Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Jeg spiser sjokolade mens jeg leser en ny oppskrift ved komfyren. - I eat chocolate while I read a new recipe by the stove.

Norwegian doesn’t have a separate progressive tense. The simple present spiser covers both “I eat” and “I am eating,” so you just use the present for ongoing actions.

Why is there no article before sjokolade?

Here sjokolade is a mass (uncountable) noun meaning the substance in general, so it takes no article. If you mean “one piece of chocolate,” you would say en sjokolade.

Why is mens used here, and how does it differ from når?

mens means “while” and emphasizes two actions happening at the same time. når can mark time (like “when”) for general or habitual events, but mens specifically signals simultaneity.

Do I have to repeat jeg before leser, or can I drop it?

In Norwegian, each finite clause requires its own subject. You can’t drop jeg; every clause needs an explicit subject pronoun.

What is the word order after mens?

Norwegian follows the V2 rule even after mens: the conjunction (mens) is first, then the subject (jeg), then the finite verb (leser), followed by the rest of the clause.

Why is it en ny oppskrift, and why doesn’t ny have a -t ending?

oppskrift is a common‐gender noun (an “en‐word”). In indefinite singular, common‐gender adjectives take no ending: en ny oppskrift. Neuter nouns would get -t (for example, et nytt hus).

What gender is oppskrift, and how does that influence the article and adjective?

It’s common (masculine/feminine) gender. Common‐gender nouns use the indefinite article en and adjectives without an ending in singular (e.g., en god oppskrift).

Why ved komfyren and not på komfyren?

ved means “by/at,” indicating location next to the stove. på komfyren would mean “on top of the stove’s surface,” which you’d only use if something were literally sitting on the burner.