Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Selv om parfymeriet er det eldste, er prisene fortsatt blant de billigste. - Even though the perfume shop is the oldest, the prices are still among the cheapest.

Selv om introduces a concessive clause: although/even though (and sometimes even if). It states a fact or a concession that contrasts with the main clause. Use hvis or om for ordinary “if” conditions (hypotheticals). Example: Selv om det regner, går vi vs Hvis det regner, går vi ikke.

Why is there a comma after the first clause?

When a subordinate clause (introduced by selv om) comes first, Norwegian puts a comma after it: Selv om … , …. If the subordinate clause comes after the main clause, you usually do not use a comma: Prisene er … selv om parfymeriet er ….

Why is it er prisene (verb before subject) after the comma?

Norwegian main clauses obey the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in second position. The fronted subordinate clause takes first position, so the verb er comes next, followed by the subject: …, er prisene ….

Can I put the selv om clause at the end? Does anything change?

Yes: Prisene er fortsatt blant de billigste selv om parfymeriet er det eldste. No comma is needed before selv om, and the main clause uses normal word order: Prisene er … (subject before verb).

What form is parfymeriet, and what’s its gender?

It’s neuter, definite singular of parfymeri:

Indefinite singular: et parfymeri
Definite singular: parfymeriet
Indefinite plural: parfymerier
Definite plural: parfymeriene

Why det eldste instead of eldst? Are both correct?

Both are correct. Predicative superlatives can be:

Indefinite: eldst (very common in predicate): Parfymeriet er eldst.
Definite: det eldste (often when the set is understood or specified, e.g., det eldste i byen). Your sentence uses the definite form; it slightly emphasizes “the oldest one (of them).”

Why det and not den in det eldste?

Agreement with gender/number:

Common gender (m/f): den eldste
Neuter: det eldste
Plural: de eldste Since parfymeriet is neuter, you use det eldste.

What exactly does fortsatt mean here? Could I use ennå or enda?

Fortsatt means “still” (continuing situation). In positive statements like this, fortsatt is very natural: Prisene er fortsatt …
Ennå can also mean “still/yet” and is possible but less common here; it’s very frequent with negatives and questions (ikke ennå, “not yet”). Enda is a colloquial variant of ennå in this sense and also an intensifier meaning “even” (enda billigere = “even cheaper”), so fortsatt avoids ambiguity.

Where do adverbs like fortsatt or ikke go?

Main clause (V2): verb – subject – (adverb). After a fronted element: …, er prisene fortsatt/ikke …. With no fronting: Prisene er fortsatt/ikke …
Subordinate clause: subject – adverb – verb: selv om parfymeriet ikke er det eldste.

Why blant de billigste and not blant de billigst?

Superlatives used as nouns after de take the definite plural ending -e: billigst (indefinite superlative) → billigste (definite/plural). So it must be blant de billigste (“among the cheapest [ones]”).

Can I say av de billigste instead of blant de billigste?

Alone, av de billigste is not idiomatic. Use:

blant de billigste = “among the cheapest”
en av de billigste (butikkene) = “one of the cheapest (shops)”

What does de mean in de billigste?

It’s the definite plural article “the,” which nominalizes the adjective: de billigste = “the cheapest (ones).” It’s not the pronoun “they.”

Why is it prisene (definite plural) rather than priser?

Because it refers to the specific, known prices of that perfumery. Norwegian marks that specificity with the definite form: prisene (“the prices”).

Should I use blant or mellom here?

Use blant for “among” (more than two). Mellom means “between” (typically two). So blant de billigste is correct, not mellom de billigste.