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Barna hører heller på radio enn å se på fjernsyn.

Barna hører heller på radio enn å se på fjernsyn.
The children prefer listening to the radio rather than watching television.
FromLesson 19inHardcore Norwegian
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Questions & Answers about Barna hører heller på radio enn å se på fjernsyn.

What does heller … enn mean in this sentence?
heller … enn is the way you say “rather … than” in Norwegian to express preference. Here, it tells us the children prefer one activity (listening to the radio) rather than the other (watching television).
Why is there an å before se but not before hører?
The first verb, hører, is the finite (conjugated) verb in the main clause. The second verb, se, is in an infinitive clause introduced by enn å. In Norwegian, when you contrast two verbs with heller enn, the second verb must be in the infinitive form, so you need å.
Why do both høre and se take på?

Both verbs are followed by the preposition på when you talk about their objects:

  • høre på radio = “listen to the radio”
  • se på fjernsyn = “watch television”
    Those prepositions are built into the verb phrases.
Why is there no article before radio or fjernsyn? Could I say en radio or et fjernsyn?
Here radio and fjernsyn refer to the medium in general (mass nouns), so no article is needed. If you meant a physical device, you could say en radio (a radio set) or et fjernsynsapparat (a TV set), but not in this context.
Is fjernsyn the only word for “TV” in Norwegian?
No. fjernsyn is the traditional term. In everyday speech people often say TV (pronounced tee-veh) or TV-en when definite. You’ll also hear tivi or tivi-apparat in some dialects, but fjernsyn is perfectly standard.
What’s the difference between heller and helst?
  • heller … enn = “rather … than” (used for comparing two options)
  • helst = “preferably” or “most of all” (used when pointing out your top choice without explicit comparison)
    You can’t say helst enn, but you can say jeg liker helst sjokolade (“I like chocolate the most”).
Could I rephrase the sentence using foretrekke (to prefer)?

Yes. A more formal alternative is:
Barna foretrekker å høre på radio framfor å se på fjernsyn.
Here foretrekker means “prefer,” and framfor is another word for “rather than.”

How do I pronounce fjernsyn?
Roughly “fyern-syun”, with stress on the first syllable. The fj is like the English “fy” in “few,” and syn sounds like “syoon.” IPA: [ˈfjæɳˌsyːn].
Can I drop the second på and just say enn å se fjernsyn?
No. se på is a fixed verb–preposition combination (“watch”). You need på after se to keep the meaning “watch.” Without it, the sentence would sound ungrammatical.