Han hører musikk.

he

Breakdown of Han hører musikk.

• musikk: the music
• høre: to listen to

Questions & Answers about Han hører musikk.

Why do we use "Han" here specifically instead of another pronoun?

"Han" is the Norwegian subject pronoun for "he." In Norwegian, the pronoun "han" is used when referring to a male subject. If you wanted to say "she" in Norwegian, you would use "hun," and for "it" or "they," you would use different pronouns accordingly.

Why is "hører" used instead of "lytter"? Aren’t they both verbs for "to listen"?

"Å høre" (to hear) refers more to the act of perceiving sound—it doesn’t necessarily imply intention. "Å lytte" (to listen), on the other hand, usually implies deliberate or focused listening. In everyday language, people often say "Han hører musikk" to simply state that he perceives music, possibly in the background, whereas "Han lytter til musikk" means he’s making a conscious effort to listen.

Why is there no article in front of "musikk"?

In Norwegian, abstract or uncountable nouns often don’t require an article. "Musikk" is typically treated as an uncountable noun, just like "water" or "rice" in English. That’s why we don’t say "Han hører på en musikk" or "Han hører musikken" unless we want to refer to a specific piece of music.

What about saying "Han hører på musikk"? Is that also correct?

Yes, it is also acceptable. "Høre på" is a common construction in Norwegian when referring to listening to something. "Han hører musikk" often translates to "He hears music," whereas "Han hører på musikk" emphasizes that he’s listening to music—suggesting a bit more intentionality.

How should "hører" be pronounced to sound natural in Norwegian?

In most dialects, "hører" is pronounced with a soft "h" followed by a vowel that may sound something like the "ø" in "sir" (depending on your dialect of English). The "r"s might be rolled or guttural depending on the region in Norway, so expect variations like "HØ-rer" or "Hø-rrer." However, as a learner, a slightly rolled "r" at the end of each syllable is generally well understood.