Demonstrative Pronouns in Norwegian

Overview

Demonstrative pronouns are the words we use to point at things — "this," "that," "these," "those." In Norwegian, demonstratives agree with the noun they refer to in gender and number, which means you need different forms for masculine, neuter, and plural contexts. This is consistent with the gender agreement system you have already seen in adjectives and possessives.

Norwegian has two sets of demonstratives: denne/dette/disse for "this/these" (near) and den/det/de for "that/those" (far or previously mentioned). The near set has distinct forms, while the far set uses the same words as the definite articles and third-person pronouns — context makes the meaning clear.

At the A1 level, you will use demonstratives constantly for pointing things out, asking about objects, and referring back to things already mentioned. They are practical, high-frequency words that strengthen your command of the Norwegian gender system.

How It Works

Demonstrative forms

	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Plural
This/these (near)	denne	denne	dette	disse
That/those (far)	den	den	det	de

Note: Feminine nouns use the same form as masculine for demonstratives (denne for both).

Denne/dette/disse (this/these)

Used for things that are near (physically or in conversation):

Norwegian	English	Gender
denne bilen	this car	masculine
denne boka	this book	feminine
dette huset	this house	neuter
disse bilene	these cars	plural

Den/det/de (that/those)

Used for things that are farther away or already mentioned:

Norwegian	English	Gender
den bilen	that car	masculine
den boka	that book	feminine
det huset	that house	neuter
de bilene	those cars	plural

With definite nouns

When demonstratives modify a noun, the noun takes its definite form (suffixed article):

• denne bilen (this car) — not denne bil
• dette huset (this house) — not dette hus
• disse bilene (these cars) — not disse biler

This is part of the double determination pattern: determiner + noun with definite suffix.

Standalone use

Demonstratives can also stand alone without a noun:

Norwegian	English
Hva er dette?	What is this?
Denne er fin.	This one is nice.
Jeg liker den.	I like that one.
Disse er mine.	These are mine.

Det as a general pointer

Det is frequently used as a general pointer, regardless of the gender of what it refers to:

• Hva er det? (What is that?) — works for anything
• Det er en katt. (That/It is a cat.)
• Det er bra. (That's good.)

Examples in Context

Norwegian	English	Note
denne boka	this book	Feminine/masculine
dette huset	this house	Neuter
de bilene	those cars	Plural
Hva er dette?	What is this?	General pointer
Denne er min.	This one is mine.	Standalone
Jeg liker dette stedet.	I like this place.	Neuter with noun
Disse jentene er norske.	These girls are Norwegian.	Plural with noun
Den filmen var god.	That movie was good.	Masculine, referring back
Det er dyrt.	That is expensive.	General statement
Kan jeg få den?	Can I have that one?	Standalone
Hvem er de menneskene?	Who are those people?	Plural with noun
Dette er vanskelig.	This is difficult.	General statement
Denne gata er lang.	This street is long.	Feminine/masculine with noun

Common Mistakes

Wrong: denne huset (masculine form with neuter noun) Right: dette huset Why: Neuter nouns require dette (this) and det (that), not denne/den.

Wrong: denne bil (indefinite noun after demonstrative) Right: denne bilen Why: When a demonstrative modifies a noun, the noun must be in its definite form (with the suffixed article).

Wrong: dette biler (singular neuter demonstrative with plural noun) Right: disse bilene Why: Plural nouns require the plural demonstrative disse (these) or de (those), and the noun must be definite.

Wrong: Using det when you should specify gender for emphasis. Right: Use det for general statements, but den/denne or det/dette when specifically pointing at a gendered noun. Why: While det works as a general pointer, using the gender-matching form is more precise when pointing at a specific object.

Usage Notes

In spoken Norwegian, dette and denne are used interchangeably with det and den more freely than grammar books suggest. The distance distinction (this vs. that) is often less important than it is in English. Norwegians might use den even for something nearby, especially in casual speech.

For emphasis on distance, Norwegian adds her (here) or der (there): denne bilen her (this car here), den bilen der (that car there).

The form Hva er dette? (What is this?) is one of the most useful phrases in Norwegian and works in almost any situation where you need to identify something.

These pronouns are essential at the A1 level and are used frequently at all proficiency levels.

Practice Tips

• Point and name. Walk around your room, point at objects, and practice: Denne stolen er gammel. Dette bordet er nytt. Disse bøkene er mine. This builds gender + demonstrative associations.
• Practice the neuter distinction. The most common error is using denne with neuter nouns. Make a list of neuter nouns and practice: dette vinduet, dette barnet, dette eplet.
• Use Hva er dette? everywhere. Make it your go-to phrase when encountering new things in Norwegian — it is natural and universally useful.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Noun Gender (Three Genders) — gender determines which demonstrative form to use