Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Jeg drikker koffeinfri te om kvelden. - I drink caffeine-free tea in the evening.

koffeinfri literally means “caffeine-free.” It’s a compound of koffein (caffeine) + fri (free). In Norwegian you often join two words directly to make new adjectives.

Why isn’t there an article like en or ei before koffeinfri te?

Because te (tea) is treated as an uncountable (mass) noun here—you’re talking about tea in general. You don’t say en te any more than you’d say “a water” in English. If you want to specify quantity, you could say en kopp koffeinfri te (“a cup of caffeine-free tea”).

Could you also express “caffeine-free tea” in a different way?

Yes. Instead of the compound, you can say te uten koffein, literally “tea without caffeine.” Both are correct; koffeinfri te is just more concise.

Why is the present tense verb drikker used here? Doesn’t that mean “I drink right now”?

In Norwegian (as in English), the simple present can express habitual actions. Jeg drikker koffeinfri te om kvelden can mean “I (regularly) drink caffeine-free tea in the evenings,” not necessarily that you’re drinking it at this exact moment.

What does om kvelden mean, and why is om used?

om kvelden means “in the evening” or “in the evenings.” When talking about parts of the day in a habitual sense, Norwegians use om + time period. So om morgenen = in the morning, om ettermiddagen = in the afternoon, and om kvelden = in the evening.

Can I say på kvelden instead of om kvelden?

Yes. Both om kvelden and på kvelden are common for “in the evening.” Some speakers might prefer one over the other, but they’re interchangeable here.

If I want to specify “every evening,” do I change anything?

You can add hver (“every”), so Jeg drikker koffeinfri te hver kveld (“I drink caffeine-free tea every evening”). You could also say hver kveld or hver eneste kveld for emphasis.