Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Hun er forelder og jobber hjemme hos kunden i kveld, mens hun venter på leveringen. - She is a parent and works at the customer’s place tonight, while she waits for the delivery.

Norwegian usually omits the indefinite article when stating someone’s role, occupation, nationality, etc. So Hun er forelder is natural and idiomatic, just like Hun er lærer. You do use the article if you add an adjective or want a count-specific nuance:

Hun er en ansvarlig forelder.
Hun er en forelder (one of the parents, slightly more count-specific).

What’s the difference between forelder, forelderen, foreldre, and foreldrene?

en forelder = a parent (singular, indefinite)
forelderen = the parent (singular, definite)
foreldre = parents (plural, indefinite)
foreldrene = the parents (plural, definite)

Note the irregular plural foreldre (not foreldrer).

Can I say Hun er mor instead of Hun er forelder? Does it change the nuance?

Yes. Hun er mor highlights that she is a mother; it’s gendered. Hun er forelder is gender‑neutral and common in formal or inclusive contexts. Both are correct; choose what fits the context. You’ll often see Hun er mor til to barn.

What exactly does hjemme hos kunden mean? Where is she working?

hjemme hos X means at X’s home. hjemme hos kunden = at the customer’s home (their house/apartment), not her own home. Without hjemme, hos kunden just means at the customer’s place/premises (home or workplace).

Can I drop hjemme and just say hos kunden?

Yes. hos kunden = at the customer’s place. Adding hjemme clarifies that it’s specifically their home (useful when the customer could also be a company).

Why are kunden and leveringen in the definite form?

They refer to specific, known things: a particular customer and a particular delivery. If they were not specific, you’d use indefinite forms:

… hos en kunde i kveld, mens hun venter på en levering.

Is the comma before mens required?

Both are accepted in modern Bokmål:

With comma: …, mens hun venter … (marks the start of a subordinate clause)
Without comma: … mens hun venter … (common in everyday writing)

If the mens‑clause comes first, put a comma after it: Mens hun venter på leveringen, jobber hun …

Why is it mens hun venter, not mens venter hun?

After a subordinator like mens, Norwegian uses subordinate clause word order: Subject + (adverbs) + Verb. So mens hun venter is correct. Verb‑second (V2) applies to main clauses, e.g. I kveld jobber hun …, but not inside the mens‑clause.

Why use vente på? What about til or med?

vente på
- thing/person = wait for something/someone: Hun venter på leveringen.
vente til
- time/event = wait until: Vent til i morgen.
vente med å
- infinitive = postpone doing: Vi venter med å bestille.

Why is present tense (jobber) used to talk about tonight?

Norwegian often uses the present for near‑future, scheduled actions, especially with a time expression: Hun jobber … i kveld. Alternatives:

Hun skal jobbe … (plan/intention/arrangement)
Hun kommer til å jobbe … (prediction)

Where can i kveld go in the sentence?

It’s quite flexible:

End position (very common): Hun jobber hjemme hos kunden i kveld.
Earlier: Hun jobber i kveld hjemme hos kunden.
Fronted (then apply V2): I kveld jobber hun hjemme hos kunden.

Can I say i kvelden or på kveld?

No. Use the fixed expression i kveld for tonight/this evening. For habitual/general time, use:

om kvelden or på kvelden = in the evening(s) Related contrasts:
i kveld = this evening (up to night)
i natt = tonight/at night (the coming night)
i ettermiddag = this afternoon

Why is it og jobber and not og hun jobber? Do both work?

Both work but they’re structured differently:

Hun er forelder og jobber … = one clause with two coordinated predicates (no comma).
Hun er forelder, og hun jobber … = two coordinated main clauses (use a comma before og).

What’s the difference between jobber and arbeider?

Both mean works. jobber is the everyday, most common verb. arbeider is more formal or stylistic; it can sound bookish in casual speech. Either is fine here.

Can I drop the hun in mens hun venter, like English while waiting?

No. Norwegian generally requires an explicit subject in subordinate clauses: mens hun venter … You can rephrase:

Imens jobber hun … (new sentence with an adverb)
… i påvente av leveringen (noun phrase, more formal)

What are the genders/declensions of kunde and levering?

kunde (masculine in Bokmål): en kunde – kunden – kunder – kundene
levering (Bokmål allows masculine or feminine):
Masculine: en levering – leveringen – leveringer – leveringene
Feminine: ei levering – leveringa – leveringar – leveringane
Choose one gender style and keep it consistent within a text.