Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Filmen var ikke så lang som boken vi leste. - The movie was not as long as the book we read.

In a main clause, Norwegian follows the V2 rule: the finite verb is in second position, and ikke typically comes right after it. Hence: Filmen var ikke …. Avoid forms like Filmen ikke var … or Filmen var så ikke …. If you front some other element, the verb still sits second: I går var filmen ikke så lang ….

Why use så … som here? Could I use like … som?

Both patterns express equality:

Positive equality: Filmen var like lang som boken and Filmen var så lang som boken are both possible, but like … som is more common in positive statements.
After negation, ikke så … som is the default idiom: Filmen var ikke så lang som boken. You will also hear ikke like … som, and it’s acceptable, but ikke så … som sounds most natural.

Could I instead say “the film was shorter than the book”?

Yes: Filmen var kortere enn boken vi leste. That uses a true comparative (kortere) and the particle enn. Don’t say mindre lang enn; Norwegian switches to the opposite adjective (kort) rather than saying “less long”.

When do I use enn vs som in comparisons?

Use som for equality: så/like … som (as … as).
Use enn after a comparative: lengre/lenger enn, kortere enn, større enn, mer/mindre enn.
Examples: Hun er like høy som ham. / Hun er høyere enn ham.

Why is there no som before vi leste? Shouldn’t it be boken som vi leste?

Here, the relative som is optional because it would be the object of the relative clause. Both are correct: boken vi leste and boken som vi leste. You cannot omit som when it is the subject of the clause: boken som var lang is required (not boken var lang in that function).

Is the som in så lang som the same as the relative som?

No. In så lang som, som is the comparative particle meaning “as.” The (optional) relative som would introduce the clause (som) vi leste. You can have both: … så lang som boken som vi leste—perfectly fine even with two som in a row.

Why is it lang and not lange? How do adjectives behave after være?

Predicative adjectives (after være, bli, etc.) take the indefinite form:

Common gender singular: Filmen er lang.
Neuter singular: Huset er langt.
Plural: Filmene er lange.
So Filmen var ikke så lang … is correct.

What’s the difference between lang and lenge?

lang is an adjective (long) and agrees with a noun: en lang film, Filmen var lang.
lenge is an adverb (for a long time): Filmen varte lenge, Vi ventet ikke så lenge.
Your sentence uses the adjective because it describes the film (and compares its length) as a property of a noun.

Which is right: lenger or lengre?

Both forms are accepted in Bokmål today. Traditionally, lengre was the adjective comparative and lenger the adverb comparative, but in modern usage both appear in both roles. You’ll see:

Boken var lengre/lenger enn filmen.
Filmen varte lengre/lenger enn planlagt.
Pick one variant and be consistent.

Why are filmen and boken in the definite form? Where is “the”?

Norwegian marks definiteness with a suffix:

en film → filmen
en bok / ei bok → boken / boka
We’re talking about specific items (the film, the book we read), so definites are required.

Is boken the only correct form? What about boka?

In Bokmål, both are correct: boken (masculine) and boka (feminine). Choose a style and stay consistent. Indefinite forms are en bok (masc) or ei bok (fem). In Nynorsk, you would use boka.

What tense is leste, and how does lese conjugate?

leste is the preterite (simple past) of å lese. Key forms:

Infinitive: å lese
Present: leser
Preterite: leste
Perfect participle: har lest
Compare: Vi leste boken (we read it, finished) vs Vi har lest boken (we have read it).

Is the order vi leste correct in a relative clause? Why not leste vi?

Yes, vi leste is correct. In subordinate clauses (e.g., after som) Norwegian does not use V2 inversion; you keep Subject–Verb: (som) vi leste, not (som) leste vi. In main clauses you can invert after a fronted element: I går leste vi boken.

Do I need a comma anywhere here?

No. Norwegian does not use a comma before restrictive relative clauses or before som in such cases: boken vi leste has no comma. The whole sentence flows without commas.

Can I front the comparison phrase (som boken vi leste)?

No; in comparisons the som-phrase follows the adjective: så lang som …. Fronting it (e.g., Som boken vi leste var filmen ikke så lang) sounds unnatural. If you want to start with the book, rephrase the whole comparison: Boken vi leste var lengre enn filmen.

Could I drop the subject vi in boken vi leste?

No. Norwegian does not drop subjects in finite clauses. If you don’t want to state the subject, use a passive or a different subject: boken som ble lest (the book that was read), boken som jeg leste, etc.