Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Turistguiden snakker rytmisk mens han viser oss den billigste måten å kjøpe billetter på. - The tour guide speaks rhythmically while he shows us the cheapest way to buy tickets.

The base noun is turistguide (tour guide). Adding -en makes it definite singular: turistguiden = “the tour guide.” Because it starts a sentence, it’s capitalized. Norwegian compounds are written as one word: turistguide, not “turist guide.”

Could I say En turistguide instead? How would that change the meaning?

Yes. En turistguide means “a tour guide” (indefinite). Your sentence with En turistguide would talk about some (unspecified) guide, whereas Turistguiden refers to a specific one already identifiable in context.

Why is the verb snakker and not snakke?

Snakke is the infinitive (“to speak”). The present tense is formed with -er for most verbs: snakker = “speaks/is speaking.” Past: snakket, perfect: har snakket.

Is rytmisk an adverb here? Where does it go in the sentence?

Yes—many Norwegian adverbs look like the adjective’s base form. Rytmisk modifies how he speaks. In a main clause, adverbs typically come after the finite verb: Turistguiden snakker rytmisk. You wouldn’t place it before the verb here (rytmisk snakker) unless you front it for emphasis in a special context.

Where would I put ikke (not) in this sentence?

Main clause: after the finite verb: Turistguiden snakker ikke rytmisk.
Subordinate clause after mens: mens han ikke viser oss den billigste måten … (in subordinate clauses, ikke normally precedes the verb’s non-finite parts and comes right after the subject).

What exactly does mens mean, and is mens at a thing?

Mens means “while” (temporal) or “whereas” (contrast). Here it’s temporal: two actions happen at the same time. You don’t add at—it’s simply mens, never mens at. Alternatives for temporal “while” include samtidig som.

Do I need a comma before mens?

Style varies. Many writers insert a comma before mens when it introduces a subordinate clause: … snakker rytmisk, mens han viser …. It is also common without the comma in everyday writing: … snakker rytmisk mens han viser …. Both are acceptable; follow your style guide or keep it consistent.

What’s going on with viser oss? Why no preposition like to us?

Vise takes a double object without a preposition: å vise noen noe (“to show someone something”). So han viser oss den billigste måten … is correct. Å vise til exists but means “to refer to,” which is different.

Why is it oss and not vi?

Vi is the subject form (“we”). Oss is the object form (“us”). After a verb like viser, you need the object: viser oss = “shows us.”

Why is it den billigste måten and not den billigst måten?

Attributive superlatives (before a noun) take -e: den billigste. Predicative or adverbial superlatives can be bare: Det er billigst (“it is cheapest”); Kjøpe billetter billigst (“buy tickets cheapest”). Also note Norwegian “double definiteness”: den + adj(+este) + noun in definite form → den billigste måten.

What is “double definiteness” in that phrase?

With an adjective modifying a definite noun, you use both a determiner and the noun’s definite ending:

måte (way) → definite: måten
With adjective: den billigste måten So you have den
- billigste
  - måten.

Why does the clause end with på in å kjøpe billetter på?

This is a fixed pattern: (den) måten å [gjøre noe] på (“the way to do something”). The på belongs to måten (“the way … on/in which”), not to kjøpe. Norwegian readily strands prepositions at the end of such infinitive constructions.

Can I drop the final på?

No. In the måten å … på construction, på is required. … måten å kjøpe billetter sounds incomplete or unidiomatic.

Could I say den billigste måten for å kjøpe billetter instead?

That’s not idiomatic. With måte, Norwegian uses å … på, not for å. Use den billigste måten å kjøpe billetter på. (For å is fine to express purpose with verbs: Jeg gikk til stasjonen for å kjøpe billetter.)

Why is there no article before billetter?

Billetter is indefinite plural (“tickets” in general). After verbs like kjøpe, using the indefinite plural is normal when you mean tickets in general rather than specific, previously mentioned tickets.

When would I use billettene instead of billetter?

Use billettene (definite plural, “the tickets”) if you mean specific tickets already known in the context: … den billigste måten å kjøpe billettene på (“the cheapest way to buy the tickets [we’ve been talking about]”).

Could I rephrase the second half another way?

Yes. A common alternative is a hvordan-clause: … mens han viser oss hvordan vi kan kjøpe billetter billigst. Here billigst is an adverb (“cheapest”), and you avoid the måten å … på pattern.

What’s the difference between billigst and billigste?

billigst: bare superlative, used predicatively or adverbially (Det er billigst; kjøpe billetter billigst).
billigste: attributive form before a noun (den billigste måten).

Why is there an å before kjøpe? How is that different from og?

Å is the infinitive marker: å kjøpe = “to buy.” Og means “and.” They’re not interchangeable. Roughly, å sounds like the vowel in “law,” while og is often pronounced like a short “o.”

Pronunciation tips for tricky words?

Turistguiden: the gui is like English “guy”: [too-RIST-gai-den].
kjøpe: kj- is a soft palatal sound (similar to the German “ich” sound), roughly [SH]-like for many learners: [SHØ-peh] (Ø like French “peu”).
viser: [VEE-ser].
billetter: stress the second syllable: [bi-LET-ter].
på: like “paw” but shorter: [po] with a long vowel.

Why han? Could it be hun or something else?

Han = “he.” If the guide is female, use hun (“she”). Gender-neutral hen is increasingly used in some contexts. The rest of the grammar in the sentence stays the same.