Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Når jeg hører torden, vil jeg heller bade innendørs enn ute. - When I hear thunder, I prefer to swim indoors rather than outside.

In Norwegian, a subordinate clause (here Når jeg hører torden) is separated from the main clause by a comma. The comma marks the boundary between the “when…” clause and the main clause vil jeg heller bade innendørs enn ute, which helps clarify the sentence structure.

Why is the verb vil placed before jeg in the main clause instead of the usual jeg vil?

Because Norwegian follows the V2 (verb‐second) rule. When a subordinate clause comes first, that entire clause counts as “position one.” The finite verb (vil) must then appear in second position, causing inversion: vil jeg heller… rather than jeg vil heller….

How does the heller … enn construction work, and what does it mean?

heller … enn expresses preference—equivalent to rather … than in English. You put heller before the thing you prefer (bade innendørs) and enn before the alternative (ute).
Example: vil jeg heller bade innendørs enn ute = I would rather bathe indoors than outside.

Why is there no article before torden? Shouldn’t it be en torden?

Torden is treated as an uncountable noun when referring to the phenomenon in general (like “thunder” in English). Uncountable nouns don’t take an indefinite article (en/ei/et). If you talk about a single thunderclap, you could say et tordenbrak (a crash of thunder).

What’s the difference between innendørs, utendørs and ute? Can they all be used here?

innendørs (indoors) and utendørs (outdoors) are direct adverbial opposites.
ute also means “outside,” but is a bit more general or colloquial.
In this sentence, you can say enn ute or enn utendørs—both are correct. ute is slightly more casual.

Why is når used here instead of da?

når is used for repeated events or general conditions (“whenever it thunders”).
da is for single, specific past events (“when it thundered that one time”).
Since the sentence describes a habitual reaction, når is appropriate.

Could I switch the order of the clauses and say Jeg vil heller bade innendørs enn ute når jeg hører torden?

Yes. If the main clause comes first, you don’t need inversion, so you’d say exactly Jeg vil heller bade innendørs enn ute når jeg hører torden. The meaning remains the same.

What does bade innendørs actually imply? Is it “bathe” or “swim”?

Literally, bade means “to bathe,” but in everyday Norwegian it’s also used for “to swim,” especially in pools. Bade innendørs would typically imply swimming in an indoor pool rather than in open water outside.

Why are there two different verbs, hører and vil, in the sentence?

They belong to two clauses:

hører is in the subordinate clause Når jeg hører torden and is present tense to express a general condition (“whenever I hear thunder”).
vil is the present‐tense modal verb in the main clause expressing desire or preference (“I would rather…”). Both are present tense because the speaker talks about recurring action and current preference.

Could I also say Når det tordner instead of Når jeg hører torden?

Absolutely. Når det tordner (“when it thunders”) is more idiomatic and concise. It covers the event of thunder, not just the act of hearing it, and you’ll hear it more often in everyday speech.