Grammar Index | Adjectives Quiz | Courses | Norwegian Department | St. Olaf College

Basic Rules --- Indefinite Adjectives

Description

Adjectives describe nouns or pronouns.

Example:
There is a big, new shopping center in Sandvika. Her shoes are new.

Basic Rules

1. Adjectives agree in gender and number with the nouns or pronouns they modify. That is, the adjectives receive different endings for masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns and pronouns, and for singular and plural nouns and pronouns

(en rød genser | ei rød skjorte | et rødt slips | røde votter)

2. Indefinite adjecives can occur as attibutives (before the noun) or predicatives (after the noun).

Jeg har en fin sofa. (attributive) | Sofaen er fin. (predicative)

 

Chart of Basic Forms

MASCULINE

FEMININE

NEUTER

PLURAL

Attributive

Det er en fin sofa.

Det er ei fin skjorte

Det er et fint slips

Det er fine sokker

Predicative

Sofaen er fin.

Skjorta er fin.

Slipset er fint.

Sokkene er fine.

The chart below lists some of the exceptions to the basic rules.

ADJECTIVES

MASC. / FEM.

NEUTER

PLURAL

Regular adjectives

en fin sofa
ei hvit jakke
rød
gul
pen
dyr
brun
varm

et fint hus
hvitt
rødt
gult
pent
dyrt
brunt
varmt

fine sokker
hvite
røde
gule
pene
dyre
brune
varme

Adjectives ending in -ig, -sk, and two consonants

en behagelig sofa
stilig
billig
norsk
svart

et behagelig hus
stilig
billig
norsk
svart

behagelige sokker
stilige
billige
norske
svarte

Adjectives ending in a double consonant

en grønn kjole

et grønt hus

grønne sokker

Adjectives ending in a stressed vowel

en ny kjole
blå
grå

et nytt hus
blått
grått

nye sokker
blå
grå

Adjectives ending in an unstressed vowel.

moderne
rosa
lilla

moderne
rosa
lilla

moderne
rosa
lilla


Click here for Definite Adjectives

Quiz yourself on Indefinite Adjectives

If you have questions or comments, please send e-mail to Margaret Hayford O'Leary
Last updated on March 31, 1997

Grammar Index | Adjectives Quiz | Courses | Norwegian Department | St. Olaf College