Jeg hører deg når du hvisker.

I hear you when you whisper.

Breakdown of Jeg hører deg når du hvisker.

• jeg: I
• du: you
• deg: you
• når: when
• høre: to hear
• hviske: to whisper

Questions & Answers about Jeg hører deg når du hvisker.

Why is deg used in Jeg hører deg instead of du?

In Norwegian, deg is the object form of the pronoun du. Since you “hear” someone (they are the object of the verb), you use deg. Du is only for subjects (e.g. Du hører meg – “You hear me”).

Why doesn’t høre need a preposition in Jeg hører deg, whereas in English we say “listen to you”?

Norwegian has two related verbs:

• høre + direct object = to hear (physically perceive sound)
• høre på / lytte til + object = to listen (pay attention)
  So Jeg hører deg means “I hear you,” while Jeg hører på deg or Jeg lytter til deg means “I’m listening to you.”

Why do we use når here instead of da?

når introduces clauses about general, present or future times, or repeated events.
da is used only for single past events.
Since this sentence describes hearing (present) whenever someone whispers, når is correct.

Could we use mens instead of når in Jeg hører deg mens du hvisker?

Yes, but with a subtle nuance:

• når is neutral or covers repeated actions (“whenever you whisper”).
• mens stresses that two actions happen simultaneously right now.
  Both are grammatically fine here.

Why is hvisker placed at the end of the clause, not immediately after du?

In subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like når, fordi, hvis or mens, Norwegian follows verb‐final word order. The finite verb moves to the end:
… når + subject + other elements + verb.

Should there be a comma before når in Jeg hører deg når du hvisker?

No. In Norwegian you usually omit the comma before a subordinate time clause at the end of a sentence. Commas are optional and less strict than in English.

Can I drop the subject pronoun du in når du hvisker and just say når hvisker?

No. Norwegian requires an explicit subject in subordinate clauses (except in imperatives). You need du there to show who is doing the whispering.

How do I pronounce hører and når?

• hører: the ø is like the French “u” in tu, and the final r is a light tap or roll. Sounds roughly like “HER-er” (with a rounded vowel).
• når: the å is like the “o” in English “more,” plus a rolled r at the end—similar to “NOR” but with a trilled or tapped r.