Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Pianisten drikker kaffe før konserten. - The pianist drinks coffee before the concert.

In Norwegian, only the first word of a sentence and proper names are capitalized. Common nouns like kaffe and konsert stay lowercase, so Pianisten is capitalized simply because it begins the sentence.

What does Pianisten mean, and how is the definite singular formed in Norwegian?

Pianisten is the definite singular form of pianist, so it means the pianist. In Bokmål you form the definite by adding -en to a common-gender noun: en pianist (a pianist) → pianisten (the pianist).

How is the verb drikker conjugated, and what is its infinitive form?

Drikker is the present-tense form of å drikke (to drink). Norwegian present tense is typically built by adding -r to the infinitive:
– infinitive: drikke
– present: drikker
– past: drakk
– perfect: har drukket

Why is there no article before kaffe, and when would you use en kaffe?

Here kaffe is an uncountable noun (the substance “coffee”), so no indefinite article is used. If you want to talk about “a coffee” as one unit (e.g. a cup), you’d say en kaffe, or more specifically en kopp kaffe (a cup of coffee).

What part of speech is før in før konserten, and how is it used?

Før is a preposition meaning before. It introduces the time phrase før konserten (“before the concert”).

Why does konserten end with -en, and how do you form the definite of konsert?

Konserten is the definite singular of konsert (“concert”). You take the indefinite en konsert and add -en directly to the noun: konserten (the concert).

Could you place før konserten at the beginning of the sentence, and what happens to the word order?

Yes. Norwegian main clauses obey the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in second position. If før konserten comes first, the verb drikker still sits second:
Før konserten drikker pianisten kaffe.