Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Bortsett fra været var feiringen hyggelig; ulempen var vinden. - Except for the weather, the celebration was pleasant; the disadvantage was the wind.

Norwegian often uses the definite form for specific, contextually known things—here, the particular day’s weather: været = “the weather.” The bare noun vær appears in set phrases like i fint/dårlig vær (“in good/bad weather”), but with “apart from the weather (we had),” været is natural.

Why does the verb come before the subject in Bortsett fra været var feiringen hyggelig?

Norwegian main clauses obey the V2 rule: the finite verb is the second element. The fronted phrase Bortsett fra været counts as the first element, so var must come next, followed by the subject feiringen. Neutral order without fronting would be Feiringen var hyggelig (bortsett fra været).

Is the semicolon used like in English?

Yes. It links two closely related independent clauses. You could also write a period: Bortsett fra været var feiringen hyggelig. Ulempen var vinden. Or use a comma + conjunction: …, men ulempen var vinden. Avoid a bare comma between the two clauses.

What exactly does hyggelig mean here?

Hyggelig = “pleasant/nice/agreeable.” It’s broader than strictly “cozy” and less about laughter than morsom/gøy (“fun/funny”). Compare: koselig leans toward “cozy/warm/heartwarming.” Hyggelig feiring suggests a pleasant, enjoyable celebration.

Why isn’t it hyggelige since feiringen is definite?

Predicative adjectives (after være, “to be”) do not take the definite ending. They agree in gender/number, not definiteness:

Common singular: Boka er god.
Neuter singular: Huset er stort.
Plural: Barna er gode. Thus: Feiringen er hyggelig, even though feiringen is definite.

Why is it ulempen (definite) instead of en ulempe?

The sentence singles out a specific, contextually unique downside—the wind—so the definite form ulempen (“the downside”) fits. You could reinforce it with Den eneste ulempen var vinden (“The only downside was the wind”).

Could I say Vinden var ulempen instead?

Yes, it’s grammatical. Ulempen var vinden presents “the downside” as topic and identifies it as the wind; Vinden var ulempen foregrounds “the wind.” Both work; the original slightly emphasizes the evaluative role (“the downside”).

Can I use vind (indefinite) instead of vinden?

Not naturally in this equative structure. Ulempen var vind sounds odd. Use vinden (definite) to refer to the actual wind at that event. If you want an indefinite/mass reading, rephrase: Det var mye vind. Det var ulempen.

Are there good alternatives to bortsett fra?

Yes:

Med unntak av: Med unntak av været var feiringen hyggelig.
Sett bort fra: Sett bort fra været var feiringen hyggelig.
Unntatt works especially well in short add-ons: Alt var bra, unntatt været.
Ellers (“otherwise”): Ellers var feiringen hyggelig.

Should there be a comma after Bortsett fra været?

No. In a main clause with fronting, you don’t insert a comma before the verb. Bortsett fra været var feiringen hyggelig is correct. Some writers add a comma after very long fronted phrases, but it isn’t required here.

What’s the difference between været and vært?

Været = “the weather” (definite noun of vær).
Vært = the supine/participle of å være (“to be”), as in har vært (“has been”). They’re unrelated in meaning and spelled differently.

Any quick pronunciation tips for key words?

været: æ like the a in “cat” (but more open); final -et often weak/neutral vowel.
feiringen: ei like English “ay” in “day”; stress on the first syllable: FEI-ri-ngen.
hyggelig: y like German ü; many pronounce it like “HÜG-eh-li.”
vinden: straightforward; flap/trill the Norwegian r if your accent has it.

What gender is feiring, and is feiringa also correct?

In Bokmål, feiring can be common gender (en feiring) or feminine (ei feiring). So both definites are accepted: feiringen (common) and feiringa (feminine). The adjective hyggelig stays the same in the singular.

Could I recast it using det var?

Yes: Bortsett fra været var det en hyggelig feiring; ulempen var vinden. This shifts focus slightly from “the celebration” as topic to an existential “there was a nice celebration.” Both are idiomatic.

What are synonyms for ulempen?

bakdelen (the downside)
minuset (colloquial: the minus/drawback)
nedsiden (rarer, often business/finance) All can fit: Bakdelen var vinden, Minuset var vinden (more casual).