Været kan endre seg raskt.

The weather can change quickly.

Breakdown of Været kan endre seg raskt.

• været: the weather
• kunne: can
• raskt: quickly
• endre seg: to change

Questions & Answers about Været kan endre seg raskt.

Why is Været in the definite form instead of just Vær?

In Norwegian, when you talk about the weather in general, you normally use the definite form. Unlike English where we say weather without an article, Norwegian uses været (the weather) even for general statements.
• Vær (indefinite) would imply “a kind of weather” rather than the weather as a whole.
• Været covers the entire phenomenon (“the weather can change quickly”).

What role does kan play in this sentence?

Kan is a modal verb meaning “can” or “may.” It modifies the main verb by expressing ability or possibility. In this case it signals that changing quickly is possible:
• kan + bare infinitiv (no å)
• Structure: kan (modal) + endre (infinitive) + seg (reflexive pronoun)

Why do we say endre seg instead of just endre?

Endre alone is a transitive verb (“to change something”). By adding the reflexive pronoun seg, it becomes intransitive (“to change itself”), which is how we talk about weather:
• endre seg = “to change itself”
• Without seg, you’d need a direct object (e.g. endre planen = “change the plan”).

Why is seg positioned immediately after endre, and can its position be changed?

In Norwegian verb clusters, a reflexive pronoun attaches directly to the verb it belongs to. Here, the cluster is kan endre seg. Rules for main clauses:

1. Finite verb comes second (V2 rule): kan.
2. Non-finite verb (infinitive) follows: endre.
3. Reflexive pronoun goes right after its verb: seg.
   You cannot separate endre and seg (no endre … seg split). However, you can move the adverb around (see next question).

Why is raskt used here, and how do you form adverbs from adjectives in Norwegian?

Raskt is the adverbial form of the adjective rask (quick/fast). In Norwegian, most adverbs are identical to the neuter singular form of adjectives. Formation rule:
• Adjective (common gender) + –t = adverb (neuter form)
Examples:
– rask → raskt (quickly)
– rolig → rolig (calmly)
– tydelig → tydelig (clearly)

Can we rearrange raskt for emphasis, for example Været kan raskt endre seg?

Yes. Placing the adverb between the modal and main verb is possible: Været kan raskt endre seg.
• Both word orders are correct:
– Været kan endre seg raskt (neutral)
– Været kan raskt endre seg (emphasizes how fast the change can happen)

Could we use forandre seg instead of endre seg?

Yes. forandre seg is a close synonym meaning “to transform” or “to change.”
• Været kan forandre seg raskt – perfectly natural and means essentially the same thing.
• endre seg is a bit more general; forandre seg can imply a more significant change.

How do you pronounce Været kan endre seg raskt?

Approximate pronunciation in Eastern Norwegian (Bokmål):
• Været = “VAIR-eh” ([ˈvæːɾə])
• kan = “kahn” ([kɑːn])
• endre = “EN-dreh” ([ˈɛnːɾə])
• seg = “seh” or “say” ([seː]) – the g is often silent or a glide
• raskt = “rah-skt” (cluster –scht) ([ɾɑskt])

Putting it together:
VAIR-eh kahn EN-dreh seh rah-skt.