Breakdown of Han klatrer i fjell fordi han ikke er redd for høyder.
være
to be
han
he
i
in
fordi
because
ikke
not
klatre
to climb
fjellet
the mountain
redd
afraid
for
of
høyden
the height
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Questions & Answers about Han klatrer i fjell fordi han ikke er redd for høyder.
How do I express “mountains” in Norwegian? Why is fjell both singular and plural?
In Norwegian et fjell means “a mountain.” The indefinite plural form is also fjell (no ending). To make it definite you add -ene, so fjellene means “the mountains.” Here we use the indefinite plural fjell to talk about mountains in general.
Why does the sentence use i fjell and not på fjell or på et fjell?
With verbs of climbing or hiking you normally use i (“in/among”) for mountains: klatrer i fjell means “climbs mountains” in a general sense. På would mean “on,” as in på toppen av et fjell (“on the top of a mountain”). If you meant a specific mountain you could say i fjellene (“in the mountains” that we both know) or på et fjell (“on a mountain”), but for the general activity you choose i fjell without an article.
What does fordi mean? Can I use for or siden instead?
fordi is the standard conjunction for “because” when you give a reason. You can also use siden to mean “since” in the causal sense, but siden often implies a background fact rather than a direct answer to “why?” You normally do not use for alone to mean “because” in modern Norwegian (that usage is archaic or literary).
Is a comma needed before fordi, like we sometimes do with “because” in English?
No, Norwegian does not usually put a comma before subordinate conjunctions such as fordi. Commas are more flexible than in English, but you typically leave out the comma in cases like Han klatrer i fjell fordi….
Why is the clause han ikke er redd for høyder ordered with ikke before er instead of han er ikke redd?
This is a subordinate clause introduced by fordi. In subordinate clauses Norwegian uses a straightforward subject–negation–verb order: han (subject) ikke (negation) er (verb). In main clauses you’d say han er ikke redd (subject–verb–negation).
Why is it redd for høyder and not redd av høyder?
The adjective redd (“afraid”) takes the preposition for when you mean “afraid of” something in general: redd for edderkopper, redd for høyder, etc. You use av with redd only when you describe the cause of a sudden scare: Jeg ble redd av bråket (“I got scared by the noise”).
How is høyder formed from høyde? Why not høydene here?
høyde is a feminine noun meaning “height.” The indefinite plural ending is -er, so høyder is “heights.” If you add the definite plural ending -ne, you get høydene (“the heights”). Since we’re speaking generally about heights, we use the indefinite plural høyder.
What does klatrer express here? Is it like “is climbing” or “climbs”?
The simple present tense klatrer can mean both English simple present (“climbs”) and present continuous (“is climbing”). Context tells you whether it’s a habitual action or happening right now. Here it likely means “he climbs mountains” as a habit or general fact.
How would I say “He is climbing mountains right now” if I want to emphasize the ongoing action?
You can use the periphrastic construction holde på å:
Han holder på å klatre i fjell.
That literally means “he is in the process of climbing mountains” and clearly marks the action as happening right now.