Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Barnevakten kommer omtrent klokken sju, uansett trafikk. - The babysitter is coming at about seven o’clock, regardless of traffic.

Norwegian marks definiteness with a suffix. Barnevakten is the definite form “the babysitter” (a specific, known person). Barnevakt is indefinite, “a babysitter” (introducing someone not yet identified). If you were talking about some babysitter in general, you’d use En barnevakt; here the context implies a particular one, hence barnevakten.

Is “barnevakt” masculine or feminine? Can I say “barnevakta”?

In Bokmål, many common-gender nouns can be used as masculine or feminine.

Masculine pattern: en barnevakt – barnevakten – barnevakter – barnevaktene
Feminine (also allowed in Bokmål): ei barnevakt – barnevakta – barnevakter – barnevaktene

Pick one gender and stick with it consistently in your text. In Nynorsk, the feminine form (barnevakta) is standard.

Why is the present tense “kommer” used for a future event?

Norwegian often uses the simple present for scheduled or expected future events: Hun kommer i morgen, Toget går klokka åtte. Alternatives:

skal
- infinitive: plan/arrangement or obligation (Barnevakten skal komme …) — can sound like a plan or promise.
vil
- infinitive: volition or likelihood (Barnevakten vil komme …) — can imply “wants to” or “is likely to.”
kommer til å
- infinitive: prediction (Barnevakten kommer til å komme …) — grammatical but clunky here; you’d usually change the second verb: kommer til å være her klokka sju.

Can I replace “omtrent” with something else like “rundt” or “ca.”?

Yes. All of these are natural with small nuances in register:

omtrent / om lag: neutral to slightly formal.
rundt: very common and informal.
cirka / ca.: neutral in writing; often before numerals, but fine with time. Examples: kommer rundt/omtrent klokka sju, kommer ca. kl. 19. Note: nesten klokka sju means “almost seven,” not “around seven.”

Do I have to include the word “klokken”? Can I say “omtrent sju”?

You can omit the noun: Barnevakten kommer omtrent sju is natural. Other idiomatic options:

rundt sju
i sju-tiden (“around seven-ish”)

“Klokken” or “klokka”? And “sju” or “syv”?

All are correct in Bokmål; they vary by style and region.

klokken (more formal/written) vs klokka (colloquial).
sju (very common in speech) vs syv (more conservative/traditional). Combinations like klokka sju, klokken syv are both fine. You’ll also see the abbreviation kl. in writing: ca. kl. 19.

What about the comma before “uansett trafikk”? Is it required?

It’s optional here. Uansett trafikk is an added adverbial; a comma helps mark it as afterthought/parenthetical information:

With comma (more clearly parenthetical): … klokken sju, uansett trafikk.
Without comma (tighter sentence): … klokken sju uansett trafikk. If you front it, you don’t use a comma afterward: Uansett trafikk kommer barnevakten …

Is “uansett trafikk” the normal structure? Why not “uansett trafikken”?

Yes, uansett typically takes a bare, indefinite noun: uansett vær, uansett pris, uansett trafikk. Using the definite form (uansett trafikken) is generally unidiomatic. If you want a definite noun, use:

uavhengig av
- definite: uavhengig av trafikken. Or use a clause:
uansett hvordan trafikken er.

What part of speech is “uansett,” and how else can I use it?

It’s a sentence adverb/subordinator meaning “regardless/anyway.” Common patterns:

uansett + bare noun: uansett vær, uansett trafikk.
uansett + wh-clause: uansett hva du gjør, uansett hvordan det går.
Standalone as a discourse marker: Uansett, vi drar.

Can I move the time phrase to the front? What happens to word order?

Yes. Norwegian is a V2 language: the finite verb must be in second position. If you front an adverbial, the verb comes next, then the subject:

Omtrent klokken sju kommer barnevakten, uansett trafikk. You can also front Uansett trafikk: Uansett trafikk kommer barnevakten omtrent klokken sju.

Would “ankommer” work instead of “kommer”?

Not here. Ankomme/ankommer is formal and used for transport or official announcements (trains, planes): Toget ankommer kl. 19.05. For people arriving, kommer is the natural verb.

Is there ambiguity about morning vs evening? How do I clarify?

Yes, klokka/klokken sju can mean 7 AM or 7 PM. To clarify:

Add a time-of-day phrase: klokka sju om morgenen / om kvelden.
Use the 24‑hour clock in writing: kl. 07 / kl. 19.
Add a day/time marker: i morgen klokka sju, i kveld klokka sju.

Is there a difference between “barnevakt,” “barnepasser,” and words like “nanny/au pair”?

barnevakt: the standard word for a babysitter (often occasional/part-time).
barnepasser: exists but is much less common in everyday speech.
au pair: a live-in childcare helper under a specific arrangement.
barnepike: old-fashioned and female-coded; avoid in modern usage.
dagmamma: an informal daytime childminder (not the same as a one-off babysitter).

Can “uansett” stand alone at the end: “…, uansett”?

Yes: …, uansett. is possible and means “no matter what/anyway,” but it’s vaguer. uansett trafikk is clearer because it states what the “regardless” refers to.