Det er klart at vi trenger mat.

to be

Breakdown of Det er klart at vi trenger mat.

• maten: the food
• vi: we
• trenge: to need

Questions & Answers about Det er klart at vi trenger mat.

Why does the sentence start with Det er klart at instead of directly with Vi?

“Det er klart at…” is an impersonal construction meaning “it is clear that…”. It doesn’t focus on “we” or any specific subject. If you started with Vi er klare, you’d normally mean “we are ready,” which is a different idea altogether.

What does klart mean here? Isn’t klar usually “ready”?

In this phrase, klart means clear/obvious, not “ready.” Although å være klar can mean “to be ready,” here you’re talking about clarity.

Why is klart spelled with a -t at the end?

Because det is a neuter pronoun, and adjectives agree with gender in predicative use. The neuter form of klar is klart.

Do I need a comma before at?

No, commas before at are generally optional in Norwegian and often omitted, especially in straightforward subordinate clauses. Writing Det er klart at vi trenger mat without a comma is standard.

Can I drop at and say Det er klart vi trenger mat?