Han er tydeligvis syk.

to be

Breakdown of Han er tydeligvis syk.

• han: he
• syk: sick
• tydeligvis: obviously

Questions & Answers about Han er tydeligvis syk.

What exactly does tydeligvis convey — is it “obviously” or “apparently”?

It signals the speaker’s inference from evidence: “evidently/obviously/clearly.” It’s less about hearsay. English “apparently” can work, but if you mean “I’ve heard,” Norwegian more often uses visst or visstnok.

• Han er tydeligvis syk. = I can tell he’s sick (from signs).
• Han er visst/visstnok syk. = Apparently/Reportedly he is sick (I’ve been told).

Where can tydeligvis go in the sentence?

• Neutral: Han er tydeligvis syk.
• Sentence-initial for emphasis on the inference: Tydeligvis er han syk.
• As an afterthought/comment: Han er syk, tydeligvis. All three are natural, with slight differences in emphasis.

Why can’t I say “Han tydeligvis er syk”?

Because of the V2 rule in main clauses: the finite verb (er) must be in second position. “Han tydeligvis er syk” puts er in third position (Subject–Adverb–Verb), which is ungrammatical in a main clause.

What happens in a subordinate clause?

In subordinate clauses, the verb doesn’t have to be second, so tydeligvis can come before the verb:

• Jeg tror at han tydeligvis er syk.
• Compare main clause: Han er tydeligvis syk.

How do I negate this naturally?