Jeg drikker kaffe selv om været er kaldt.

I drink coffee even though the weather is cold.

Breakdown of Jeg drikker kaffe selv om været er kaldt.

• jeg: I
• være: to be
• drikke: to drink
• kald: cold
• kaffe: the coffee
• selv om: even though
• vær: the weather

Questions & Answers about Jeg drikker kaffe selv om været er kaldt.

What does selv om mean, and how does it function in this sentence?

Selv om translates to "even though" in English. It acts as a conjunction that introduces a subordinate clause—"været er kaldt"—which provides contrasting information to the main clause "Jeg drikker kaffe." Essentially, it indicates that despite the cold weather, the speaker chooses to drink coffee.

Why does the adjective kaldt end with -t in this sentence?

In Norwegian, adjectives must agree with the gender and definiteness of the nouns they describe. Here, været (the weather) is a neuter noun. Neuter adjectives in Norwegian typically take the -t ending, so kaldt correctly matches the noun, ensuring proper grammatical agreement.

What is the meaning of været, and why is it written this way?

Været means "the weather." In Norwegian, the definite form of a noun is created by adding a suffix rather than using a separate word. The base noun vær receives the suffix -et, which turns it into the definite form—thus, været corresponds to "the weather" in English.

How is the sentence structured, and how does its structure compare to English?

The sentence follows a structure similar to that of English. The main clause "Jeg drikker kaffe" (I drink coffee) is followed by a subordinate clause "selv om været er kaldt" (even though the weather is cold). This arrangement—stating a primary action and then adding a contrasting condition—is familiar to English speakers, making it easier to grasp the overall meaning.

Is a comma required before selv om in this sentence?

Comma usage before subordinate clauses in Norwegian can be optional and is often a matter of style. In this sentence, including a comma before selv om is not mandatory; many writers choose to omit it without affecting the clarity or correctness of the sentence. However, you might sometimes see it used for added clarity in more formal writing.

Why is the simple present tense used in this sentence instead of a continuous tense like in English?

Norwegian generally uses the simple present tense to describe current or habitual actions; it doesn’t have a separate continuous tense as English does. So "Jeg drikker kaffe" effectively means both "I drink coffee" and "I am drinking coffee," depending on the context. This makes the Norwegian present tense a versatile choice for expressing actions that occur in the present.