Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Kokken steker kjøtt for paret ved nabobordet, men vi bestiller fisk og løk. - The chef fries meat for the couple at the neighbouring table, but we order fish and onion.

steker is the present tense of å steke (“to fry/to roast”). Norwegian doesn’t have a separate progressive form, so steker can translate to either “fry,” “frying,” or “is frying” depending on context. Here it means “is frying.”

Why is there no article before kjøtt?

kjøtt is an uncountable noun in this sentence and used indefinitely (“meat” in general). Uncountable or generic nouns often appear without an article. If you wanted to say “the meat,” you’d use the definite form kjøttet.

What does paret mean? Why not just par?

par means “a couple” or “a pair.” paret is par in the definite form: “the couple.” The -et ending marks the neuter singular definite.

Why is it for paret and not til paret?

In Norwegian, verbs like steke, lage, bake often take for to indicate “for the benefit of” (“cooking something for someone”). Til would more strictly mean “to” as a direction or recipient, whereas for emphasizes on whose behalf the cooking is done.

Why do we say ved nabobordet? Could I use på nabobordet instead?

ved means “by/at” a table, i.e. sitting next to it. på bordet would mean “on the table” (physically on top of it). So use ved nabobordet for “at the next table.” Note that nabobordet is “neighbor table” plus the definite ending -et.

Why are fisk and løk used without articles?

Both are indefinite here, referring to “fish and onions” in general. If you wanted to specify “the fish and the onions,” you’d say fisken og løken.

Is bestiller the usual verb for ordering in a restaurant?

Yes. å bestille (“to order”) is the standard verb in restaurant contexts. You could technically use ordrer, but bestille is far more common and idiomatic here.