Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Dersom det skjer en dramatisk endring i værvarselet, vil dommeren utsette kampen. - If a dramatic change occurs in the weather forecast, the referee will postpone the match.

Dersom means “if” or “in case” when introducing a conditional clause. It is slightly more formal or written style than hvis. You can often replace dersom with hvis in everyday speech. You can also sometimes use om to mean “if” (e.g. Om det regner, blir kampen utsatt), but om can also mean “about” or “around” and is a bit more colloquial.

Why is the verb phrase in the main clause vil dommeren utsette kampen instead of dommeren vil utsette kampen?

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 (verb‐second) rule: the finite verb must be in the second position. Since the sentence starts with a subordinate clause (Dersom…), the next clause still counts as a main clause, so the verb vil comes first and the subject dommeren follows it. Hence vil dommeren utsette kampen.

Why is there a comma before the main clause?

In Norwegian, a comma is used to separate a subordinate clause (introduced by conjunctions like dersom, hvis, når) from the following main clause. The comma marks the boundary and enforces the V2 word order in the main clause.

What is the function of skjer and is it irregular?

Skjer is the present tense of the verb å skje, meaning “to happen.” It is irregular in that its present form is skjer for all persons (jeg skjer, du skjer, etc.). The subject of skjer here is en dramatisk endring.

Why is there an indefinite article en before dramatisk endring?

Endring is a countable noun in Norwegian. When used in the singular with an adjective (dramatisk), it needs the indefinite article en: en dramatisk endring = “a dramatic change.”

Why is værvarselet in the definite form, and is værvarsel one word?

Værvarsel (“weather forecast”) is a compound noun (vær + varsel) written as one word. The suffix -et on værvarselet makes it definite: “the weather forecast.” This shows you’re talking about a specific forecast.

Why is the preposition i used with værvarselet?

The phrase i værvarselet literally means “in the weather forecast.” I is the standard preposition for things contained or reported within another text or medium in Norwegian.

What does utsette mean in this context?

Utsette means “to postpone” or “to delay.” Here, utsette kampen means “to postpone the match.”

Why is vil used instead of the present tense utsetter?

Vil utsette expresses a future action or decision: “will postpone.” You could use present utsetter if you state a general rule or habitual fact (“dommeren utsetter alltid kampen hvis…”), but for a specific future possibility, vil is more natural.

Could I say i værmeldingen instead of i værvarselet, and what changes grammatically?

Yes. Værmelding is a more colloquial synonym for værvarsel. If you use værmelding, you must use its definite form værmeldingen: i værmeldingen = “in the weather forecast.” The meaning stays the same.