Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Jeg er våken om natten.

Jeg means I, er is the equivalent of am, våken is an adjective meaning awake, and om natten translates to at night (with natten being the definite form of night).

Why is the adjective våken used instead of a verb like å våkne?

In Norwegian, when describing a state or condition, it’s common to use an adjective with the linking verb er. Våken means awake as a state. In contrast, å våkne is a verb meaning to wake up, which would be used to describe the action of becoming awake.

What is the role of the preposition om in the phrase om natten?

The preposition om in om natten functions similarly to at in the English phrase at night, but it literally conveys the idea of during the night. This construction is idiomatic in Norwegian to express time periods, so om natten is the standard way to say at night.

How is the sentence "Jeg er våken om natten" structured grammatically?

The sentence follows a clear structure: it starts with the subject (Jeg), followed by the linking verb (er), then the predicate adjective (våken) that describes the subject’s state, and finally an adverbial phrase (om natten) that tells us when the state applies. This pattern (subject + linking verb + adjective + time adverbial) is quite common in Norwegian.