Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Jeg drikker kaffe selv når det er varmt.

selv når = even when. Refers to situations or occasions whenever a condition holds (often habitual/general).
- Example: Jeg drikker kaffe selv når det er varmt. = I drink coffee even when it’s warm (on any warm day).
selv om = even though/although. Concedes a fact (actual situation).
- Example: Jeg drikker kaffe selv om det er varmt. = I drink coffee even though it’s warm (despite that fact).
selv hvis = even if. Concedes a hypothetical condition.
- Example: Jeg drikker kaffe selv hvis det er varmt. = I’ll drink coffee even if it is warm (whether or not that happens).

Why is it når det er and not når er det?

Because når introduces a subordinate clause. In Norwegian subordinate clauses, the word order is conjunction + subject + verb. So it’s når det er, not når er det. The main clause follows the V2 rule (finite verb in second position), but subordinate clauses do not invert.

If I put the when-clause first, does the word order change in the main clause?

Yes. If you front the subordinate clause, the main clause must obey V2 and invert subject and verb:

Selv når det er varmt, drikker jeg kaffe. Here the fronted adverbial occupies the first position, so the finite verb drikker comes before the subject jeg.

Does det refer to the weather or to the coffee?

To the weather. Det here is a dummy subject used in weather and ambient expressions: Det er varmt. If you meant the coffee, you’d say Kaffen er varm or når kaffen er varm.

Why is varmt ending with -t?

Agreement. Adjectives take the neuter ending -t in predicative position when the subject is neuter — and weather det is neuter. Hence det er varmt. For the masculine noun coffee, you’d say Kaffen er varm (no -t).

Can I say selv om det er varmt instead? Is there a nuance difference?

Yes, both are possible but not identical:

selv når det er varmt focuses on occasions/conditions (habit or general rule: even on warm days).
selv om det er varmt concedes a fact (despite it being warm right now/this time). Choose based on whether you want conditional/habitual or concessive-of-fact meaning.

Why is there no article with kaffe? Should it be en kaffe?

Jeg drikker kaffe uses kaffe as an uncountable mass noun (coffee in general), so no article.
Jeg drikker en kaffe is idiomatic in cafés to mean “a cup of coffee.”
Jeg drikker kaffen means “I’m drinking the coffee” (a specific coffee).

Where would ikke go if I want to say I don’t drink coffee even when it’s hot?

Place ikke after the finite verb:

Jeg drikker ikke kaffe selv når det er varmt. = I don’t drink coffee, even when it’s warm. For stronger emphasis on not even, you can use ikke engang:
Jeg drikker ikke kaffe, ikke engang når det er varmt.

Should there be a comma before selv når?

No comma is required. The neutral, standard punctuation is:

Jeg drikker kaffe selv når det er varmt. You may insert a comma for a deliberate pause or if the clause is very long, but in normal writing it’s typically omitted.

Is selv når the same as til og med når or også når?

til og med når also means “even when” and adds strong emphasis: Jeg drikker kaffe til og med når det er varmt.
også når means “also when,” not the concessive “even when,” so it slightly changes meaning: Jeg drikker kaffe også når det er varmt = I drink coffee also when it’s warm (in addition to other times).

Can selv stand on its own here? What would Jeg drikker kaffe selv mean?

Here selv must modify når to mean “even.” On its own after the object, selv means “myself/personally,” not “even.”

Jeg drikker kaffe selv ≈ I drink coffee myself (as opposed to someone else doing it, or emphasizing the subject), which is a different meaning.

What’s the difference between når and da?

når is used for present/future time and for repeated/habitual past events: Jeg drikker kaffe når det er varmt.
da is used for a single, specific event in the past: Jeg drakk kaffe da det var varmt i går.

Does the Norwegian present tense drikker mean both I drink and I am drinking?

Yes. drikker covers both simple and progressive present. Context disambiguates:

Jeg drikker kaffe can be either “I drink coffee” (habit) or “I am drinking coffee” (right now). With når, it reads as a general habit.

Can I strengthen the idea of habit?

Yes, use pleier å:

Jeg pleier å drikke kaffe, selv når det er varmt. = I usually/typically drink coffee, even when it’s warm.

How would I say even when it’s really/very hot?

Use degree adverbs:

selv når det er veldig/svært skikkelig varmt
Colloquial: selv når det er kjempevarmt
Stronger/heatwave style: selv når det er hett

Pronunciation tips?

jeg: commonly like “yai” or “yeh” depending on dialect.
drikker: double k is a short pause or tight consonant; final r is tapped or rolled.
kaffe: stress on the first syllable: “KAH-feh.”
når: long vowel like “nor” with a long o-sound.
det: often “deh.”
varmt: the r may be light; the mt cluster is pronounced, though the t can be soft in fast speech.

If I start with the main clause object, does V2 still apply?

Yes. Any fronted element triggers V2 in the main clause:

Kaffe drikker jeg selv når det er varmt. (marked/stylistic focus on coffee)