Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Når vi besøker henne, er hun alltid vennlig og gir oss salat til lunsj. - When we visit her, she is always friendly and gives us salad for lunch.

Når means "when" and is used here to introduce a time clause. It establishes the circumstance under which the main actions take place—that is, it tells us that the following events occur whenever we visit her.

Why is there a comma after "Når vi besøker henne"?

In Norwegian, when a subordinate clause (like the one starting with når) is placed before the main clause, a comma is used to separate them. This punctuation clarifies the sentence structure by clearly marking the transition from time-setting information to the main statement.

How is the verb besøker used here, and what should I note about its form?

Besøker is the present tense form of the verb meaning "to visit." In Norwegian, the present tense is typically formed without any auxiliary verbs or changes according to the subject. The verb follows the subject vi ("we") directly, reflecting a straightforward SVO (subject–verb–object) order common in Norwegian.

What does vennlig mean, and how does it function in the sentence?

Vennlig translates to "friendly" in English. It is an adjective that predicates the state of hun ("she") after the linking verb er ("is"). In this sentence, it describes her manner during the visits, fitting the pattern where adjectives follow the verb in a descriptive predicate.

In the phrase gir oss salat til lunsj, what is the order of objects, and why is it arranged that way?

In that phrase, oss ("us") is the indirect object and precedes salat ("salad"), which is the direct object. This ordering is typical in Norwegian (and resembles English in many cases). The last part, til lunsj, functions as an adverbial phrase explaining that the salad is given for lunch.

Why is the preposition til used in til lunsj, and what does it indicate?

The preposition til here works similarly to "for" in English. Til lunsj means "for lunch," indicating the purpose or timing of the action—namely, that the salad is given as part of the lunchtime meal.

Is it necessary to repeat the subject in both parts of the main clause, and how does the sentence maintain clarity?

While Norwegian often allows omitting a repeated subject in a compound predicate when it's clear who the subject is, this sentence explicitly restates hun ("she") in the main clause. This repetition enhances clarity, especially because the subordinate clause uses henne ("her") as the object, so restating her as the subject in the main clause helps avoid any ambiguity.