Questions & Answers about Jeg hører musikken tydeligere nå.
Why is the verb hører used here, and what does it mean?
hører is the present tense form of the verb å høre, which means “to hear.” In this sentence it tells us that “I hear” the music right now.
Why is there no preposition before musikken like in English where we say “listen to”?
In Norwegian høre simply takes a direct object when you mean “to perceive sound.” You only use a preposition (lytte til) when you mean “actively listen to.” So:
• Jeg hører musikken = “I hear the music.”
• Jeg lytter til musikken = “I listen to the music.”
Why is musikken in the definite form (with -en) instead of just musikk?
Because the sentence refers to the music (perhaps the music playing right now). In Norwegian you mark “the” by attaching the definite ending to the noun:
• musikk = “music” (indefinite)
• musikken = “the music” (definite)
What does tydeligere mean, and why does it end in -ere?
tydeligere is the comparative form of the adjective tydelig (“clear”). The ending -ere makes it “clearer” (or “more clearly” when used adverbially).
How do you form comparatives of adjectives like tydelig in Norwegian?