Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Vi tar hensyn til naboene når vi spiller musikk. - We take the neighbors into consideration when we play music.

It’s a fixed expression meaning “to take into account / to show consideration for.” Literally it’s ta (take) + hensyn (consideration) + til (to), but you should learn it as a unit. Common alternatives:

vise hensyn (til) = to show consideration (for)
ta i betraktning = to take into consideration (more formal) You can’t drop or change the preposition here; it’s always ta hensyn til someone/something.

Why is the preposition til used instead of for?

Because ta hensyn til is a set collocation; for would be unidiomatic here. You’ll also see av hensyn til at the start of sentences to mean “out of consideration for,” e.g., Av hensyn til naboene skrur vi ned volumet.

Why is it naboene (the neighbors) and not naboer (neighbors)?

Norwegian often uses the definite form when the reference is specific or understood from context—here, “the neighbors” of the building/area. Naboer would sound like “neighbors in general,” which is not what you mean. Forms:

singular: en nabo
plural: naboer
definite plural: naboene (“the neighbors”)

Can I say “our neighbors”? Where would the possessive go?

Yes. Two common options in Bokmål:

Postposed (most neutral/common): naboene våre
Preposed (slightly more emphatic): våre naboer So you could say: Vi tar hensyn til naboene våre når … Both are correct.

Why is there no article before musikk?

Musikk is typically a mass noun in Norwegian, so no article is needed: spille musikk = “play music.” Use the definite when referring to specific music: spille musikken (“play the music” we talked about). For an indefinite quantity, you can say litt musikk or noe musikk.

Does spiller refer to playing an instrument or playing recorded tracks?

It can be either, depending on context:

spille musikk / spille gitar/piano = perform music (or play an instrument)
spille av musikk = play back recorded music (explicitly)
To talk about listening (not playing), use høre på musikk or lytte til musikk. You also say spille høy musikk for “play loud music.”

When should I use når, da, mens, or om?

når = when(ever) for present/future and repeated/habitual time: når vi spiller musikk.
da = when for one specific event in the past: da vi spilte musikk (that one time).
mens = while (two things happening at the same time): mens vi spiller musikk.
om = if/whether (not time): om vi spiller musikk = “if we play music.”

Should there be a comma before når in this sentence?

No. In Norwegian, you normally don’t add a comma before a subordinate clause that comes after the main clause. But if you front the subordinate clause, you must add a comma:

Når vi spiller musikk, tar vi hensyn til naboene.

What’s going on with word order here? Why is tar in second position?

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 (verb-second) rule. The finite verb (tar) comes second in the main clause Vi tar hensyn …. If you front the time clause, the verb still stays second in the main clause that follows:

Når vi spiller musikk, tar vi hensyn … In subordinate clauses (like når vi spiller musikk), it’s normal Subject–Verb order unless you insert a sentential adverb (see next Q).

Where does ikke go if I want to negate?

Main clause: Vi tar ikke hensyn til naboene … (finite verb before ikke)
Subordinate clause: når vi ikke spiller musikk (ikke comes after the subject and before the verb in most styles) So: Vi tar hensyn til naboene når vi ikke spiller musikk sent.

How would I say this in the past or in the future?

Past (single event): Vi tok hensyn til naboene da vi spilte musikk.
Habitual past: Vi tok alltid hensyn til naboene når vi spilte musikk.
Future: Vi skal ta hensyn til naboene når vi spiller musikk. (You can also say når vi skal spille musikk if you mean “when we’re about to play.”)

Is hensyn countable? Can I say et hensyn?

In ta hensyn (til), hensyn behaves like an uncountable abstract noun; you don’t say ta et hensyn in this sense. There is a countable/plural use in set phrases like av sikkerhetsmessige hensyn (“for safety reasons/considerations”), but that’s a different pattern.

Any quick pronunciation tips for tricky words here?

hensyn: the y is a front rounded vowel (like French “u” in “tu”). Think “hen-syeen.”
naboene: three syllables, roughly “NAH-boo-eh-neh,” with clear final -ne.
musikk: stress the second syllable, “mu-SIKK”; the u is a fronted vowel (try “ew”-like, but rounded).
når: long vowel, like “nohr.” Dialectal variation exists, but these approximations will be understood.

Is this Bokmål or Nynorsk? What would the Nynorsk version look like?

The given sentence is Bokmål. A natural Nynorsk version is:

Vi tek omsyn til naboane når vi spelar musikk. Key differences: tek (takes), omsyn (consideration), naboane (the neighbors), spelar (play).