Questions & Answers about Jeg synes det er ubehagelig å kjøre i mørket.
What does synes mean here and how is it used to express an opinion?
synes is a verb that expresses your opinion or personal impression—similar to English “to think” or “to find.” It’s commonly used with det er + adjective or with at + clause. Examples:
- Jeg synes det er fint (I think/find it nice).
- Jeg synes at du har rett (I think/find that you are right).
Why is there det after synes instead of directly using å kjøre i mørket?
Here det is a dummy (anticipatory) subject that fills the grammatical subject slot when the real “subject” is the longer infinitive clause å kjøre i mørket. It’s the same trick English uses in “I find it uncomfortable to drive in the dark.”
Why is å used before kjøre, and when can it be omitted?
å is the infinitive marker in Norwegian, equivalent to English “to.” You need it before most bare infinitives (e.g. å kjøre, å spise). However, you omit å after modal verbs and a few others, for example:
Why is it i mørket? Could I use another preposition?