the situation, a Norwegian speaker will usually choose the definite form: Boka ligger her. This means that the speaker has a specific book in mind. The same applies in the sentences Bilen er ny., Huset er stort., Barnet sover. Here we are not talking about just any object of this type, but about a specific one.
At the A1 level, it is important to see the main principle: first you need to know the gender of the noun, then choose the correct ending for the definite form. The definite singular form is one of the most frequent patterns in Norwegian, so it should be recognized immediately as a whole word, not as an article plus a noun.
Rules and exceptions
Below are the basic rules for the definite singular form.
en-words usually take -en: en stol → stolen, en bil → bilen.
ei-words usually take -a: ei bok → boka, ei dør → døra, ei jente → jenta.
et-words take -et: et hus → huset, et bord → bordet, et barn → barnet.
The definite form is used when the object is specific and clear from the context or situation.
If we are talking about an object in general, the indefinite form is usually needed: en bil, ei bok, et hus.
For many feminine nouns in modern language, a form following the en pattern is also possible: for example, alongside boka, boken is also often found. In this lesson, we use the -a pattern because it helps clearly show the feminine gender.
In Norwegian, the definite form is often expressed as one word, so you cannot add a regular indefinite article before forms like bilen or huset.
Examples with explanation
Bilen er ny. — The car is new. Here bilen is the definite form of en bil. We are talking about a specific car, so the ending -en is used.
Stolen står der. — The chair is standing there. The word stolen is formed from en stol. This is a specific chair that the speaker is pointing to or has already mentioned.
Boka ligger her. — The book is lying here. The word boka is the definite form of ei bok. The ending -a shows the feminine gender in the definite form.
Døra er åpen. — The door is open. The word døra is formed from ei dør. The definite form is used because a specific door is meant.
Huset er stort. — The house is big. The word huset is the definite form of et hus. For neuter, the ending -et is used.
Bordet er hvitt. — The table is white. The word bordet is formed from et bord. Here too it is neuter and takes the ending -et.
Jenta er glad. — The girl is happy. The word jenta is the definite form of ei jente. The speaker has a specific girl in mind.
Barnet sover. — The child is sleeping. The word barnet is formed from et barn. This is a specific child, so the definite form is needed.