"Han har valgt å bo på landet."

Translation: He has chosen to live in the countryside.

[Andy585]

Is landet really refering to a country or rather to a rural area?

[fveldig]

In this case a rural area. Had it been a country it would've been "Han har valgt å bo i det landet" = "He has chosen to live in that country".

[fehrerdef]

can the phrase also mean that he chose to settle on fixed ground (as compared to continue his life on ships on the sea)?

[fveldig]

That would be "Han har valgt å bo på land." :)

[fehrerdef]

thanks

[AnaSrsh]

However it accepted "in the country"... but I suppose it is referring to countryside.

[Yakuul]

Which we can also say in English, it's just not a very common way of expressing it these days.

[Justin86301]

It depends on where you live. It is still common here in central Pennsylvania

[m.g.doyle]

Most common way to say it in the Midwest as well.

[Yakuul]

Oh cool! I felt like I was doubting myself, cuz it I immediately thought it made sense but then saw the comments. I'm from Oakland, CA, and I feel like I would say "he lives out in the country" and 0 people would get confused.

[Anuan_Rithe]

How would you translate the english phrase "live on the land," as in, to go off the grid and hold a self-sustaining farm or hunter-gatherer sort of situation?

[lingokvinne]

I don't know the answer to your question, but I would refer to that type of scenario as "living OFF the land".

[AndrsSzala5]

Sounds like 'Han var valgt...' :D