More about adjectives
Grammar
© NTNU
ADJECTIVES
In Week 1 we learnt the main pattern for adjectives:
Most adjectives end in -t in the neuter and -e in the plural.
We looked at the Attributive and Predicative forms
Attributive form
| Masculine Sing. | Feminine Sing. | Neuter Sing. | Plural |
| en brun stol | ei brun seng | et brunt bord | brune stoler/senger/bord |
| a brown chair | a brown bed | a brown table | brown chairs/beds/tables |
Predicative form
| Masculine Sing. | Feminine sing. | Neuter Sing. | Plural |
| Stolen er brun | Senga er brun | Bordet er brunt | Stolene/sengene/bordene er brune |
| The chair is brown | The bed is brown | The table is brown | The chairs/beds/tables are brown |
There are however some other patterns for adjectives as well:
Other patterns
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
| 1. | en ny kjole | ei ny lue | et nytt bord | nye klær |
| 2. | en billig kjole | ei billig lue | et billig bord | billige klær |
| 3. | en tysk kjole | ei tysk lue | et tysk bord | tyske klær |
| 4. | en praktisk kjole | ei praktisk lue | et praktisk bord | praktiske klær |
| 5. | en moderne kjole | ei moderne lue | et moderne bord | moderne klær |
| 6. | en grønn kjole | ei grønn lue | et grønt bord | grønne klær |
1. One-syllable adjectives ending in a stressed vowel take -tt in the neuter (ny – new).
2. Adjectives ending in -ig take no –t in the neuter (billig – cheap).
3. Adjectives denoting nationalities ending in -sk take no -t in the neuter (tysk – German).
4. Foreign adjectives ending in -isk take no -t in the neuter (praktisk – practical).
There are however two exeptions to 3. and 4.
The adjectives frisk and fersk do actually take -t in the neuter:
et friskt barn – a healthy child
et ferskt brød – a fresh bread
5. Adjectives ending in -e take no -t in the neuter (moderne – modern).
6. Most adjectives with a double consonant drop one consonant before -t (grønn – green).
Finally, we have two irregular adjectives that follow their own rules and have a special pattern.
Liten (small) og annen (other)
Attributive form
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
| en liten bil | ei lita bok | et lite bord | små biler/bøker/bord |
| a small car | a small book | a small table | small cars/books/tables |
| en annen bil | ei anna bok | et annet bord | andre biler/bøker/bord |
| another car | another book | another table | other cars/books/tables |
Predicative form
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
| Bilen er liten | Boka er lita | Skjerfet er lite | Bilene/bøkene/skjerfene er små |
| The car is small | The book is small | The scarf is small | The cars/books/scarves are small |
Annen (other) is not used in predicative form.
Take another look at the pattern list for adjectives from Week 1.
You’ll find it here again, under “Downloads”
© NTNU
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