Workbook for Norsk, nordmenn og Norge 1: Beginning Norwegian

ADJECTIVE REVIEW

ADJECTIVE REVIEW Adjectives (et adjektiv) are words which modify nouns. They can describe, define, or tell us something more about the noun. Words like 'big,' 'juicy,' and 'delicious' are adjectives . In English, an adjective has the same form regardless of which noun it modifies. There is no difference for singular or plural, indefinite or definite nouns. In Norwegian, adjectives are said to "agree" with the noun. Most adjectives have several forms. The proper choice of form depends on the noun's gender, number, and whether the noun is definite or indefinite. The dictionary form or base form of an adjective is the form used to modify indefinite singular en nouns. For most adjectives , the other forms are composed of the base form plus an ending. We will look first at adjectives which follow the most general pattern, then at the adjectives which follow other patterns. Adjectives in this first and most regular group have three different forms. As mentioned above, the dictionary form is used to modify indefinite singular en nouns: en god bZyant. The same form is also used to modify singular, indefinite ei nouns: ei god bok. There are only two adjectives (which we will deal with later) which have separate forms for en and ei nouns. The second form for these regular adjectives is used for modifying indefinite singular et nouns. This form is composed of the base form plus -t: et godt hUB. Adjectives which modify indefinite plural nouns add an -e to the base form of the adjective. The gender of the noun is not relevant in forming the adjective in the plural: gode bZyante:t> gode b¢ke:t> gode hUB. The three forms of an adjective used to modify indefinite nouns are: 1. base form, used for indefinite singular PEN en and ei nouns 2. base form + t, used for indefinite PENT singular et nouns 3. base form + e, used for all indefinite PENE plural nouns 111 ADJECT:IVE REV:IEW These indefinite forms which we have been looking at are used when the adjective plus noun form one unit, like et godt hus. They are also used when the noun and adjective are joined through a linking verb. :In sentences like Huset e1' godt the adjective is used predicatively. Here, the adjective is introducing new information about the noun, not just describing it, as in et godt hus. Even though huset in the sentence above is definite, we use the indefinite form of the adjective, godt. After the review questions on the next page, we will turn our attention to adjectives which are used to modify definite nouns. :In other words, we know how to say 'a pretty flower' and now we want to say 'the pretty flower.' The form of the adjective is quite simple, as we will see, but the structure of the adjective + noun phrase needs closer scrutiny. 112 ADJECTIVE REVIEW 1. Which of the following words are ~ adjectives? boat however tall oh: COVeI/..tkU c.olumn whUe. tWWeJWrg! not adjeotives: boat ho"'evel' oh! 2. Since the noun will determine which form of an adjective must be used, let's look at the relevant aspects of some nouns. Mark all appropriate circles: en ei et sing pl indef def a.fjernsynet: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 b.d(lltrene: 00000 00 c.bilder: 00000 00 d.ei stue: 00000 00 e e e nit 00. • 00 00. o• 0 s p g l • 0 o• o• • 0 i d n e df o• o• • 0 • 0 3. The dictionary form for 'expensive' is dyr. How do you say 'an expensive hotel'? " " " n " " " " n n " " " " " " 'an expensive lamp'? 'expensive tables'? 'expensive buildings'? 'an expensive building'? et dYl't hoteU ei dyl' lampe dYl'e bOl'd dYl'e bygningel' en dyl' bygning 4. What does fulle gater mean? et fint bilde? --ei hvit d(llr? ---h (llye fjell? 5. Since fjell has the same form in both singular and plural, how could you decide which to use in the translation of h(llye fjell, above? 113 fuU stl'eets a fine picture a "'hite door high mountains -e in hf/Jye indicates that it is modifying a plul'al noun ADJECTIVE REVIEW Except in the rarest of cases, the form of an adjective that modifies a definite noun is identical to the form of the adjective that modifies an indefinite plural noun. You will recall...