Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Meldingen sier at avgangen er avlyst på grunn av vind. - The message says that the departure is cancelled because of wind.

Meldingen is the definite singular of melding, meaning the message. In Norwegian you make a noun definite by adding -en/-et/-ene (depending on gender and number). Here the speaker refers to one specific message, so it’s melding + en = meldingen.

What is the function of sier at, and how does word order work in subordinate clauses with at?

sier at means “says that.” at is a subordinating conjunction introducing a dependent clause. Unlike German, Norwegian keeps the finite verb in second position even in subordinate clauses. So after at comes the subject (avgangen), then the verb (er), then the rest:
– at (conjunction)
– avgangen (subject)
– er (verb)
– avlyst på grunn av vind (the rest)

What type of construction is er avlyst? Is it passive or perfect?

er avlyst is a passive perfect (or resultative) construction:
– er = present tense of å være (to be)
– avlyst = past participle of å avlyse (to cancel)
This expresses that the departure has been cancelled (result state). In English you can translate it as either “has been cancelled” or simply “is cancelled.”

Why use avlyst instead of kansellert? Are they interchangeable?

Both are common:

avlyst comes from the native verb å avlyse.
kansellert is a loanword from English to cancel (verb å kansellere, past participle kansellert).
They’re largely interchangeable, but avlyst is slightly more idiomatic in everyday speech, while kansellert might appear in formal or technical contexts.

What does på grunn av mean, and how do you use it?

på grunn av literally means “on ground of,” i.e. due to or because of. You use it before a noun phrase:
– på grunn av vind (due to wind)
– på grunn av trafikk (because of traffic)

What’s the difference between på grunn av and fordi?

på grunn av is a prepositional phrase followed by a noun (på grunn av + NOUN).
fordi is a conjunction meaning “because,” followed by a full clause (fordi + SUBJECT + VERB).
Example:
– Avgangen er avlyst på grunn av vind.
– Avgangen er avlyst fordi det blåser mye.

Why is there no article before vind, and when would you say vinden?

Here vind is used in a general, uncountable sense (“wind as a phenomenon”), so it’s indefinite and takes no article. You would use vinden (“the wind”) if you mean a specific wind you’ve mentioned or experienced:
– Avgangen er avlyst på grunn av vinden i dag.
(“…because of the wind today,” referring to that particular wind.)

What’s the difference between er avlyst and ble avlyst?

– er avlyst focuses on the current state/result: “has been cancelled” or “is cancelled.”
– ble avlyst is simple past passive (“was cancelled”) and emphasizes the action in the past.
Example:
– Avgangen er avlyst. (It’s cancelled right now.)
– Avgangen ble avlyst i går. (It was cancelled yesterday.)

Can you abbreviate på grunn av vind?

Yes, especially in written notices or text messages:
– pga. vind
So you might see: Avgangen er avlyst pga. vind.