Breakdown of Allergien blir verre når katten ruller på teppet.
på
on
når
when
bli
to become
katten
the cat
teppet
the carpet
allergien
the allergy
verre
worse
rulle
to roll
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Norwegian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Allergien blir verre når katten ruller på teppet.
Why is it blir and not er or gjør?
- bli means “become.” Allergien blir verre = “The allergy gets/becomes worse,” i.e., a change over time.
- er would describe a state: Allergien er verre = “The allergy is worse (than something else),” not the change.
- gjøre means “make (something) worse” and needs an object: Katten gjør allergien verre når den ruller på teppet = “The cat makes the allergy worse when it rolls on the carpet.”
Is verre the right comparative? Could I say mer dårlig or dårligere?
- Verre is the irregular comparative used with dårlig/ille. Superlative: verst.
- Mer dårlig is generally non‑idiomatic.
- Dårligere exists and can be used in some contexts (often more neutral/technical), but with “become worse,” bli verre is by far the most natural.
- Natural: Symptomene blir verre.
- Also possible in some contexts: Været blir dårligere.
Why is it når and not da?
- Use når for general, repeated, present/future times (“whenever/when”).
- Use da for one specific time in the past.
- General/habitual: Allergien blir verre når katten ruller på teppet.
- One past event: Allergien ble verre da katten rullet på teppet.
Should it be når ruller katten instead of når katten ruller?
No. In subordinate clauses (like those introduced by når), Norwegian keeps normal subject–verb order: når katten ruller. Inversion (verb-second) is for main clauses.
What happens if I put the når-clause first?
You invert the main clause (V2 rule):
- Når katten ruller på teppet, blir allergien verre. Main clause after the comma is blir allergien verre (verb before subject).
Should it be ruller seg instead of just ruller?
Both are understandable, but for an animal rolling on something, rulle seg is very idiomatic:
- Very natural: Katten ruller seg på teppet.
- Also understood: Katten ruller på teppet. Use plain rulle for intransitive motion (a ball rolls) or transitive (“to roll something”): Han ruller teppet sammen.
Why på teppet and not i teppet (or oppå teppet)?
- på = on (a surface), which fits a carpet.
- i = in/inside, which would suggest being inside the carpet fibers.
- oppå also means “on top of,” but på teppet is the default and most natural here.
Why are the nouns in the definite form (Allergien, katten, teppet)?
The sentence is talking about specific, known items (the person’s allergy, their cat, that carpet).
- If you meant things more generally, you could say:
- Allergier blir verre når katter ruller på tepper.
- Allergien min blir verre når en katt ruller på et teppe. Norwegian sometimes uses definite singular generically (e.g., Ulven er et rovdyr), but here katten most naturally refers to a particular cat.
Do I need to add a possessive like Allergien min?
You can, especially to make ownership explicit:
- Postposed (neutral, common): Allergien min blir verre.
- Preposed (more emphasis/formal): Min allergi blir verre. Without a possessive, context usually makes it clear you mean your own allergy.
How do I talk about multiple allergies?
Inflection:
- Singular: en allergi → allergien
- Plural: allergier → allergiene Example: Allergiene blir verre når katten ruller på teppet.
Is present tense correct for a habitual effect?
Yes. Norwegian uses present for general truths/habits:
- Allergien blir verre når katten ruller på teppet. For a specific past event: Allergien ble verre da katten rullet på teppet. For future, present is still used with når: Allergien blir verre når katten ruller på teppet i morgen.
Can I say Det blir verre når katten ruller på teppet?
Yes, but det is vague (“it/things get worse”). If you mean the allergy specifically, keep Allergien as the subject. You could also say: Det blir verre for meg når katten ruller på teppet.
Are there more formal or alternative ways to say “gets worse”?
- forverres (be worsened): Allergien forverres når katten ruller på teppet.
- Causative with gjøre: Katten gjør allergien verre når den ruller på teppet.
- With av (at) to mark cause: Allergien blir verre av at katten ruller på teppet.
Do I need a comma before når here?
Not when the når-clause comes after the main clause: Allergien blir verre når katten ruller på teppet. No comma needed. If you front the når-clause, use a comma: Når katten ruller på teppet, blir allergien verre.
Is teppe the only word for “carpet”? What about matte?
- teppe = carpet/rug (often larger).
- matte = mat (smaller, like a door mat, bath mat, yoga mat). Pick the one that fits the object: på teppet (carpet), på matta (on the mat).
What’s the difference between når and hvis here?
- når = when/whenever (time-based; suggests it actually happens).
- hvis = if (conditional; it may or may not happen). Example: Hvis katten ruller på teppet, blir allergien verre = “If the cat rolls on the carpet, the allergy gets worse.”