Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Piloten sier at fergen blir avlyst hvis stormen blir for sterk. - The pilot says that the ferry is cancelled if the storm becomes too strong.

In Norwegian, at is a conjunction introducing a subordinate clause (like “that” in English). After verbs such as sier, mener, tror etc., at connects the main clause to an object clause. You can often omit at in informal speech and writing:
Piloten sier fergen blir avlyst hvis …
Word order inside the subordinate clause stays the same, so the meaning is unchanged.

Why is blir avlyst used here instead of er avlyst or vil bli avlyst?

blir avlyst is the dynamic passive (future or process-focused) formed with bli + past participle.

er avlyst describes a state (“is canceled,” usually after the fact).
vil bli avlyst explicitly uses the future modal vil (“will be canceled”) but is less commonly needed because blir avlyst already conveys a future-oriented passive.

What is the difference between forming the passive with blir + past participle and the -es ending (avlyses)?

Norwegian has two passive constructions:

blir
- past participle (dynamic/passive event): “blir avlyst.”
Verb + -es ending (often formal or scheduled): “fergen avlyses.”
Both mean “the ferry is canceled,” but blir avlyst is more common in speech and emphasizes the action/process.

Why isn’t there a separate future tense marker like vil (“will”) before blir?

Norwegian often uses present-tense forms or context to indicate future events. Here, blir avlyst naturally implies “will be canceled” without adding vil. You could say vil bli avlyst, but it sounds more cumbersome and is usually unnecessary.

Why is hvis used here instead of når or om?

hvis means “if” and introduces a conditional clause (a hypothetical situation).

når means “when” for events expected to happen.
om can also mean “if,” but is less common for real conditions and may be mistaken for “about.”
Because the storm might or might not become too strong, hvis is the correct choice.

How does the word order work in the conditional clause hvis stormen blir for sterk?

In a subordinate clause introduced by hvis, the finite verb stays in the second position after the subject. So the order is: conjunction (hvis), subject (stormen), verb (blir), complement (for sterk). This differs from German but matches standard Norwegian word order.

What does for sterk mean, and how does for function here?

Here for is an adverb meaning “too,” indicating excess. for sterk translates as “too strong.” This for is different from the preposition for (“for someone/something”).

Why is it blir for sterk (“becomes too strong”) instead of er for sterk (“is too strong”)?

Using bli (“become”) focuses on a change or potential intensification: the storm is currently OK but may intensify. er for sterk would state its current state (“is too strong”), which doesn’t capture the idea of “becoming too strong” in the future.

Why are Piloten and fergen in the definite form?

In Norwegian, definiteness is expressed by a suffix: -en for masculine (pilot → Piloten) and -en for feminine (ferge → fergen). They refer to a specific pilot and a specific ferry already known from context. The indefinite forms would be en pilot and en ferge.

What is avlyst, and how is it formed from avlyse?

avlyst is the past participle of the verb avlyse (“to cancel”). The verb stems from the prefix av- (off/away) + lyse (in older use “to announce”). As a past participle, avlyst appears in perfect tenses (e.g., har avlyst) and in passive constructions (blir avlyst).