Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Avdelingen stenger klokken fem hver dag. - The department closes at five o'clock every day.

Avdelingen is the definite form of avdeling, which means “department,” “section,” or “unit.” With -en on the end, it translates to the department.

Why is the article attached as -en instead of using a separate word like “the”?

In Bokmål Norwegian, the definite article for masculine and feminine nouns is suffixed. So avdeling (department) becomes avdelingen (the department). There is no separate word like English the in front of the noun.

Why is the verb stenger used here? Could we use lukker instead?

Both stenger and lukker mean “closes,” but:

stenger (from å stenge) often refers to closing something physical or a business shutting its doors.
lukker (from å lukke) is more general (“to close” a door, a book, a window).

In context of business hours, stenger is very common. You could hear Avdelingen lukker klokken fem, but stenger sounds more natural for opening/closing hours.

Why does the sentence say klokken fem instead of simply fem?

When telling time, Norwegian typically uses klokken + numeral to mean “at five o’clock.” So klokken fem literally is “the clock (is) five.” Omitting klokken is possible in casual speech (“Avdelingen stenger fem”), but adding klokken is standard and clear, especially in writing.

Can you use a 24-hour clock here, for example klokken 17?

Yes. In formal or business contexts, it’s common to use the 24-hour clock. You’d say Avdelingen stenger klokken 17 hver dag. In spoken everyday language, people also use fem (5 pm) without specifying morning or evening because context is clear.

What does hver dag mean, and why is it at the end of the sentence?

hver dag means every day. In Norwegian, adverbs of frequency (like hver dag) typically come after the main verb or at the end of the sentence. You could also front it: Hver dag stenger avdelingen klokken fem, but the original word order (Subject–Verb–Time–Frequency) is very common.

Is the word order flexible? For instance, can I say Hver dag klokken fem stenger avdelingen?

You can move adverbials, but you must keep the verb in second position (V2 rule). So:

Hver dag stenger avdelingen klokken fem (Frequency first)
Klokken fem stenger avdelingen hver dag (Time first)
But Hver dag klokken fem stenger avdelingen is unidiomatic because it stacks two adverbials before the verb, which clashes with the V2 requirement.

How do you pronounce stenger, and is it irregular?

Stenger is pronounced [STEN-yer], with a short e as in “set.” It’s a regular verb in present tense:

infinitive: å stenge
present: stenger
past: stengte
past participle: har stengt

So you don’t need to memorize any unusual pattern for stenger.