Questions & Answers about Luften blir renere etter regnet.
What does blir mean in this sentence, and why isn't er used instead?
Blir is the present form of å bli and here it means “becomes.” You use bli when describing a change of state. If you said luften er renere etter regnet, it would mean “the air is cleaner after the rain” (a static description). By using blir renere, you emphasize that the air becomes cleaner as a result of the rain.
Why is luften in the definite form? Aren’t general statements usually indefinite?
In Norwegian, when you speak about something in a general or natural context—like the air—you normally use the definite form. Luften (“the air”) refers to the atmosphere in general, so you add the suffix -en to luft. If you said luft blir renere etter regnet, it would sound odd or poetic in everyday speech.
How is the comparative renere formed from the adjective ren?
For most monosyllabic adjectives in Norwegian, you form the comparative by adding -ere. So ren (“clean”) becomes renere (“cleaner”). Some adjectives are irregular (for example stor → større, god → bedre), but ren follows the regular pattern.
Could I say mer ren instead of renere?