Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Universitetet er dyrt, men klassene er gode. - The university is expensive, but the classes are good.

Universitetet means the university. In Norwegian Bokmål, you attach the definite article to the end of a noun. So universitet (a university) becomes universitetet (the university) by adding -et.

How do you pronounce Universitetet?

Pronunciation: [yː.nɪ.vərˈsiː.tə.tɛt] – approximate English: OO-nih-ver-SEE-teht with primary stress on the third syllable (SEE).

What does dyrt mean, and why is it dyrt instead of dyr?

dyrt means expensive. It’s the neuter form of the adjective dyr because universitet is a neuter noun. After er, adjectives are predicative and agree in gender: common gender nouns take dyr, neuter nouns take dyrt.

Why is dyrt not inflected further even though Universitetet is definite?

Predicative adjectives (after er) agree only in gender and number, not in definiteness. So you use the same form whether the noun is definite or indefinite: e.g. et dyrt universitet and universitetet er dyrt both use dyrt.

Why is klassene spelled with -ene, and not just klasser?

klasser means classes (indefinite plural). To say the classes, you add -ene to make it definite plural: klassene.

Why does the adjective appear as gode and not god after er?

In the plural, predicative adjectives take -e regardless of gender. Since klassene is plural, klassene er gode means the classes are good.

When should you use a comma before men?

In Norwegian, you place a comma before men when it connects two independent clauses, just like in English. Hence: Universitetet er dyrt, men klassene er gode.

Can you swap the clauses? How would it sound?

Yes. You could say: Klassene er gode, men universitetet er dyrt. This shifts the emphasis by starting with the positive point.

How do you turn the sentence into a question?

Invert the verb and the subject. For example:

Er universitetet dyrt? (Is the university expensive?)
Er klassene gode? (Are the classes good?)