Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Jeg må justere lyden på radioen. - I have to adjust the sound on the radio.

Må is a modal verb expressing necessity or obligation. It corresponds to English must or have to. As a modal, it’s the only verb that gets conjugated here (it stays må for all persons) and is followed by a bare infinitive (justere).

Why is justere in the infinitive form, without å or to?

After modals like må, Norwegian drops the particle å and uses the bare infinitive. So where English says must adjust (bare infinitive), Norwegian says må justere (also bare infinitive).

What does lyden mean, and why does it end in -en?

Lyd means sound. Adding -en makes it the definite singular: lyden = the sound. Norwegian marks definiteness with a suffix instead of a separate article.

Why is lyden definite here? Could it be indefinite?

We’re talking about a specific sound—the one coming from the radio. That specificity requires the definite form. If you wanted to talk about any sound in general, you’d use the indefinite en lyd (“a sound”).

Why is the preposition på used before radioen? Could you use i instead?

When talking about adjusting or listening on the radio, Norwegians use på. So på radioen = on the radio. I radioen would suggest being physically inside the radio, which doesn’t make sense here.

Why is the article for radioen attached as -en instead of written separately?

In Norwegian, most nouns form the definite singular by adding a suffix: radio + -en = radioen (“the radio”). This is standard in Bokmål and Nynorsk.

Could you rephrase lyden på radioen as radioens lyd? Do they mean the same thing?

Yes. Radioens lyd uses the genitive (radioens) and literally means “the radio’s sound.” It’s grammatically correct but sounds a bit more formal or bookish. Everyday speech prefers lyden på radioen.

Might you use volumet instead of lyden? What’s the nuance?

Volum specifically refers to “volume” (loudness level), so volumet = “the volume.” Lyd is more general (“sound”). If you want to emphasize loudness level, say justere volumet på radioen; if you mean “adjust the sound” in a broader sense (e.g. treble/bass), lyden works better.