Han er tydeligvis syk.

He is obviously sick.

Breakdown of Han er tydeligvis syk.

• være: to be
• 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?

• Most common: Han er tydeligvis ikke syk. = It’s evident that he is not sick.
• Different meaning: Han er ikke tydeligvis syk. = He’s not obviously sick (maybe he is, but it’s not obvious). Here, the negation targets the adverb’s scope, not the illness.

What’s the difference between tydelig and tydeligvis?

• tydelig = “clear/clearly,” often modifying a specific word: Hun er tydelig syk (she looks clearly sick; it shows).
• tydeligvis = “evidently/obviously,” modifying the whole statement; it marks your conclusion: Hun er tydeligvis syk.

How does tydeligvis compare to åpenbart, klart, visst, visstnok?

• åpenbart = “manifestly/obviously,” stronger and more assertive than tydeligvis.
• klart / helt klart = “(quite) clear(ly),” neutral to strong.
• visst = “apparently/seemingly,” often hearsay or soft inference.
• visstnok = “reportedly/allegedly,” hearsay with some distance. Example gradation: visstnok (reportedly) < visst (apparently) ≈ tydeligvis (evidently) < åpenbart/klart (obviously).

Does syk change form with gender/number?

Yes, in predicative position it agrees for number and (for neuter singular) gender:

• Han/Hun er syk.
• Barnet er sykt. (neuter singular)
• De er syke. (plural) With a noun: en syk mann, ei/en syk kvinne, et sykt barn, syke pasienter.

When would I use dårlig instead of syk?

• syk = ill/sick (actual illness).
• dårlig = unwell/feeling bad (broader, may be temporary or non-illness). Examples:
• Jeg er syk. = I’m sick (ill).
• Jeg føler meg dårlig. = I feel unwell.

Can I drop the verb “er” like in some languages?

No. Norwegian needs the copula here. Han tydeligvis syk is ungrammatical. You need er: Han er tydeligvis syk.

Can I omit the subject pronoun?

Not in standard prose. Norwegian is not a pro‑drop language. You need Han. (Omitting it can occur in headlines, notes, or telegraphic styles.)

How do you pronounce the sentence?

Approximate IPA (Eastern Norwegian): [hɑn ær ˈtʏːdəlɪˌviːs syːk] Tips:

• y in tydeligvis/syk is a front rounded vowel (like French u or German ü).
• Final g in the -lig- part isn’t strongly released.
• syk has a long vowel: “syyk.”

Is tydeligvis one word?

Yes: tydeligvis (no space or hyphen). It’s formed from tydelig + -vis.

Does tydeligvis sound sarcastic?

By default it’s neutral. Like English “obviously,” tone and context can make it sound sarcastic (“well, obviously…”). If you want to avoid any edge, use hedges like Det virker som (om) han er syk (“It seems he’s sick”).

Any difference across standards or dialects?

• Bokmål: Han er tydeligvis syk. You can also choose the alternative Bokmål form sjuk: Han er tydeligvis sjuk.
• Nynorsk: Han er tydelegvis sjuk. All are standard within their respective norms.

How would I say it in other tenses?

• Past: Han var tydeligvis syk. (He was evidently sick.)
• Present perfect: Han har tydeligvis vært syk. (He has evidently been sick.)
• Future/likely outcome: Han blir tydeligvis syk. (He’s obviously getting sick / will end up sick, from what we can tell.)
• Probability with modal: Han må tydeligvis være syk. (He must be sick, clearly.)