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Questions & Answers about Det blir verre enn i går.
What does det refer to here? Is it a “dummy it” like in English?
Often yes. Det can be:
- a dummy subject for weather/situations: Det blir verre enn i går (re: weather, traffic, pain, etc.).
- a pronoun referring back to something mentioned: Hvordan går prosjektet? Det blir verre enn i går.
Why use blir (from bli) instead of er (from være)?
- bli expresses change or a resulting state: “become/get/turn.”
- Det blir verre = It is getting/will get worse.
- være describes a current state:
- Det er verre enn i går = It is (now) worse than it was yesterday. So blir focuses on development or prediction; er states a present comparison.
Does the present tense blir mean the future here?
It often does. Norwegian frequently uses present tense for the near/likely future:
- Det blir verre enn i går = It will be worse than yesterday. You can strengthen it with:
- Det kommer til å bli verre (likely outcome),
- Det skal bli verre (plan/strong prediction, e.g., in a forecast).
How do you conjugate bli?
- Infinitive: bli
- Present: blir
- Preterite: ble
- Past participle: blitt Examples: Det ble verre i går. Nå har det blitt verre igjen.
Is verre the comparative of dårlig?
Yes. dårlig → verre → verst (irregular).
You may also see the regular forms dårligere/dårligst, but verre/verst is more idiomatic and often stronger in meaning. Don’t say mer dårlig in this sentence.
Is it spelled verre or værre? And is it related to vær (“weather”)?
- Correct is verre (with e, double r). Værre is a common misspelling.
- vær means “weather” and is unrelated in spelling to verre.
What does enn mean here? Why not en?
- enn = “than” in comparisons: verre enn, bedre enn, mer enn.
- en = the masculine/“common gender” indefinite article “a/one.” Also note:
- enda = “even” as an intensifier: enda verre (“even worse”).
- ennå = “still/yet”: Det er ikke verre ennå (“It isn’t worse yet”).
Why is it i går? Doesn’t går mean “walks/goes”?
- i går is a fixed time expression = “yesterday.” Keep the i.
- Without i, går is the verb “goes/walks.” Similar set phrases: i dag (today), i morgen (tomorrow).
Can I say Det er verre enn i går instead? What’s the difference?
Yes, that’s correct. Nuance:
- Det er verre enn i går: right now, it’s worse than yesterday (state).
- Det blir verre enn i går: it’s becoming/will be worse than yesterday (change/prediction).
Can I expand enn i går into a full clause?
Yes: enn det var i går.
Ellipsis is normal: enn i går = “than (it was) yesterday.” Avoid enn i går var; if you include a verb, include a subject: enn det var i går.
Where does ikke go?
After the finite verb:
- Det blir ikke verre enn i går. Questions invert verb and subject:
- Blir det ikke verre enn i går?
Can I move time expressions to the front? What happens to word order?
Yes, Norwegian is a V2 language (the finite verb stays in second position):
- I morgen blir det verre enn i går.
(Time adverbial first → verb second → subject next.)
Does verre change for gender/number or take endings?
No. Comparative forms are invariable:
- en verre situasjon, et verre problem, flere verre problemer. Predicative use is also invariable: Det blir verre.
How can I intensify the comparison?
- mye verre / enda verre / betydelig verre = much/even/significantly worse. Avoid the ungrammatical mer verre (“more worse”).
Is i går written as one word?
No. Standard Bokmål/Nynorsk is two words: i går. The old igår is no longer standard.
How do you pronounce the sentence?
Approximate East Norwegian:
- Det [de], often reduced
- blir [bliːr]
- verre [ˈvɛrːe] (double r = longer/consonant tension)
- enn [ɛn]
- i går [i ɡoːr] So: [de bliːr ˈvɛrːe ɛn i ɡoːr]. A simple guide: “deh bleer VEH-rreh enn ee gohr.”
Can I put it in the past?
Yes:
- Det ble verre enn i går. = It got/became worse than yesterday (said after the fact).