Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Sjåføren svarer høflig, og folk fortsetter å sitte stille. - The driver answers politely, and people continue to sit quietly.

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually a suffix rather than a separate word. You add -en for common masculine nouns (like sjåfør → sjåføren), -a for feminine, or -et for neuter nouns.

Why is there a comma before og?

Here you have two independent main clauses—Sjåføren svarer høflig and folk fortsetter å sitte stille—joined by og (and). Norwegian convention is to place a comma between such clauses.

What role does høflig play, and why doesn’t it change form when describing how someone answers?

Høflig is an adjective used adverbially to mean “politely.” In Norwegian, many adjectives double as adverbs without any additional ending (there’s no separate “-ly” like in English).

Why does svarer stay the same regardless of the subject (sjåføren vs. folk)?

Norwegian verbs in the present tense take -er for all persons and numbers: jeg svarer, du svarer, han svarer, vi svarer, etc. There’s no separate conjugation for he/she/it.

Why is there an å before sitte in fortsetter å sitte stille?

Å is the infinitive marker (like English “to”). Verbs like fortsette (to continue) require å before another verb: fortsette å gjøre noe (continue to do something).

What does sitte stille mean exactly, and how is stille functioning here?

Sitte stille means “to sit still” (without moving). Stille is used as an adverb (same form as the adjective). It stresses no movement. In contrast, rolig would mean “calmly,” focusing more on being untroubled than motionless.

Why is folk used without a plural ending or article? Couldn’t you say folka or folkene?

Folk is a collective noun meaning “people” and is inherently plural here. The indefinite plural form doesn’t take an ending. If you want a definite plural you’d say folkene (standard) or colloquially folka, but neither is needed in this context.