Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Anna lager en deilig salat i kveld. - Anna is making a delicious salad this evening.

lager is the present tense (third person singular) of å lage, meaning “to make” or “to prepare.” In this sentence, it literally means “Anna makes/prepares a delicious salad…”

Can the present tense lager express a future action like “will make” or “is going to make”?

Yes. In Norwegian, the simple present can often carry a near-future meaning, especially with a time adverbial like i kveld (“this evening”). So Anna lager en deilig salat i kveld can mean both “Anna is making a delicious salad this evening” and “Anna will make a delicious salad this evening.”

Why is en used before salat? Why not et?

en is the indefinite article for common gender nouns. Norwegian nouns have two genders: common (sometimes called masculine/feminine) and neuter. salat is common gender, so you pair it with en.

en salat = “a salad” (common gender)
If it were neuter, you’d use et, e.g. et eple (“an apple”).

Why is the adjective deilig placed before salat, and why doesn’t it change its ending to agree with the noun?

In indefinite noun phrases, adjectives come before the noun, just like in English. Adjectives in Norwegian normally agree in gender and number:
• Indefinite common singular: no ending (deilig)
• Indefinite neuter singular: add -t (stort hus)
• Definite: add -e (deilige salater)
However, deilig is one of the adjectives that doesn’t take -t in the neuter indefinite singular. You’d still say et deilig hus if it were neuter.

What does i kveld mean, and why is it at the end of the sentence?

i kveld literally means “this evening” (often translated as “tonight”). It’s a time adverbial, and Norwegian allows time expressions at the end of the sentence. Placing i kveld at the end is perfectly normal.

Can I move i kveld to the beginning? How would the word order change?

Yes. If you start with a time adverbial, Norwegian follows the V2 rule (the verb must be second). So you’d say:
I kveld lager Anna en deilig salat.
Here I kveld (time) is first, lager (verb) stays in second position, then the subject Anna.

Why isn’t there a future marker like skal or kommer til å?

Because Norwegian often uses the present tense to talk about planned future events, especially with a time word like i kveld. You can add a future marker for clarity or emphasis:
• Anna skal lage en deilig salat i kveld. (Anna is going to make…)
• Anna kommer til å lage en deilig salat i kveld.

How do you pronounce kveld correctly?

kveld is pronounced roughly “kvel” (IPA: /kvɛl/). The d at the end is silent, and the “kv” sounds like a quick k + v blend.