Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Drømmen blir glemt raskt hvis telefonen ringer når jeg våkner. - The dream is quickly forgotten if the phone rings when I wake up.

Because the sentence talks about the dream you just had (a specific dream), not any dream in general. In Norwegian you mark a noun as definite by adding -en (for masculine/feminine nouns), so drøm (dream) becomes drømmen (the dream).

Why does drømmen have a double m?

Norwegian doubles the final consonant of many one‐syllable nouns when you add the definite ending -en. Since drøm is one syllable and ends in a single m after a vowel, you geminate it to drømmen.

Why is blir glemt used instead of just glemmes (the synthetic passive)?

Norwegian has two ways to form the passive:
• Synthetic passive with -s (glemmes) is correct but more bookish.
• Periphrastic passive with bli/blir + past participle (blir glemt) is very common in speech and writing. Both mean “is forgotten,” but blir glemt sounds more natural here.

Why is the adverb raskt used instead of rask, and can it be placed elsewhere?

Rask is an adjective; to modify a verb you need the adverb raskt (many Norwegian adjectives form their adverb by adding -t). You can generally place it either:
• between the auxiliary and participle: Drømmen blir raskt glemt…
• after the participle: Drømmen blir glemt raskt…
Both are grammatically correct; the first is slightly more neutral, the second can give “raskt” a bit more emphasis.

Why do we see both hvis and når in this sentence?

They serve different purposes:
• hvis = “if” introduces a conditional that may or may not happen (the phone ringing).
• når = “when” introduces a time clause for an event expected to happen (you waking up).

How does the word order work in the subordinate clauses with hvis and når?

Both hvis and når are subordinating conjunctions, which send the finite verb to the end of their clause:
• hvis‐clause: hvis telefonen ringer → subject (telefonen) + object (none here) + verb (ringer).
• når‐clause inside it: når jeg våkner → subject (jeg) + verb (våkner).

Could I rephrase it actively, for example Jeg glemmer drømmen raskt hvis telefonen ringer når jeg våkner?

Yes, that’s grammatically fine, but the focus shifts. The passive Drømmen blir glemt… highlights what happens to the dream, whereas Jeg glemmer drømmen… highlights you as the actor.

Can I use om instead of hvis for “if”?

You can in many contexts—om can mean “if” in spoken Norwegian—but hvis is clearer for a real conditional. Om also often introduces indirect questions (e.g. vet du om… “do you know if…”).

How do you pronounce the ø in drømmen?

It’s a mid‐front rounded vowel, similar to the French eu in bleu or the vowel in English “bird” (without the r-sound). To make it, raise your tongue toward the front of your mouth and round your lips.