Level 1
New or known
Use an indefinite form for something new, and a definite form when we know which one.
en bil
a car, new in the conversation
bilen
the car, already known
Overview
Norwegian Definite Forms
This guide teaches when nouns are indefinite or definite, and how adjectives affect the form.
Level 3
Definite adjective phrases
With adjectives, Norwegian often marks definiteness in more than one place.
en bil
a car
en rød bil
a red car
den røde bilen
the red car
Definite adjective phrases often use den/det/de, an -e adjective, and the definite noun ending.
Level 5
Definite forms with ownership
When ownership words come after the noun, the noun is often definite.
bilen min
my car
huset ditt
your house
nøklene hans
his keys
boka hennes
her book