Plural Nouns
Flertall av substantiv
Norwegian plurals depend on noun gender. Masculine/feminine nouns typically add -er (en bil → biler), while neuter monosyllabic nouns stay unchanged (et hus → hus). The definite plural adds -ene (bilene).
Rule
Masc/Fem: -er (indef), -ene (def) | Neut: -(unchanged)/-ene
Examples
en bil → biler → bilene
a car → cars → the cars
et hus → hus → husene
a house → houses → the houses
en jente → jenter → jentene
a girl → girls → the girls
Common Mistake
huser (adding -er to neuter monosyllable)
hus (unchanged in plural indefinite)
Indian learners often apply the -er plural rule to all nouns. One-syllable neuter nouns keep their form in indefinite plural: et hus → to hus.
English vs Norwegian
| English | Norsk |
|---|---|
| a car → cars → the cars | en bil → biler → bilene |
| a house → houses → the houses | et hus → hus → husene |
| a girl → girls → the girls | en jente → jenter → jentene |
English
a car → cars → the cars
Norsk
en bil → biler → bilene
English
a house → houses → the houses
Norsk
et hus → hus → husene
English
a girl → girls → the girls
Norsk
en jente → jenter → jentene