Take this sentence for example: "Landskapet på det amerikanske fastlandet kan deles inn i fem topografiske soner."
Under what conditions can a "s" be added to the end of a Norwegian verb? Does the verb take on any particular unique meaning when this is done?
Also, does the adding of the "s" in any way relate to the use of the adverb "inn" in this sentence?
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Norwegian verbs ending in -s can be divided into 4 cases:
1) Reflexive verbs:
Verbs that can take a reflexive pronoun (f.ex. seg, sin, sitt, sine) can sometimes merge that reflexive pronoun into the ending.
Hun skjemte seg over det dårlige resultatet.
Hun skjemtes over det dårlige resultatet.
= She felt embarrassed over the bad result
Jeg skammer meg over det dårlige resultatet.
Jeg skammes over det dårlige resultatet. (This might not be 100% grammatically correct, but it can be found used often.)
= I felt embarrassed over the bad result.
2) Passive voice, and/or deponent verb
When you use the passive voice in Norwegian, normally formed by the verb
bli (inflected to show proper tense) + past particible of the original verb
Hun ble sent til sykehuset.
= She was sent to the hospital.
However, if the passive voice is in present tense (but only in present tense), it can also be written with an -s ending:
Hun blir sent til sykehuset.
Hun sendes til sykehuset.
= She is sent to the hospital.
Det blir ofte syndet mot disse reglene.
Det syndes ofte mot disse reglene.
~= People often offend (break) against these rules.
Landskapet blir delt inn i fem.
Landskapet deles inn i fem.
= The landscape can be divided into five.
Some Norwegian verbs also retain the deponent meaning from older times. That is the verb is in passive voice but takes on active meaning. For example
Jeg synes dette er forvirrende.
= I think this is confusing.
Han mintes godt barndommen.
= He remembered his childhood well.
Usually, but not always, these deponent verbs are listed in Norwegian dictionaries by their own entry. Usually because they don't have an S-less form.
3) If the verb is taking on a reciprocal role, that is each of the participants of the verb occupies both the role of agent and patient with respect to each other.
Vi møtes på halvveien.
= We (will) meet (each other) halfway.
Guttene sloss.
= The boys were fighting (with each other).
Again, usually, but not always, these reciprocal verbs are listed in Norwegian dictionaries by their own entry.
4) If the verb is inchoative it can also end in -s, that is referring to an action soon to take place.
Det grønnes på plenene når våren kommer.
= The lawns get greener when spring is on its way.
Again, usually, but not always, these verbs that can take on a inchoative form are listed in Norwegian dictionaries by their own entry.
Verb + s is one way to make a passive construction in Norwegian.
Han selger bilen (he is selling the car) (active; han is subject and actor)
Bilen selges. (The car is being sold) (active: the subject is the one that gets action of the verb)
Norwegian also uses "bli" passive
Bilen blir solgt
s-passive has a tendency for more general statments, and bli for more specific actions.
The passive -s has nothing to do with 'inn'. Ã dele inn -- to divide into
Please remember that -s on verbs has a reciprocal meaning to: vi sees (we'll see each other) and some few verbs have -s in neither sense:
jeg synes -- I think
Hjelper det?
adding an -s to the stem generally is used in the passive.
Katten spiser fisken - the kat eats the fish
Fisken spises av katten - the fish was eaten by the cat
You can also use the Fisken ble spist av katten in the passive voice.
There are also a number of Norwegian verbs that have -s endings
In the sentence you use the subject is the five geographical zones and the object is the landscape of the American continent. the inn is not due to the passive voice ending.
The adding of "s" just makes it general, i.e. it is not "you" or "they" dividing (dele) , but more like: "the landskape can be divided".
Another example is : "Salat spises oftest kald". Here the s is also added to "spise" (Ã¥ spise / to eat) to make it a general statement.
(salad(s) are most frequently eaten cold)
And no, the s has nothing to do with "inn" .
Inn added to deles makes the verb mean divide instead of distribute, which it would mean if " deles ut".
Since the word "del" means part, it can be used both ways, so to speak.