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===Adjectives=== {{See also|Nynorsk#Adjectives}} Norwegian [[adjective]]s, like those of Swedish and Danish, inflect for [[definiteness]], [[Grammatical gender|gender]], [[Grammatical number|number]] and for [[Comparison (grammar)|comparison]] (affirmative/comparative/superlative). Inflection for definiteness follows two paradigms, called "weak" and "strong", a feature shared among the [[Germanic languages]]. The following table summarizes the inflection of adjectives in Norwegian. The indefinite affirmative inflection can vary between adjectives, but in general the paradigm illustrated below is the most common.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://elevrom.sprakradet.no/skolen/minigrammatikk/tema/samsvarsboying_adjektiv|title=Språkrådet|website=elevrom.sprakradet.no|access-date=17 July 2018|archive-date=16 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716004536/http://elevrom.sprakradet.no/skolen/minigrammatikk/tema/samsvarsboying_adjektiv|url-status=live}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |+Inflection patterns for adjectives in Norwegian |- ! rowspan="3" | ! colspan="5" |[[Positive (linguistics)|Affirmative]] ! rowspan="3" |[[Comparative]] ! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |[[Superlative]] |- ! colspan="4" |[[Definiteness|Indefinite]] ! rowspan="2" |[[Definiteness|Definite]] |- ! colspan="2" |Common ![[Grammatical gender|Neuter]] ![[Plural]] ![[Definiteness|Indefinite]] ![[Definiteness|Definite]] |- !Bokmål | colspan="2" rowspan="2" |''-'' | rowspan="2" |''-t'' | colspan="2" rowspan="2" |''-e'' |''-ere'' |''-est'' |''-este'' |- !Nynorsk |''-are'' |''-ast'' |''-aste'' |} [[Predicate adjective]]s follow only the indefinite inflection table. Unlike [[attributive adjective]]s, they are not inflected for definiteness. {| class="wikitable" |+Adjective forms, examples: {{lang|nb|grønn}}/{{lang|nn|grøn}} ('green'), {{lang|no|pen}} ('pretty'), {{lang|nb|stjålet}}''/''{{lang|nn|stolen}} ('stolen') |- ! rowspan="3" | ! colspan="4" |[[Positive (linguistics)|Affirmative]] ! rowspan="3" |[[Comparative]] ! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |[[Superlative]] |- ! colspan="3" |[[Definiteness|Indefinite]] ! rowspan="2" |[[Definiteness|Definite]] |- !Common ![[Grammatical gender|Neuter]] ![[Plural]] ![[Definiteness|Indefinite]] ![[Definiteness|Definite]] |- !Bokmål |{{lang|nb|grønn}} | rowspan="2" |{{lang|nb|grønt}} | colspan="2" |{{lang|nb|grønne}} |{{lang|nb|grønnere}} |{{lang|nb|grønnest}} |{{lang|nb|grønneste}} |- !Nynorsk |{{lang|nn|grøn}} | colspan="2" |{{lang|nn|grøne}} |{{lang|nn|grønare}} |{{lang|nn|grønast}} |{{lang|nn|grønaste}} |- !English | colspan="4" |green |greener | colspan="2" |greenest |- |- !Bokmål | rowspan="2" |{{lang|nb|pen}} | rowspan="2" |{{lang|nb|pent}} | colspan="2" rowspan="2" |{{lang|nb|pene}} |{{lang|nb|penere}} |{{lang|nb|penest}} |{{lang|nb|peneste}} |- !Nynorsk |{{lang|nn|penare}} |{{lang|nn|penast}} |{{lang|nn|penaste}} |- !English | colspan="4" |pretty |prettier | colspan="2" |prettiest |- !Bokmål |{{lang|nb|stjålet/stjålen}} |{{lang|nb|stjålet}} | colspan="2" |{{lang|nb|stjålne}} | | | |- !Nynorsk |{{lang|nn|stolen}} |{{lang|nn|stole}} | colspan="2" |{{lang|nn|stolne}} | – | – | |- !English | colspan="4" |stolen | – | – | |} In most dialects, some verb participles used as adjectives have a separate form in both definite and plural uses,<ref>{{Cite book|title=Norwegian grammar|last=Berulfsen|first=Bjarne|date=1977|publisher=Aschehoug|isbn=978-8203043123|edition=4th|location=Oslo|oclc=4033534}}</ref> and sometimes also in the masculine-feminine singular. In some Southwestern dialects, the definite adjective is also declined in gender and number with one form for feminine and plural, and one form for masculine and neuter. ==== [[Attributive adjective]]s ==== ===== Definite inflection ===== In Norwegian, a definite noun has a suffixed definite article (cf. above) compared to English which in general uses the separate word ''the'' to indicate the same. However, when a definite noun is preceded by an adjective, the adjective also gets a definite inflection, shown in the inflection table above. There is also another definite marker, {{lang|no|den}}, that has to agree in gender with the noun when the definite noun is accompanied by an adjective.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ntnu.edu/now2/4/grammatikk/1|title=1 Repetisjon|last=Fossen|first=Christian|website=www.ntnu.edu|language=en|access-date=14 July 2018|archive-date=14 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714222053/https://www.ntnu.edu/now2/4/grammatikk/1|url-status=live}}</ref> It comes before the adjective and has the following forms {| class="wikitable" |+Determinative {{lang|nb|den}} (Bokmål) |- ! Masculine ! Feminine ! Neuter ! Plural |- |{{lang|nb|Den}} |{{lang|nb|Den}} |{{lang|nb|Det}} |{{lang|nb|De}} |} Examples of definite affirmative inflection of adjectives (Bokmål): * {{lang|nb|Den '''stjålne''' bilen}} ('The '''''stolen''''' car') * {{lang|nb|Den '''pene''' jenta}} ('The '''''pretty''''' girl') * {{lang|nb|Det '''grønne''' eplet}} ('The '''''green''''' apple') * {{lang|nb|De '''stjålne''' bilene}} ('The '''''stolen''''' cars') If the adjective is dropped completely, the meaning of the preceding article before the noun changes, as shown in this example. Examples (Bokmål): * {{lang|nb|Den bilen}} ('That car') * {{lang|nb|Den jenta}} ('That girl') * {{lang|nb|Det eplet}} ('That apple') * {{lang|nb|De bilene}} ('Those cars') Examples of definite comparative and superlative inflection of adjectives (Bokmål): * {{lang|nb|Det '''grønnere''' eplet}} ('The '''''greener''''' apple') * {{lang|nb|Det '''grønneste''' eplet}} ('The '''''greenest''''' apple') Definiteness is also signaled by using possessive pronouns or any uses of a noun in its genitive form in either Nynorsk or Bokmål: {{lang|no|mitt grønne hus}} ('my green house'), {{lang|no|min grønne bil}} ('my green car'), {{lang|no|mitt tilbaketrukne tannkjøtt}} ('my receding gums'), {{lang|no|presidentens gamle hus}} ('the president's old house').<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://elevrom.sprakradet.no/skolen/minigrammatikk/tema/samsvarsboying_adjektiv|title=Språkrådet|website=elevrom.sprakradet.no|access-date=12 July 2018|archive-date=16 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716004536/http://elevrom.sprakradet.no/skolen/minigrammatikk/tema/samsvarsboying_adjektiv|url-status=live}}</ref> ===== Indefinite inflection ===== Examples (Bokmål): * {{lang|nb|En '''grønn''' bil}} ('A '''''green''''' car') * {{lang|nb|Ei '''pen''' jente}} ('A '''''pretty''''' girl') * {{lang|nb|Et '''grønt''' eple}} ('A '''''green''''' apple') * {{lang|nb|Flere '''grønne''' biler}} ('Many '''''green''''' cars') Examples of comparative and superlative inflections in Bokmål: {{lang|nb|en grønnere bil}} ('a greener car'), {{lang|nb|grønnest bil}} ('greenest car'). ====[[Adjective#Predicative adjective|Predicative adjectives]]==== There is also predicative agreement of adjectives in all dialects of Norwegian and in the written languages, unlike related languages like German and Dutch.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ressurssidene.pedit.no/web/PageND.aspx?id=99235|title=Predikativ|website=ressurssidene.pedit.no|language=nb-NO|access-date=14 July 2018|archive-date=1 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301002221/https://ressurssidene.pedit.no/web/PageND.aspx?id=99235|url-status=live}}</ref> This feature of predicative agreement is shared among the Scandinavian languages. Predicative adjectives do not inflect for definiteness unlike the attributive adjectives. This means that nouns will have to agree with the adjective when there is a [[Copula (linguistics)|copula verb]] involved, like in Bokmål: {{lang|nb|være}} ('to be'), {{lang|nb|bli}} ('become'), {{lang|nb|ser ut}} ('looks like'), {{lang|nb|kjennes}} ('feels like') etc. {| class="wikitable" |+Adjective agreement, examples |- ! !Norwegian (bokmål) !English |- |'''Masculine''' |{{lang|nb|Bilen var grønn}} |The car was green |- |'''Feminine''' |{{lang|nb|Døra er grønn}} |The door is green |- |'''Neuter''' |{{lang|nb|Flagget er grønt}} | The flag is green |- |'''Plural''' |{{lang|nb|Blåbærene blir store}} |The blueberries will be big |}
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