Irregular Adjective Forms
Uregelmessige adjektiver
Some common Norwegian adjectives have irregular forms that do not follow the standard -t/-e pattern. These include 'liten' (small), 'gammel' (old), and 'annen' (other), each with unique neuter, plural, and definite forms.
Rule
liten/lite/lita/små | gammel/gammelt/gamle | annen/annet/andre
Examples
en liten gutt, et lite hus, de små barna
a small boy, a small house, the small children
en gammel mann, et gammelt hus, de gamle husene
an old man, an old house, the old houses
en annen dag, et annet sted, andre mennesker
another day, another place, other people
Den lille jenta er søt.
The little girl is cute.
Vi bor i et lite hus.
We live in a small house.
De gamle trærne er vakre.
The old trees are beautiful.
Feil: en litet bok. Riktig: en liten bok.
Wrong: a small book (wrong form). Correct: a small book.
Common Mistake
et litent hus
et lite hus
'Liten' is highly irregular. The neuter form is 'lite' (not 'litent'), the feminine is 'lita', and the plural/definite is 'små' or 'lille'.
English vs Norwegian
| English | Norsk |
|---|---|
| a small boy, a small house, the small children | en liten gutt, et lite hus, de små barna |
| an old man, an old house, the old houses | en gammel mann, et gammelt hus, de gamle husene |
| another day, another place, other people | en annen dag, et annet sted, andre mennesker |
| The little girl is cute. | Den lille jenta er søt. |
| We live in a small house. | Vi bor i et lite hus. |
| The old trees are beautiful. | De gamle trærne er vakre. |
| Wrong: a small book (wrong form). Correct: a small book. | Feil: en litet bok. Riktig: en liten bok. |
English
a small boy, a small house, the small children
Norsk
en liten gutt, et lite hus, de små barna
English
an old man, an old house, the old houses
Norsk
en gammel mann, et gammelt hus, de gamle husene
English
another day, another place, other people
Norsk
en annen dag, et annet sted, andre mennesker
English
The little girl is cute.
Norsk
Den lille jenta er søt.
English
We live in a small house.
Norsk
Vi bor i et lite hus.
English
The old trees are beautiful.
Norsk
De gamle trærne er vakre.
English
Wrong: a small book (wrong form). Correct: a small book.
Norsk
Feil: en litet bok. Riktig: en liten bok.