Været virker bedre enn i går.

the weather

Breakdown of Været virker bedre enn i går.

• i går: yesterday
• bedre: better
• enn: than

Questions & Answers about Været virker bedre enn i går.

What does virker mean in this sentence? It’s not “to work,” is it?

Here virker means “seems” or “appears.” Although virke can mean “to function”, in sentences like Været virker bedre enn i går it conveys your impression: “The weather seems better than yesterday.”

Why is it været and not just vær?

Vær is the indefinite form “weather,” while været is its definite form “the weather.” In Norwegian you add -et (for neuter nouns) to make a noun definite: et vær (a weather) → været (the weather).

Why do we say bedre here? What’s the base form?

Bedre is the comparative of bra (good). The full series is: • positive: bra (good)
• comparative: bedre (better)
• superlative: best (best)

Why is it enn i går instead of enn går?

i går is the fixed adverbial phrase for “yesterday.” When you compare two time points you say enn i går (“than yesterday”). You can’t drop i, because går alone isn’t used to mean “yesterday.”