Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Det er viktig å høre historien.

det acts as a dummy or expletive pronoun. Norwegian requires a subject in this position, so det fills that slot. The real “subject” is the infinitive clause (å høre historien) that follows—just like English uses It is in It is important to hear the story.

What part of speech is viktig, and why isn’t it inflected?

viktig is an adjective meaning important. In predicate position (after er) it stays in its basic form without gender or number endings. You only add endings when the adjective modifies a noun directly (attributive use).

Why is there å before høre? What does å do?

å is the infinitive marker in Norwegian (equivalent to English to before a verb). In constructions like viktig å + infinitiv, you must use å to introduce the infinitive verb (høre).

Why isn’t høre conjugated as hører?

Because it’s in the infinitive form, not the present tense. When a verb follows å, it remains unconjugated (infinitive). hører would be the present-tense form (“hear(s)”).

Why is the noun historien in the definite form (with -en) rather than historie?

historien means the story, indicating a specific, known story. If you wanted to say a story (indefinite), you would use en historie.

Can I say Å høre historien er viktig instead? Is that correct?

Yes—Å høre historien er viktig (“To hear the story is important”) is grammatically correct. However, the Det er viktig å ... structure is more common and sounds more natural in everyday Norwegian.

What is the difference between høre and lytte til, and when would I use each?

høre means to hear (passively perceive sound), while lytte til means to listen to (actively pay attention). If you want to emphasize active listening, you could say Det er viktig å lytte til historien.

How do I say It is important for me to hear the story in Norwegian?

Insert a prepositional phrase for the person: Det er viktig for meg å høre historien. Here for meg specifies who finds it important.