Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Postmannen kommer i dag.

In Norwegian, you add the definite article as a suffix.
• Indefinite: postmann (a postman) ⇒ with an article: en postmann
• Definite: add –en to the noun ⇒ postmannen (the postman)

What does i dag mean, and why is it written as two words?

i dag means today. It literally translates to “in day” and is always two separate words in Norwegian. Similarly, i morgen (“tomorrow”) and i går (“yesterday”) follow the same pattern.

Why is the present tense verb kommer used for something happening later today instead of a future tense?

Norwegian often uses the simple present to talk about scheduled or near-future events when there’s a time expression. So Postmannen kommer i dag can be understood as “The postman is coming today” or “The postman will come today.” There is no separate continuous form as in English.

What is the default word order in Postmannen kommer i dag, and can you move i dag elsewhere?

The default is Subject (S) – Verb (V) – Adverbial (A):
Postmannen (S) – kommer (V) – i dag (A).
You can also place the time adverbial at the beginning for emphasis, but the finite verb must remain in second position.

Why does the sentence become I dag kommer postmannen when is moved to the beginning?