Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Hun smiler som om alt var lett. - She smiles as if everything were easy.

Som om means “as if / as though” and introduces a subordinate clause that describes an appearance, comparison, or imagined situation. It often suggests that what follows isn’t literally true, just the way it seems.

Why is it var (past) and not er (present) after som om?

Norwegian commonly uses the past tense (preterite) after som om to mark unreality/irrealis, much like English uses the subjunctive “were” in “as if everything were easy.” So var signals that the speaker isn’t claiming it’s actually true, just how it looks.

Can I say Hun smiler som om alt er lett?

You’ll hear it, but it changes the nuance. With er, it can sound more like a real-state description (or it’s tied to perception verbs: “Det ser ut som om alt er lett”). For the classic counterfactual “as if,” var is the natural choice. If it really is easy, you’d more plainly say: Hun smiler fordi alt er lett.

What is the word order inside the som om clause?

Subordinate-clause word order: Subject before the finite verb. Hence alt var lett (S–V–Adj). In the main clause Norwegian is V2, but in subordinate clauses it’s S–V.

Do I need a comma before som om?